A nice display of sportsmanship in today's cross-country skiing men's sprint semifinal, after Russian Anton Gafarov crashed early in the race and broke one ski. He awkwardly soldiered on, falling repeatedly, and it appeared as if he wouldn't be able to make it to the finish line in front of the home fans. Canada to the rescue.


After Gafarov's third fall, Canadian coach Justin Wadsworth sprinted out on to the course with a new ski and affixed it to Gafarov's boot, allowing him to finish a distant last place—but to the cheers of the crowd.

A photo essay of Gafarov's tumble—and Wadsworth's assist. (Where were the Russian coaches?)

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