Vice President Dick Cheney has blown away the field in his quest for an Olympic biathlon medal in Torino. Literally.
Cheney successfully shot a Russian, a German, a Frenchman and a North Korean in the sport that combines cross-country skiing with rifle shooting.
The vice president was penalized for killing his rivals, but his cumulative time -- and their sudden absence from the competition -- was good enough to earn him a place in the finals.
Now the Wyoming outdoorsman is one step closer to his dream of blasting his way Olympic gold. A Cheney medal for the U.S. would be seen as a victory in the war on terror, said President Bush, who was forced to pull out of the men's luge competition due to a strained groin.