10 kilometres, Classical, Women

The favorite was Marjo Matikainen, who would later win the 5 km gold medal in Calgary. She had won the last two World Cups, was leading the 1987-88 season, and had won a silver in this event at the 1987 World Championship. The 1987 World Champion was Norway’s Anne Jahren but she would finish only 16th in Calgary. The leader at the first two checkpoints was venerable Soviet skier Raisa Smetanina. Matikainen was only 11th at 4.6 km but would move up to third at 7.3 km. Smetanina could not close and would be outrun by her teammate, Vida Vencienė, who won by 8.7 seconds, after narrowly trailing at the 7.3 time check. Matikainen posted the fastest time for the finishing 2.7 km but could only get a bronze medal. Calgary was the end of the line for Smetanina, who closed out a remarkable career. She won two medals in Calgary, adding a bronze in the 20 km, for a total of 10 Olympic medals, with four golds. She also won 12 medals at World Championships, with four full sets. Vencienė competed for her native Lithuania at the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympics, but with less success. Four of the top five finishers were from the Soviet Union. The 10 km would drop off the Olympic Program, being replaced by a 15 km event in 1992-1998, but it would return in 2002.