SALT LAKE CITY - Clara Hughes found herself in lofty company on Saturday when she became the first Canadian to win a medal in both the Winter and Summer Olympics, skating to a bronze in the women's 5,000-metre long track speed skating event.

Hughes of Winnipeg, a double-bronze medallist in cycling at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics, finished in six minutes 53.53 seconds to earn the bronze in the 5,000. Winnipeg's Cindy Klassen was fourth in 6:55.89. Hughes' medal was Canada's 13th of the Games, just two away from Canada's best-ever showing of 15 in 1998 at Nagano, Japan.

"Being new to the sport, I don't set limits," Hughes said. "I just skate my heart out. It was the race of my life."

Claudia Pechstein of Germany won the gold medal with a world-record time of 6:46.91. Gretha Smit of the Netherlands won the silver in 6:49.22. Kristina Groves of Ottawa was 10th in 7:07.16.

"A year ago I thought about this race and I thought my dream would be to be on the podium," said Hughes.

She was the third Canadian woman to compete in both Games.

Hayley Wickenheiser of Shaunavon, Sask., who won a gold medal with the Canadian women's hockey team on Thursday, also competed in softball at the Sydney Olympics while Sue Holloway of Halifax competed in cross-country skiing at the 1976 Winter Games and in kayaking in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.

Hughes becomes only the second woman in history to win medals at both a Winter and Summer Games - Christa Luding-Rothenburger of then-East Germany won speed-skating gold in 1984 and '88, silver in '88, bronze in '92, and a silver in cycling in 1988.

Meanwhile, the men's hockey team prepared for its much anticipated gold-medal final with the United States.

"It's going to be a really intense game and it will probably be the most physical game of the tournament," said Canadian right-winger Owen Nolan. "We're used to playing against each other in the NHL.

"We know each other inside out. We know each other's tendencies. So I think it will be a great game."

Canada will be seeking its first gold medal in men's Olympic hockey since 1952. If they do win, it will give Canada gold-medal wins over the U.S. in both men's and women's hockey.

The women's team beat the Americans 3-2 Thursday.

The Canadian players are well aware that millions of fans will be watching the final in hockey-mad Canada, where supremacy on ice is a matter of national pride.

"If you get too worried about it, you tense up and lose your energy," said defenceman Al MacInnis. "You can't go out there afraid to play your game or of making a mistake."

In four-man bobsleigh, a frustrated Pierre Lueders of Edmonton finished ninth in a four-run combined time of 3:09.17 seconds. He was well back of Germany's Andre Lange, who won gold in 3:07.51.

"It didn't go as well as I would of liked," said Lueders, who was also ninth in the Nagano Games in 1998. "Pretty good first run, the second one wasn't quite what I wanted.

"I'm disappointed that I didn't really improve upon my results from Nagano. That would've been a good achievement."

In other action Saturday:

- Thomas Grandi of Canmore, Alta., was 17th in the men's slalom event on Saturday, on a treacherous final run that wiped out many of the top contenders.

Frenchman Jean-Pierre Vidal won the gold medal in his Olympic debut, while French teammate Sebastien Amiez took the silver, and Alain Baxter of Britain won bronze.

Jean-Philippe Roy of Ste-Flavie, Que., failed to finish.

- Donald Farley of Lorraine, Que., was Canada's only competitor in the men's 50-kilometre classical cross-country ski race. He finished 41st.

Spain's Johann Muehlegg staged a strong comeback over the final 10 kilometres to win the gold medal. Russia's Mikhail Ivanov won silver, and Estonia's Andrus Veerpalu won the bronze.