THE SIDELINES : Svan Wins Cross-Country Skiing

Gunde Svan held off defending champion Vladimir Smirnov by 4.9 seconds in a thrilling finish to win the men’s 30-kilometer classical style cross-country race today at the World Nordic Ski Championships.

Svan won the Swedish-Soviet duel in a time of 1 hour, 16 minutes, 12.4 seconds on the high-altitude 18.6-mile course at this Italian ski resort, which has a total climb of 3,722 feet.

It was a record seventh world championship for Svan, 29, one of the greatest cross-country skiers in history.

But he didn’t expect it, having missed almost two weeks in training in both December and January because of the flu.

“I don’t know how I could do it,” he said after Smirnov, the next-to-last starter in a field of 76, had crossed the finish line. “I was very uncertain about my form when I came here. I missed so much training in the last two months.”