Veteran Is Top Hope for U.S.

Carl Swenson, who competed in 1994 at Lillehammer and 2002 at Salt Lake City, is the best American hope in the final cross-country race, the men’s 50-kilometer freestyle.

Vincent Vittoz of France, Rene Sommerfeldt of Germany and Pietro Piller Cottrer of Italy are the race favorites.

Nikolai Pankratov of Russia and Sergei Dolidovich of Belarus, who had been suspended after failing hemoglobin tests, have been cleared to race.