Big guns set up early showdown

US, Canada stay unbeaten

GANGNEUNG, South Korea, Feb 13, (AP): Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson set an Olympic record for the fastest back-to-back goals by a man or a woman, scoring 6 seconds apart in the second period as the United States shut out the Russians 5-0 on Tuesday night.

Lamoureux-Davidson not only topped Canada’s Caroline Oullette, who scored twice in 16 seconds on Feb. 11, 2006, in a 16-0 rout of Italy at Turin, but also the men’s mark held by Carl Goran Oberg of Sweden in 1960 at Squaw Valley.

With the win, the Americans remain undefeated going into their early Olympic showdown with pic spot while drilling a perfect 100run at an event earlier in January.

James expressed frustration over the scoring, venting shortly after arriving in Pyeongchang that he felt “a bit shafted” by the judges at times. The 23-year-old Aussie, who wears red boxing gloves while riding, walked back those comments after putting up a 96.75.

“I’ve talked to the judges,” James said. “I’m trying to be proactive about it more than negative. I know what I’ve got to do pretty much now.”

So does Hirano, who was anointed at 13 years old as White’s heir apparent. Now they’ll find themselves in the same pipe in front of the world.

“We two have a very similar level,” Hirano said. “I know what he does and he knows what I do.”

While there’s a chance of snow in the forecast, wind should be minimal, setting the stage for a show full of steez (that’s style if you were wondering). Ferguson, who put up a 91, isn’t taking himself out of the conversation either. fans, Hanyu looked lithe and agile on his comeback after a lengthy injury layoff that almost destroyed his Korean adventure.

“It’s been three months since I got injured, there were times when I was only able to watch skating, not be able to skate myself, so I’m very grateful to finally be here at the Olympic venue to practise,” the 23-year-old said.

Hanyu was addressing a press conference which could have been mistaken for downtown Tokyo in rush hour such was the size of the media scrum.

As the clock ticked towards his arrival, a hush fell on the room. Canada, which is also 2-0.

The Americans won eight of the last 10 world championships, including an overtime win over Canada last spring for their fourth straight title. But they are at the Pyeongchang Games trying to end a 20-year gold medal drought. The last time these teams met in the Olympics, Canada rallied from an 0-2 deficit to win its fourth straight gold in overtime in 2014 in Sochi.

No medal will be on the line Thursday, just positioning for the semifinals. That made tuning up the offense a must for the Americans with Canada routing its first two opponents 9-1 after a 4-1 win over Finland earlier Tuesday. Kacey Bellamy opened the scoring off a pass from Lamoureux-Davidson in the first. LamoureuxDavidson added two goals, and Gigi Marvin and Hannah Brandt each had a goal. Nicole Hensley, who started the US win over Canada in the 2017 world championship, made 13 saves in her Olympic debut.

The Americans had played the Russians in the Olympics only once before, and they routed them 13-0 in 2010 at Vancouver setting a singlegame record for the US in the games.

This time, they played athletes from Russia competing under the Olympic flag after the country was banned from the games for revelations of a massive doping operation. The women’s hockey team is playing without six players from the world’s fourthranked team a year ago, though the Russians had a pocket of vocal cheerleaders on hand.

US coach Robb Stauber rotated his goalies, putting Hensley in net after playing Maddie Rooney in a 3-1 opening win over Finland.

Neither team could generate much offense in the opening minutes. Then Lamoureux-Davidson took the puck deep into the left circle, then found Bellamy and she scored on a wrist shot from the top of the right circle, beating

Olympic Athletes from Russia’s Alevtina Shtaryova (left), and USA’s Cayla Barnes fight for the puck in the women’s preliminary round ice hockey match between the US and Olympic Athletes from Russia during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Kwandong Hockey Centre in Gangneung

on Feb 13. (AFP)

Jocelyn