Vancouver - Carlo Janka captured his first Olympic gold medal and Switzerland's sixth at the winter Olympics with victory in the men's giant slalom on Tuesday. Gold medals were also secured by Canada, South Korea,
Russia and
Austria in the main action on Day 12 of the Games.
There was drama in the speed skating rink when Dutch medal favourite Sven Kramer was disqualified, allowing South Korea's Lee Seung-Hoon in for gold in the men's 10,000 metres.
Canada earned a sixth gold of the Games when Ashleigh McIvor became the first women's ski cross medallist on the sport's winter Olympics debut.
Meanwhile world champions Russia won the women's biathlon relay gold for the second straight time and the Austrian team clinched the team event in Nordic combined.
After days of clear sunny skies, wintry
weather returned to the Games venues with snow falling particularly at Cypress Mountain where McIvor captured ski cross gold ahead of Hedda Berntsen of Norway and Marion Josserand of France.
"This is just the most amazing thing in my entire life. I am so proud of myself," said McIver. "There's nothing I could have done to be better equipped."
At Whistler Creekside, Janka took the giant slalom after notching the best time in the first run to continue Switzerland's successful Games.
"It's fantastic, I think I don't realise it yet," said Janka. "It's such a great thing to be Olympic champion and I am just 23 years old, it's just amazing."
Kjetil Jansrud of Norway jumped from 11th place after the first run to the
silver medal while teammate, super-g gold medallist and downhill silver medal winner Aksel Lund Svindal, grabbed the bronze.
The gold was Switzerland's second in the alpine events following Didier Defago's title in the men's downhill.
At Richmond Olympic Oval, Lee Seung-Hoon claimed gold in the men's 10,000m speed skating to go with his 5,000m silver. It was a third speed skating gold for South Korea whose gold-medal tally went up to five.
Kramer, the 5,000m gold medallist, appeared well on course for his second gold of the Games but incorrectly crossed a lane with eight laps remaining of his powerful run.
Kramer carried on and raised his arms in the air in celebration as he crossed the line more than four seconds up on the South Korean who had set an Olympic record.
But the Dutch coaches knew that disqualification for an incorrect lane change was to follow, and an angry Kramer threw his glasses into the infield when told by his coach.
"Usually I don't want to blame anyone else, but this time I can't do anything else," said Kramer.
"I wanted to go on the outer lane, then just before the cone Gerard (Netherlands coach Gerard Kemkers) shouted 'inner lane.' I thought he's probably right and went to the inner lane."
Russian Ivan Skobrev, who had won bronze in the 5,000m, got the silver with Bob de Jong earning the bronze for the Dutch team.
The Russian team of Svetlana Sleptsova, Anna Bogaliy-Titovets, Olga Medvedtseva and Olga Zaitseva dominated the 4x6-kilometres biathlon, with Zaitseva blowing kisses to the crowd before crossing the line where her team-mates were waiting to celebrate. France got the silver and
Germany the bronze.
The Nordic combined team event went to Austria ahead of the United States and Germany.
It left the United States top of the medal standings on seven gold, nine silver and 10 bronze, ahead of Germany (7-9-7).
The action was continuing at the Games with ice-hockey play-offs including hosts Canada up against Germany, two-man men's bobsleigh, curling and the short programme in women's figure skating.
