Paul Williams:, external Norway are not looking good. The 'Iron Lady', Marit Bjoergen, will have to make up so much time in the relay.

We are into the freestyle section of the race.

The defending champions, Norway, look to be in real trouble as they come into the second handover a huge 13.4 seconds behind the leaders. The Norwegians have not lost a World Championship, World Cup or Olympics since 2009.

Ollie Williams
BBC Sport in Sochi

"Elise Christie's official result has now changed from 'penalty' to 'did not finish', which confirms the theory that she came so far inside the finish line, that the race officials judged her never to have actually crossed it.

"This is the strangest way to be disqualified at an Olympic Games that I've ever seen. Given she was already qualifying easily, but put in a burst of pace at the end to try to beat Arianna Fontana, one wonders how self-inflicted that disqualification is. Two races, two DQs. What will this do to her confidence for the 1,000m next week?"

Image source, AFP

Sweden move into the semi-finals of the women's competition after beating 2010 bronze medallists Finland.

After a goalless first period, Finland went ahead through Venla Hovl's goal, before efforts from Anna Borgqvist and Lina Webster put Sweden 2-1 up.

Emma Nuutinen equalised, but goals from Emma Eliasson and Emma Nordin sealed a 4-2 victory for the Swedes.

Slovenia beat Slovakia 3-1 in the men's competition.

Ollie Williams
BBC Sport in Sochi

"Right, so it's sounding as though Elise Christie came so far inside on the final straight that she was INSIDE the finish line/track. In other words, imagine running a 100m without lanes but veering off inside the track in the final few metres. Your result wouldn't count."

BBC journalist David McDaid:, external Elise Christie tells me she has no idea why she was penalised in 1500m. "I really want a reason to respect the ref's decision," she says.

Great Britain have really been picking up momentum in men's curling, having won their last three round-robin games in succession, but they are trailing Canada 1-0 after the first end. Early days yet though.

Image source, AFP

At the first handover, Russia were out in first place but Sweden have grabbed the lead during the second. The Norwegian team, favourites to win the gold medal, are down in fourth place.

Ollie Williams
BBC Sport in Sochi

"Utter bewilderment for British fans inside the Iceberg arena. There is a suggestion that Elise Christie may have skated inside the course markers early on in her heat, which would indeed mean a penalty, but that hasn't yet been confirmed to me.

"Either way, a second penalty in two races - this one in the most innocuous circumstances - will have a huge impact on the confidence of one of Britain's best medal hopes at Sochi 2014. A staggering setback."

Image source, AP

Olympic gold medallist heptathlete Denise Lewis:, external Elise Christie. Unbelievable. She's got to be the unluckiest athlete in Sochi so far. Shame.

Rob Hodgetts
BBC Sport in Sochi

"Switzerland's Lara Gut bemoaned the snow conditions on the lower part of the women's super-G run after finishing fourth in Rosa Khutor. Eight of the first 11 starters, and 18 racers in a field of 49, failed to reach the finish, most caught out by changing conditions and tight gates on the final pitch into the line.

"Gut, one of the pre-race favourites who won bronze in the downhill, said: "There is no snow at the bottom, it's not funny any more. This is a disaster, it was a shame for everybody. The last part was a bit much. Everybody was crashing around. It's difficult to stay on your skis, you are constantly losing them. I don't know if this is the best way to show off our skiing. It's not a race, you are just trying to come down."

"Austrian coach Florian Winkler, who set the course, was unapologetic. He said: "It was our goal for the course [to be difficult]. I was surprised by the amount of girls who skied out. It was a day of mistakes for many."

Mr Barry Rayner:, external I am bewildered. Just cannot see what she did wrong. Such a shame for Elise Christie.

Britain's Charlotte Gilmartin has also failed to make the 1500m semi-finals. She crosses the line fifth in her heat, with only the top three advancing to the semi-finals.

Ollie Williams
BBC Sport in Sochi

On Twitter:, external Apparently, Elise Christie may have gone inside one of the course markers early on in the race. Not confirmed. Bewildering.

Elise Christie was also penalised in the final of the 500m for causing a crash, when it looked like she had won a silver medal.

Wilf O’Reilly
Former Olympic short track speed skater on BBC TV

"I cannot believe this has happened. I am looking around, I did not see anything that was worthy of a penalty."

Image source, AP

Elise Christie is out of the women's short-track speed skating 1500m competition, after it had looked like she was heading into the semi-finals.

With two laps to go, she moved from fourth to second, before pinching first place on the line from Italy's Arianna Fontana. Ayuko Ito of Japan finished third.

However, Christie is then penalised and relegated to last place, with Fontana given the victory and Ito moved up to second. It means the Scot will not take her place in the semi-finals. Huge controversy.

Ollie Williams
BBC Sport in Sochi

"The question is how that crash has affected Elise Christie's racing outlook: will she no longer take big risks because of what happened in that final (where she was penalised for causing the incident), or will she continue to gamble in a bid to win gold?"

There is a thrilling quarter-final going on in the women's competition between Finland and Sweden.

Finland had been 1-0 ahead, Sweden scored twice in a minute to go 2-1 in front, but Finland have since pulled it back to 2-2.

Elise Christie is next up in her heat. The top three of six go through but she'll be up against Italy's Arianna Fontana, her co-star in the collision earlier in the week which deprived her of a medal in the 500m final.

Chemmy Alcott, speaking to Graham Bell on BBC Two: "I had to have the height today and I didn't do that. I was pinching the line. Some risks pay off. In the downhill the risks paid off, but unfortunately today those risks didn't. I'm not proud of my time."

Image source, Rob Hodgetts