Rough start for Russians

Gangneung ( South Korea), Feb. 8: Olympic Athletes from Russia ( OAR) made their debut at the Winter Olympics on Thursday but were routed by the United States as mixed doubles curling launched competition at the Pyeongchang Games.

Americans brother and sister Matt and Becca Hamilton ripped the husbandand- wife team of Aleksandr Krushelnitckii and Anastasia Bryzgalova 9- 3 in the first Pyeongchang Games result — and in Olympic history for the debut event.

The Russians entered under the Olympic flag as their homeland’s banner and anthem were banned along with many athletes in the wake of major doping violations at the Sochi 2014 Olympics.

“I’m sure they are a little bit bummed they don’t get to wear a Russian flag,” Matt Hamilton said, adding, “But that’s life. You’ve got to take what you are given. At least they are at the Olympics.”

The Hamiltons jumped ahead 3- 0 and needed only seven of eight ends to take the most lopsided win of the opening roundrobin session.

JUST A NAME CHANGE While the official opening ceremony is Friday, an 18day Olympic sports programme began when South Korea’s Jang HyeJi slid the first stone down the curling ice.

She and Lee Ki- Jeong beat Finland 9- 4. Other opening results saw Norway down Canada 9- 6 and Switzerland beat China 7- 5 before a nearcapacity crowd of 3,000 at Gangneung Curling Centre.

The OAR duo was cheered by a handful of supporters waving a Russian flag and yelling “Russ- i- a”, notably after the couple scored two points in the second end, their best moment of the match.

Neither Krushelnitckii nor Bryzgalova spoke to reporters after the match.

The Hamiltons played down any political rivalry or doping scandal overtones in the USA- Russia matchup.

“Just a name Becca said. change,”