Russia, United States and China combined for figure skating gold ©Lillehammer 2016

A formidable combination of three Russians, two Americans and a Chinese, joined together under "Team Desire", claimed the gold medal in the first National Olympic Committee (NOC) mixed figure skating team competition here today.

The three global powerhouses have contributed to some of the best known sporting moments, such as the "Ping Pong Diplomacy" which improved Sino-American relations in the 1970s and the "Miracle on Ice" Lake Placid 1980 ice hockey clash won by the US over the Soviet Union.

You wonder how many of the biggest political problems of the last 60 years would have been avoided had the three superpowers combined as well as they did today.

The team were led off by Russian ice dancing duo Kirill Aleshin and Anastansia Skoptcova, before solid performances from US pair Sarah Rose and Joseph Goodpaster, and then from female star Li Xiangning of China.

It was left to Russia's Dmitry Aliev to complete the job.

Despite one near-fall, he delivered a strong performance to Notre Dame de Paris to haul the team to a winning total of 23 points.

“I’m very happy, we had a good team," said Aliev.

"I’m glad we all did very well.

“I felt good going last, I was very focused and that’s why I was able to do well.”

Alina Ustimkina and Nikita Volodin in action for eventual fifth-placed finishers Team Determination during the mixed figure skating team event ©Lillehammer 2016
Alina Ustimkina and Nikita Volodin in action for eventual fifth-placed finishers Team Determination during the mixed figure skating team event ©Lillehammer 2016

The silver medal went to Team Future, composed of Ivan Shmuratko of Ukraine, Latvia’s Diana Nikitina, Anna Duskova and Martin Bidar of Czech Republic and French pair Julia Wagret and Mathieu Couyras.

Team Discovery, consisting of Deniss Vasiljevs of Latvia, Hungary’s Fruzsina Medgyesi, Gao Yumeng and Li Bowen of China and Canadian pair Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha, finished third.

They overhauled Team Motivation, for whom a fall by Malaysian men's skater Chew Kai Xiang cost them a place on the podium.

Mixed NOC team gold was also up for grabs in short track speed skating today, with 3,000m relay spoils going to Ane By Farstad of Norway, Stijn Desmet of Belgium, Frenchman Quentin Fercoq and women's individual 1,000 metres champion Kim Ji Yoo.

Petra Jaszapati of Hungary, the 500m silver medallist,  took silver along with Australia's Julia Moore, Tjerk De Boer of The Netherlands and Japan's Kiich Shigehiro.

Bulgaria’s Katrin Manoilova, Anita Nagay of Kazakhstan, Latvia’s Karlis Kruzbergs and Kazuki Yoshinaga of Japan took the bronze medal.

Russia beat Finland 6-2 to claim the men's ice hockey bronze medal after Switzerland had enjoyed a similarly comfortable 5-2 victory over Slovakia in the women's playoff.

Both finals are due take place tomorrow afternoon ahead of the Closing Ceremony.