PYEONGCHANG, South Korea — Close friends, fierce competitors and, now, the two best women figure skaters in the world.

Alina Zagitova edged training partner Evgenia Medvedeva Friday for victory in the singles competition, giving the Russians their first gold medal of the Pyeongchang Games.

“I haven’t fully realized yet that I’ve won,” the 15-year-old Zagitova said. “I think I need some time to understand that I won the Olympic Games.”

Well, she can pinch herself now.

She and Medvedeva tied in the free skate with 156.65 points, but Zagitova had won the short program Wednesday — giving her the edge by only 1.31 points.

“I can’t believe I am the champion,” Zagitova said.

The Russians’ gold drought had been one of the ongoing story lines of the games, and they were running out of time to get one — although those concerns were eased a bit by Zagitova and Medvedeva coming into the day in prime position to win.

Now, the Russians will have a shot at another gold with the men’s hockey team advancing to the final after a 3-0 victory over the Czech Republic. Canada and Germany were playing the late game to determine the matchup for Sunday.

“We deserve to be there and the best team will win,” Russian forward Ilya Kovalchuk said. “We will be ready for the game, for sure.”

Switzerland topped Canada to win the bronze medal in men’s curling. The gold-medal game between the US and Sweden is Saturday.

Kelsey Serwa of Canada won the gold in women’s skicross, adding to the silver she won four years ago in Sochi.

Kjeld Nuis of the Netherlands took the men’s 1,000 meters in speedskating, edging Havard Lorentzen of Norway by 0.04 seconds. Nuis also won the 1,500 last week.

Martin Fourcade fell short in his bid for his fourth Olympic gold medal in South Korea as France finished fifth in the men’s 4x7.5-kilometer biathlon relay, won by Sweden.

In Gangneung, Zagitova skated first and she nailed everything during her program to “Don Quixote.” The 18-year-old Medvedeva matched Zagitova — but that wasn’t good enough to bring home the gold.

“I put everything out there that I had,” Medvedeva said. “I left everything on the ice. I have no regrets.”

Kaetlyn Osmond of Canada, who had considered retirement, won the bronze.

A few hours later, Vasily Koshechkin stopped all 31 shots he faced to help the Russians advance in men’s hockey.

Nikita Gusev and Vladislav Gavrikov scored goals 27 seconds apart in the second period, and Kovalchuk added an empty-netter with 20.9 seconds left to seal the Russians’ first trip to the final since 1998.

Switzerland’s men’s team clinched the bronze in curling when Benoit Schwarz took out two Canadian stones with his last throw of the 10th and final end.

Canada had just one throw left, so it was unable to score the two points it needed to force an extra end.

Fresh Russian doping case

overshadows Zagitova magic

A fresh Russian doping case overshadowed the team’s first gold medal at the Pyeongchang Winter Games Friday and could lower the country’s chances of an early return to the Olympic fold.

Russia’s bobsleigh federation said female pilot Nadezhda Sergeyeva had tested positive for a “heart medicine” which is on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of banned substances.

Russia’s second doping case in Pyeongchang, after curler Alexander Krushelnitsky was stripped of his mixed doubles bronze medal, comes as Olympic officials consider whether to lift Russia’s suspension following a major drugs scandal.

“A doping test by the pilot of the Russian team Nadezhda Sergeyeva on 18 February gave a positive result for a heart medicine that is on the banned list,” a Russian bobsleigh federation statement said.

Sergeyeva placed 14th in the women’s bobsleigh Wednesday, partnered by brakewoman Anastasia Kocherzhova.

She is among 168 Russians who passed extended vetting to compete as neutrals in Pyeongchang, after Russia’s national Olympic committee was suspended over systemic doping culminating at the Sochi 2014 Winter Games.

Despite the extra screening by anti-doping experts, Russians have accounted for half of the drugs cases in Pyeongchang. Japanese short-track speed skater Kei Saito and Slovenian ice hockey player Ziga Jeglic are the other two athletes to fail tests.

Olympic officials will decide over the weekend whether to ease Russia’s suspension and allow their athletes to wave the national flag at Sunday’s closing ceremony.

They have the option to “partially or fully” lift Russia’s suspension, which was imposed in December after investigations revealed a highly orchestrated doping plot. — Agencies