Britain's Elise Christie says she was boosted by the support she has received from fans following two nightmare races in Sochi. The 23-year-old, who was also the victim of online bullying which later saw her stop using social media, won her 1,000m heat this morning to progress to the quarter-finals.

"I spent a few days feeling quite down and struggling psychologically," she said. "I came here to train yesterday and found that really difficult. It was quite emotional.

"I was then told about all the good support back home and that really boosted me. I have not seen a lot of them (messages) as I am not on social media, but people have read them out to me and they have been backing me.

"I smiled for the first time in a while when I heard that, so I can't get across how thankful I am because I was considering not getting back on (the ice), and the support I have had is what has pushed me to get back on.

"Today I felt on, I felt ready to go and really confident, and I just wanted to make everyone who supported me really proud."

Christie will compete in the 1,000m quarter-finals on Friday.

Hosts Russia will have been disappointed to have missed out on a bye to the quarter-finals, but they should have too much talent against a weak Norwegian side.

For the hosts, the Olympics would not be complete without men's ice hockey gold. "This is very important for all of us," Russia coach Zinetula Bilyaletdinov told BBC Sport. "We've been waiting for it for many years. Everybody is expecting a big result from us."

No Russian team have won the title since the break-up of the Soviet Union (though some Russians took part in the "Unified Team", representing six former Soviet republics, which won gold in 1992).

Russia play Norway at the Bolshoy Ice Dome at 12:35 GMT. You can follow that match on our website. The winner faces Finland in the quarter-finals.

Emil Hegle Svendsen is beaming ahead of the flower ceremony. The Norweigan adds 15km mass start gold to the sprint, pursuit, mixed relay and men's relay world titles he won last year.

Stuart MacLean, external: That was a lung busting and nerve wracking 15km Biathlon. Yet another dramatic event at Sochi 2014.

Laura Pritchard, external: Biathlon winner by an ankle. You've got to love the Winter Olympics.

Ole Einar Bjoerndalen finishes 22nd, having missed six shots across the four shoots. The Norwegian will have two more opportunities - in the mixed and men's relays - to win a record 13th Winter Olympic medal.

Emil Hegle Svendsen and Martin Fourcade are given the same time, but it's Svendsen who is judged to have crossed the line first to take the gold medal. Fourcade, who took a tumble as he stretched for the line, takes the silver and Ondrej Moravec the bronze. What a race, what a finish.

Martin Fourcade has stepped on the accelerator and retakes the lead, but as they enter the final bend Emil Hegle Svendsen launches an attack and moves back in front. He digs into the snow and powers towards the line. But Fourcade is not done yet. He dips into the Norwegian's slip stream and then nips out at the last minute and sticks his ski out over the line as Svendsen celebrates. It's a photo finish! Has Fourcade stolen it at the death? It's the ankle, not the front of the ski, which must cross the line.

Ole Einar Bjoerndalen drops down to 23rd after his four 150m penalty loops. Martin Fourcade has dropped to second, behind Ondrej Moravec, with Emil Hegle Svendsen holding on in third.

Ole Einar Bjoerndalen has given it everything, but the wheels have come off in the final shoot as he misses four out of five shots. He straps his gun on his back again and heads off to do his penalty loops. His hopes of a medal are over.

For Martin Fourcade, gold number three looks a certainty as he fires through his five shots, going clear to take the lead. The Frenchman settled himself quickest and had fired off two shots before anyone else had taken aim.

Crucial time in the biathlon 15km mass start now as the top four arrive at the range for the final shoot. It could all come down to this.

South Korea win the women's relay to avenge their controversial defeat by China at Vancouver 2010. The Koreans were stripped of gold at the last Games following an illegal overtaking manoeuvre.

China were awarded the win instead on that occasion, but the defending champions have missed out in Sochi after being penalised.

Canada, the only other country to win Olympic gold in this discipline, take the silver as a result, with Italy promoted to bronze.

Biathletes must fire targets from 50m with a 5.6mm calibre rifle. The target diameters are 11.5cm (roughly the size of a shot put) for shots when standing and just 4.5cm (equivalent to a golf ball) from prone (lying down on their fronts). All that after a spot of skiing. Impressive.

Two-time Sochi gold medallist Martin Fourcade and legend Ole Einar Bjoerndalen go clear and that propels them into third and fourth respectively. Bjoerndalen back in the hunt for a record 13th Winter Olympic medal, Fourcade very much in the hunt for a Sochi gold hat-trick. Just one shoot to go. What a finish we have in store.

Matthew Pinsent
BBC Sport reporter in Sochi

On Twitter, external: Biathlon is an awesome sport - love it. Bullets/tactics/technique/cardiovascular immensity.

Rob Hodgetts
BBC Sport at the Rosa Khutor Alpine Resort in Sochi

"Violinist Vanessa-Mae said it was "special" to be part of the Olympic spirit after finishing 67th and last in the women's giant slalom in Sochi.

"Mae, 35, was last in both runs but her second run was two seconds better than her first as she finished 50secs behind winner Tina Maze.

After run two, she told BBC Sport: 'Marginally better. The first run, I was just so unprepared for the feeling of speed. I just do not have that need for speed in my body, but with my limited experience I was happy with what I did.

"'It was so sweet, the crowd, the atmosphere, the people shouting, 'Go Vanessa'. I just wanted to turn around and say 'thank you, guys'. This is the Olympic spirit and to be just a small part of it for a few days is special.'"

Martin Fourcade and Ole Einar Bjoerndalen go clear at the second shoot to keep themselves in contention, but it's Emil Hegle Svendsen of Norway who leads the way at the moment.

The women's 3,000m relay A final is about to start, featuring South Korea, Canada, China and Italy. There's no chance of anyone dropping a baton as there isn't one. Instead, they simply give their team-mate a push to signal the next leg.

A lot of missed shots in that first shoot. Only 13 of the 30 involved go clear. That could be because they're all skiing in a group and some are having to ski faster than they're used to which raises their pulse. Also, they're all in the range together which will prove to be a distraction. And thirdly, the visibility is far from ideal.

Russia's Anton Shipulin is the leader after the first shoot in the men's 15km biathlon. He leads Norway's Emil Hegle Svendsen and Slovakia's Matej Kazar while Shipulin's team-mate Evgeniy Garanichev is also in the mix.

But Norway's Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, who is chasing a record 13th Olympic medal, is out of contention after two misses in the shoot and France's Martin Fourcade, a winner of two golds already, is back in the pack after one miss but he has the time and the ability to close the gap.

We're off! At last, the men's 15km mass start has begun at the Laura Cross-Country Ski & Biathlon Centre. Legend Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, who won his 12th Olympic medal in the sprint early in the Games, leads the field away. Follow the action at the top of the page.