In a photo finish on Saturday, Shelina Johnson of Redmond edged teammate Michelle Swager of Bend for first place and a gold medal in the women’s 50-meter snowshoe race at the Special Olympics Oregon Winter Games.

The 34th annual Winter Games for snow sports, staged at Mount Bachelor, showcased the talents of nearly 150 athletes from across Oregon in cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, Alpine skiing and snowboarding.

Competing in her first-ever Winter Games, the triumphant Johnson, 23, hollered a friendly, ”I beat you,” then shared a hug with Swager.

”I didn’t think I could do it,” said Johnson, ”because Michelle, she has won every time we’ve raced together. The adrenaline was really pumping in me.”

Indeed, the two battled it out recently in a regional competition at Willamette Pass, where Swager pulled out a victory over Johnson by a slim margin.

But the two competitors are also friends, and sportsmanship flowed freely on Saturday as racers cheered, posed for photographs and congratulated each other for their efforts.

In the long-distance snowshoe event of the Winter Games, Anthony Brohard of Bend and Special Olympics veteran Darren Laughlin, also of Bend, picked up second- and third-place finishes, respectively, in the 500-meter race.

The 37-year-old Laughlin – a Special Olympics athlete since 1980 – noted that the best part of Winter Games is sharing the experience with friends.

”It’s not the medals you win, it’s how well you do,” said Laughlin, who kept a steady pace during the 500-meter race before sprinting the last 25 meters to the finish. ”It always feels good.”

With snowshoes churning through the snow, Spencer White and Sean Ertsgaard gave it their all on the men’s 50-meter sprint course. White, 55, of Redmond, racing on only three hours of sleep, managed to claim the silver medal, while Bend’s Ertsgaard, 21, finished in the bronze-medal position.

”It’s neat for someone my age,” said White, who works a night job in Madras, ”because there are not many 55-year-olds out there doing it.”

White noted that he participates in Special Olympics to keep his blood pressure down.

”I was picturing a waitress holding a big hamburger (at the finish line),” White laughed. He added that for today’s 100-meter snowshoe competition, he’d be imagining a steak.

Eric Fullerton, 24, of Bend picked himself up from an early fall in the 50-meter cross-country ski race to cross the finish line in second place amid cheers from his teammates. The setback didn’t seem to damper his exuberance when a police officer – a volunteer with Special Olympics – later placed a silver medal around his neck.

Bend’s Kristel Wieglenda demonstrated why she is one of the most accomplished ski racers at the Winter Games. The 2005 silver and bronze medalist from the Special Olympics World Games in Nagano, Japan, captured first place in the 500-meter cross-country ski contest. Wieglenda, 24, is scheduled to take to the snow again today for the 1-kilometer final race.

Eric Fullerton, 24, of Bend picked himself up from an early fall in the 50-meter cross-country ski race to cross the finish line in second place amid cheers from his teammates.

The setback didn’t seem to damper his exuberance when a police officer – a volunteer with Special Olympics – later placed a silver medal around his neck.

Bend’s Kristel Wieglenda demonstrated why she is one of the most accomplished ski racers at the Winter Games.

The 2005 silver and bronze medalist from the Special Olympics World Games in Nagano, Japan, captured first place in the 500-meter cross-country ski contest. Wieglenda, 24, is scheduled to take to the snow again today for the 1-kilometer final race.

Also on Saturday, racers vied for medals on the ski slopes.

Darrick Yarbrough, 27, of Bend claimed gold in the men’s Alpine downhill race, while Jason Strong, 21, of Prineville added a first-place win in the super-giant slalom snowboard contest.

Special Olympics competition at Mount Bachelor continues today with finals scheduled in the 100-meter snowshoe event and the 1-kilometer and 3-kilometer cross-country ski races. Snowshoe and cross-country ski events are staged near the Mount Bachelor Nordic Lodge and are slated to get under way at 9 a.m.

Spectators can catch finals action in the giant slalom and slalom races for Alpine skiers and snowboarders beginning at 9 a.m.

Those contests are to be held below the Red Chair and Pine Marten chairlifts.

For more results from Saturday’s Winter Games competition, see Sports Scoreboard on Page D2.