By The Associated Press

Day 7 of the Turin Olympics

Thursday, Feb. 16

STARS

Russia's Evgeni Plushenko won the men's figure skating gold medal, the fifth straight Olympic title in the event for a Russian/Soviet.

American Seth Wescott edged Slovakian Radoslav Zidek to take the gold in the Olympic debut of snowboardcross.

David Aebischer made 40 saves to help Switzerland upset the Czech Republic 3-2 in hockey.

DOPING DEBUT

Russian biathlon star Olga Pyleva lost her silver from Monday's 15km event. She tested positive for the stimulant carphedon.

ITALIAN ICE

Three straight upsets gave Italy a gold medal in men's team pursuit, sending the home crowd into a frenzy at the speedskating oval. The Italians won the new event by defeating Canada. They had beaten the U.S. on Wednesday and the Netherlands in Thursday's semifinal.

LIFE BEGINS AT 41

Hilde Pedersen, 41, became the oldest woman to win a medal at an Olympic Winter Games. The Norwegian took the bronze in the women's 10km classical cross-country race. Raisa Smetanina won a cross-country relay event in 1992, a few days before her 40th birthday.

TURIN TALK

"I missed the bus. They changed the schedule. It was every 10 minutes. Today it was every half-hour. I was late getting here and never caught up. I never felt comfortable in this building. I didn't feel my inner peace, I didn't feel my aura. Inside I was black." — American figure skater Johnny Weir, who finished fifth after a cautious program filled with errors.