By Daniel Etchells in the Montafon Valley in Austria

Willi Hengelhaupt (centre) won two of Germany's six gold medals, including that from today's Nordic combined boys' event ©ÖOC/GEPAGermany and Russia ended the European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) on six gold medals apiece after both countries added two more to their tallies on the final day of action here in Vorarlberg and Liechtenstein.

Willi Hengelhaupt won the boys' Nordic combined event for Germany, with the country's HS 66 mixed ski jumping team also coming out on top, while Russia's 4x5 kilometres mixed cross-country skiing relay team and ice hockey team prevailed in their respective events.

Hengelhaupt, who had already won one gold and one silver medal at the EYOF, registered an overall time of 13min 40.90sec to finish ahead of Austria's Samuel Mraz by 36.4 seconds and France's Theo Rochat by 44.50 seconds.

"It's been a fantastic Festival for me," said Hengelhaupt after competing in the HS 108 ski jumping in Tschagguns and the 5km cross-country race in Gaschurn.

"I am very proud that I've dealt with the pressure on me.

"The EYOF is a great event, and I will take a lot of beautiful memories back home."

In the ski jumping mixed team event in Tschagguns, Germany's quartet of Agnes Reisch, Jonathan Siegel, Henriette Kraus and Axel Maylaender scored 880.60 points to beat second-place Russia - Mariia Iakovleva, Maksim Sergeev, Sofia Tikhonova and Kiril Kotik - by 10 points, and bronze medallists the Czech Republic - Jana Mrakotova, Robert Szymeczek, Zdena Pesatova and Frantisek Holik - by 37.4 points.

"The gold medal has been our goal," said Reisch.

"Russia was a strong competitor, but we were able to take advantage of the conditions.

"We wanted to offer Henriette a special present.

"It's her birthday today, and there is nothing better than celebrating this day on top of the podium."

Russia's 4x5km cross-country skiing relay mixed team (centre) beat those of Norway and Germany to the gold medal ©ÖOC/GEPARussia's 4x5km cross-country skiing relay mixed team (centre) beat those of Norway and Germany to the gold medal ©ÖOC/GEPA



Russia's foursome of Alexander Klugen, Lidia Durkina, Egor Kazarinov and Olga Kucheruk won the cross-country skiing relay mixed team event in a time of 55:19.70, crossing the line in Steg ahead of Norway - Petter Stakston, Marte Maehlum Johansen, Simen Thune Rolfsen and Martine Lorgen Oevrebust - in 55:30.30, and Germany - Jakob Vogt, Katherine Sauerbrey, Janosch Brugger and Antonia Fräbel - in 56:39.00, who claimed the silver and bronze medals respectively. 

"We are really blessed; it's magnificent that we have won," said Kucheruk.

"We've really given it our best.

"Liechtenstein is so beautiful and the EYOF was great.

"We take unforgettable memories with us home to Russia."

The ice hockey competition gold medal match saw Russia overcome the Czech Republic 9-5 in a fiery encounter at the Aktivpark Montafon. 

The match was close after the second period with Russia leading by just one goal, but a final period scoreline of 5-2 put the result beyond the Czechs. 

A brace for Dmitry Sokolov, along with goals for Platon Popov, Nikita Popugaev and Maxim Bain took Russia out of sight and sparked jubilant scenes at the final whistle.

Russia's ice hockey team celebrate as their gold medal match against the Czech Republic reaches a successful conclusion ©ÖOC/GEPARussia's ice hockey team celebrate as their gold medal match against the Czech Republic reaches a successful conclusion ©ÖOC/GEPA



Meanwhile, co-hosts Austria increased their gold medal tally to five after success in the Alpine skiing mixed parallel team event in St. Gallenkirch-Garfrescha.

The six-strong squad comprising Franziska Gritsch, Katharina Liensberger, Julia Scheib, Pascal Fritz, Fabio Gstrein and Raphael Haaser prevailed at the expense of Norway - Marte Edseth Berg, Vilde Brakestad, Kajsa Vickhoff Lie, Odin Vassbotn Breivik, Joachim Jagge Lindstoel and Olav Engelhardt Sanerberg - and Germany - Martina Ostler, Julia Pronnet, Lucia Rispler, Ferdinand Dorsch, Joel Kohler and Adrian Meisen - in second and third place respectively. 

"Already at breakfast the vibes were good and we speculated about a medal," said Gstrein.

"And now it's gold - that's amazing.

"We've given it everything; we've struggled down to the finish line but we've also had a lot of fun."

Norway capped off a very productive five days with a gold medal in the biathlon mixed relay event, their 11th medal in total at the EYOF, in Bürserberg.

Mathea Tofte and Karoline Erdal, both competing in the girls' 6km, and Aleksander Fjeld and Sturia Holm Laegereid, each contesting the boys' 7.5km, clocked an overall time of 1:25:56.10 to overcome Russia - Vera Rumyantseva and Irina Kazakevich, and Nikita Lobastov and Igor Malinovskii - in 1:26:34.80, and Germany - Melanie Eccarius and Sophia Schneider, and Marinus Veit and Tobias Wanninger - in 1:28:53.50.

"We didn't expect to win," said Erdal.

"So we are more than happy about gold."

Germany top the final medal standings with six golds, five silvers and 10 bronze, with Russia in second on six golds, six silvers and four bronze, and Austria in third on five golds, five silvers and three bronze.

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