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Dario Cologna of Switzerland celebrates after finishing men's 15km free event of cross country skiing at 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games at Alpensia Cross-Country Centre, PyeongChang, South Korea, Feb. 16, 2018. Dario Cologna claimed champion in a time of 33:43.9. (Xinhua/Han Yan)

PYEONGCHANG, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Dario Cologna of Switzerland became the first cross-country skier to win the same individual event three times in a row by winning the men's 15km cross country at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games here on Friday.

The 31-year-old Cologna clocked 33 minutes and 43.9 seconds to take his fourth Olympic gold medal, beating Norway's Simen Hegstad Krueger to the second place in 34:02.2.

Cologna said: "Three times in this event and four gold medals. Now I am together with Simon Ammann, who won four times in the Olympics. To write a little bit of history, it is not bad.

"To win in three different Olympics is very hard work over many years. I had two not-so-easy years, the last two, but really wanted to be back. It feels very good to be back on top."

Denis Spitsov, an Olympic athlete from Russia took the bronze in 34:06.9.

Cologna equaled ski jumper Simon Ammann and artistic gymnast Georges Miez on a record of four gold medals for Switzerland at the Olympic Games or Olympic Winter Games.