ANTERSELVA, Italy, Feb 20 (Reuters) - There was a sprint finish with a difference in the men's 15km mass start at the Milano Cortina Games on Friday as the final three competitors lined up on the final straight before tearing off in a race not for Olympic medals, but to avoid finishing last.
With Johannes Dale-Skjevdal of Norway having secured the gold ahead of compatriot Sturla Holm Laegreid and third-placed Quentin Fillon Millet of France more than five minutes earlier, there was only one final prize on offer, and that was to not be last across the line.
The trio of Campbell Wright (USA), Fabien Claude (France) and Nicola Romanin (Italy) all came down the final hill and ploughed to a halt in front of the grandstand. When they set off again at a sprint, it was Claude who made the early running to finish in 27th place - a full 5 minutes 56.6 seconds after the actual winner.
Even more improbably, the indignity of last place was decided by a photo finish. The final two lunged across the line, with Romanin's blushes spared as American Cambell drew the short straw and ended up 29th and dead last of the exhausted finishers.
(Reporting by Philip O'Connor; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
