Davis finishes 7th in 1,000
Shani Davis let his skating do his talking in his last event at the Olympics.
The four- time Olympic medalist finished seventh in the 1,000 meters on Friday, waved to the fans inside Gangneung Oval and disappeared below the ice.
Whether Davis had just skated in his fifth and final Olympics at age 35 remains to be seen.
He declined to speak to media when asked to by a U. S. Speedskating spokesman and instructed his sometime- coach Tom Cushman of the American staff not to talk to reporters either.
Davis finished 19th in the 1,500, his only other event in South Korea.
He briefly talked to reporters after that race, saying, “The ice is super- fast. Unfortunately, I wasn’t.”
Davis skated his signature distance in 1 minute, 8.78 seconds. He still holds the 1,000 world record of 1: 06.42 set nine years ago in Salt Lake City, Utah.
After coming off the ice Friday, Davis dodged waiting reporters and took another route to the locker room. Athletes are required to walk through the media mixed zone after their events whether they talk or not, and those who don’t can be subject to sanction by the IOC.
Davis was one of three Americans to finish in the top 10 in the 1,000. Joey Mantia was fourth and Mitch Whitmore was 10th.
“It’s incredible,” U. S. coach Matt Kooreman said of Davis’ result. “I think Shani is a skating genius and he’s a legend of our sport.”
What the future holds, including a possible sixth Olympics in 2022, is known only to Davis.
“He could if he wants to,” Kooreman said, “but I don’t know.”
MEN’S HOCKEY Germany upsets Canada
Canada’s bid to win three consecutive gold medals in men’s hockey fell horribly short with a 4- 3 loss to Germany in the semifinals.
Germany advances to its first gold- medal game to play Russia, a 3- 0 winner over the Czech Republic.
Germany, which didn’t even qualify for Sochi and finished 11th in Vancouver, has only two bronze medals in hockey in its history, the last in 1976.
Coached by former NHL player Marco Sturm, the Germans scored two powerplay goals against backup goalie Kevin Poulin with Ben Scrivens out injured.
Russia last reached the Olympic final in 1998 when it lost to the Czech Republic and hasn’t won gold since 1992 when it played as the unified Community of Independent States team.
SNOWBOARDING U. S. gets silver in Big Air
Canadian snowboarder Sebastien Toutant has soared to gold in the debut of men’s Big Air. Kyle Mack of the United States took second with a score of 168.75. He had a chance to better Toutant but sat down on his third and final jump.
MISCELLANEOUS Diggins will carry flag
Jessie Diggins, who thrust herself across the finish line to give the Americans a dazzling gold medal in the cross- country team sprint, has been selected as the U. S. flagbearer for the closing ceremony. Luger Erin Hamlin carried the flag for the opening ceremony. It’s the first time women have been picked asU. S. flagbearers for both the opening and closing ceremonies since Dawn Staley and Mia Hamm did it in 2004 in Athens.
Ivanka Trump, who will lead the American delegation at the closing ceremony, arrived in South Korea and was in the crowd for the men’s Big Air competition.
Russian women’s bobsledder Nadezhda Sergeeva failed a doping test.
Norway’s mixed doubles curling team will receive the bronze medal that was stripped from the Russian team.