USA edge out Canada, break drought
Andre Myhrer becomes oldest champion in men’s slalom, while Alexander Krushelnitsky is stripped of bronze medal
IN MEN’S SKI HALFPIPE, AMERICAN DEFENDING CHAMP DAVID WISE KEPT HIS NERVE DESPITE CRASHING OUT OF HIS FIRST TWO RUNS TO SEAL A GRIPPING VICTORY ON THE FINAL ATTEMPT.
PYEONGCHANG: America’s women broke an ice hockey gold medal drought stretching back 20 years today as a Russian curler admitted doping and was stripped of bronze at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic. American skier Mikaela Shiffrin was denied gold in the women’s combined, while veteran team-mate Lindsey Vonn disappointingly bombed out of the same event -- her final Olympic race.
In the ice hockey, USA edged fierce rivals Canada 3-2 on penalties, celebrating ecstatically when goaltender Maddie Rooney saved the decisive attempt from Canada’s Meghan Agosta.
America’s hockey win snapped a 24-game Olympic winning streak for Canada, the fourtime defending champions. It also edged USA 12-11 ahead over their major rivals in Olympic and world titles.
But away from competition, Russia’s Alexander Krushelnitsky was stripped of his mixed doubles curling bronze medal after testing positive for meldonium, an endurance booster.
The 25-year-old was one of 168 Russian athletes who passed rigorous testing to compete as neutrals in Pyeongchang, after Russia were banned over a major doping scandal.
“The athlete has admitted the anti-doping rule violation; he is disqualified from the mixed doubles curling event,” the Court of Arbitration for Sport said in a statement.
Krushelnitsky’s case comes as the International Olympic Committee ponder whether to lift Russia’s suspension in time to fly their flag at Sunday’s closing ceremony.
In skiing, Shiffrin was restricted to second place in the women’s combined, meaning she ends the Games with one gold and one silver -- a far cry from the potential five titles she had targeted. “I came into these Olympics knowing I could be a medal threat in multiple disciplines. I didn’t even know how many I would ski,” the 22-year-old said.
“After the gold in the giant slalom, I was really hopeful and positive.
“Then I had a tougher day in the slalom (when as defending champion, she lost her title) but it still feels good.”
Vonn, 33 and competing at her last Olympics, led the combined after the downhill race, but she only lasted a couple of gates in the slalom before skiing out.
There was a shock in the men’s slalom as the favourites Marcel Hirscher and Henrik Kristoffersen both imploded, allowing Sweden’s Andre Myhrer to become the event’s oldest champion at 35 years and 42 days.
Austria’s Hirscher, seeking
his third gold medal in Pyeongchang, crashed out in the morning run and Kristoffersen of Norway followed suit in the afternoon, leaving the stunned Myhrer to top the podium.
“It means everything. I’ve been training my whole life for a moment like this,” said the Swede.
In the men’s ski halfpipe, American defending champion David Wise kept his nerve despite crashing out of his first two runs to seal a gripping victory on the final attempt.
Wise, 27, twice lost a ski on his first two runs but he recovered to notch up a scintillating 97.2 on his final run and lead a USA one-two ahead of Alex Ferreira.
“I’m honestly just in disbelief right now,” Wise said.
“Winning, losing, whatever. Just the fact that I landed that run in the moment when it needed to happen, on that third run, just felt so good.”
Meanwhile, John Shuster and his US team will play for a gold medal against Sweden after a 5-3 semifinal upset over Canada, a country that has struggled at the Pyeongchang Olympics despite dominating the world of curling for years. The US victory Thursday was a remarkable comeback story for a team that hasn’t made the Olympic podium since the 2006 Turin Games, when they won a bronze medal.
Just as remarkable was the loss for Canada, which has won the gold in men’s curling at the last three Winter Olympics. The Canadian women’s team, meanwhile, didn’t even make the semifinals, despite being the defending world champions.
The men’s semifinal match was tied at 2-2 going into the eighth end, or period. Canada had an advantage known as the hammer, the right to throw the final rock of the end. But Kevin Koe, the team’s “skip,” or captain, threw the stone too light and it came up short of the target
known as the house. The U.S. had two rocks in the target, giving them a two-point steal and putting them ahead 4-2.
In the next end, Canada blew its chance to score two points with its final rock, when Koe threw the stone a bit too hard and it skittered out of the house. The Canadians had to settle for one point, bringing the score to 4-3.