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First gold of Games for Ukraine

By , Senior Reporter
Ukraine win their first medal of the 2014 Winter Olympics, triumphing in the women's biathlon relay 4x6km event.

Ukraine have won the women's biathlon relay to pick up their first gold medal of the Sochi Games.

Gold medalists Ukraine's Vita Semerenko, Juliya Dzhyma, Olena Pidhrushna and Valj Semerenko celebrate during the Women's Biathlon 4x6 km Relay Flower Ceremony at the Laura Cross-Country Ski and Biathlon Center during the Sochi Winter Olympics on February © Getty Images

The team, made up of anchor Olena Pidhrushna, Juliya Dzhyma, and twins Valj and Vita Semerenko, finished the 4x6km course in a time of 1 hour, 10 minutes and 2.5 seconds.

Defending champions Russia finished 24.4 seconds behind the leaders to take silver, while bronze went to Norway.

The Ukrainian triumph comes on the back of the news that as many as 20 athletes have departed the Winter Olympics amid violence in their homeland.

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Gold medalist Anastasiya Kuzmina of Slovakia celebrates during the flower ceremony after the Women's 7.5 km Sprint during day two of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at Laura Cross-country Ski & Biathlon Center on February 9, 2014
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