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One of the Craziest Photo Finishes You'll See From the Olympics

One of the Craziest Photo Finishes You'll See From the Olympics

"What a brilliant photo..."

While the French might have taken all the glory in the Olympics ski cross finals, the semifinals are getting attention for its photo finish.

Looking at the finish from an angle parallel to the finish line you'd wonder what Switzerland's Armin Niederer did to leave his three competitors crossing on their stomachs in his wake.

[blackbirdpie url="https://twitter.com/JonnoSimpson/status/436448832134471680/photo/1"]

Watch the finish in this GIF from Canada's Globe and Mail.

Here's what really went down though: in Thursday's first quarterfinal, when Sweden's Victor Oehling Norberg was comfortably in the lead approaching the finish, he lost an edge and wiped out. His fall caused Russia's Egor Korotkov and Finland's Jouni Pellinen to follow suit and tumble.

Switzerland's Armin Niederer, right, skis past, from left, Finland's Jouni Pellinen, Victor Oehling Norberg of Sweden, and Russia's Igor Korotkov to win the first men's ski cross quarterfinal at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park, at the 2014 Winter Olympics, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014, in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia. (AP/Andy Wong) Switzerland's Armin Niederer, right, skis past, from left, Finland's Jouni Pellinen, Victor Oehling Norberg of Sweden, and Russia's Igor Korotkov to win the first men's ski cross quarterfinal at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park, at the 2014 Winter Olympics, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014, in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia. (AP/Andy Wong)

Niederer somehow skied off to the side, remaining upright over the line. The photo finish for second involved three skiers, none of them upright.

Russia's Egor Korotkov crashes as Switzerland's Armin Niederer crosses the finisk line in the Men's Freestyle Skiing Ski Cross Quarterfinals at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park during the Sochi Winter Olympics on February 20, 2014. (ALEXANDER KLEIN/AFP/Getty Images) Russia's Egor Korotkov crashes as Switzerland's Armin Niederer crosses the finisk line in the Men's Freestyle Skiing Ski Cross Quarterfinals at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park during the Sochi Winter Olympics on February 20, 2014. (ALEXANDER KLEIN/AFP/Getty Images)

Norway's Didrik Bastian Juell falss after crossing the finish line in the Men's Freestyle Skiing Ski Cross Quarterfinals at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park during the Sochi Winter Olympics on February 20, 2014. (ALEXANDER KLEIN/AFP/Getty Images) Norway's Didrik Bastian Juell falss after crossing the finish line in the Men's Freestyle Skiing Ski Cross Quarterfinals at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park during the Sochi Winter Olympics on February 20, 2014. (ALEXANDER KLEIN/AFP/Getty Images)

The French swept up all the medals in the finals -- all upright mind you. Such a sweep hasn't been done by France in the Olympics since the 1924 Summer Games in Paris.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

(H/T: Deadspin)

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