Norway takes early medal lead in Beijing with two golds Saturday

Norway is the all-time leader in gold medals at the Winter Olympics and added two more to its total Saturday at the 2022 Beijing Games.

The first gold medal of the 2022 Olympics went to Norway when Therese Johaug won the women's skiathlon. The event combines 7.5 kilometers of classical cross-country skiing with another 7.5 kilometers of freestyle cross-country skiing. Johaug — who missed the 2018 Winter Olympics due to a doping ban — finished 30.2 seconds ahead of silver medalist Natalia Nepryaeva of the Russian Olympic Committee.

Later, Norway nabbed a second gold with a win in the mixed biathlon relay. The team of Marte Olsbu Røiseland, Tiril Eckhoff, Tarjei Bø and Johannes Thingnes Bø finished just ahead of the French team to win the event. Three of the Norwegian competitors were on the country's mixed biathlon team in 2018 when Norway finished just behind France and settled for silver.

The only other country that has multiple medals after Saturday is Slovenia, thanks to gold and bronze medals in the women's individual normal hill ski jumping final for Urša Bogataj and Nika Križnar, respectively. China, Netherlands and Sweden each won one gold, as well.

On Sunday, there will be medals awarded in alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, freestyle skiing, luge, ski jumping, snowboard and speed skating.