Get used to it, hockey fans: Olympic shootouts here to stay
The U.S. women’s hockey team won gold in a shootout, and the U.S. men were eliminated in a shootout. And it doesn’t appear shootouts are going away.
International Ice Hockey Federation President Rene Fasel said Saturday continuous sudden-death overtime is impossible in a tournament.
“You cannot let the team play the whole night,” Fasel said. “(Soccer) is the biggest sport in the world. And they finish the final of the World Cup with a shootout. So I will never convince North Americans to accept that, but it is like it is.”
U.S. women’s coach Robb Stauber knows it can go both ways.
“The men’s team lost in a shootout, and two of our coaches said, ‘That’s a terrible way to lose,’ ” Stauber said. “And my first response was, ‘Unless you’re on the other end.’ ”
At least it’s medal: Andrew Ebbett, Chris Kelly and Derek Roy scored in the first period, and Canada took the bronze medal in men’s hockey by beating the Czech Republic 6-4.
This was the third bronze for Canada to go along with nine gold medals for the country that created hockey and won the last two men’s Olympic titles.
Long way home: South Korean police detained a Canadian ski cross competitor, his wife and a coach for allegedly taking a car.
Police said the three allegedly got into a car in front of a bar and drove it near the Athletes Village before police stopped them. All three were intoxicated, police said.
The three have been banned from leaving South Korea, but police said they likely would be released after paying a fine.
Police described those being held as two Canadian men, 35 and 48, and an American woman, 32. No names were released, but four Canadian men competed in ski cross, and the only one who is 35 is Dave Duncan.
Rebuilding the house: U.S. Alpine director Patrick Riml knows he has work to do after the country produced its fewest golds in the sport since 2002 and fewest medals since 2006.
Riml called the men’s team’s performance “disappointing” and acknowledged “we definitely have to rebuild.”
The Americans finished with three medals in 11 Alpine races: one gold and one silver from Mikaela Shiffrin, and one bronze from Lindsey Vonn.
“We had some very strong performances, and in other events, we definitely were struggling,” Riml said. “On the men’s side, the performance was disappointing. Not just talking about medals, but the performances on each day.”
The American men had only one top-10 finish in their five individual events, Ted Ligety’s fifth in the combined.
Saving best for last: In the final speedskating event, Lee Seung-hoon delivered the host nation’s first gold medal, winning the inaugural men’s mass start.
In the women’s race, Nana Takagi of Japan took gold.
Also: Switzerland knocked off top-seeded Austria in the gold-medal race of the Olympic debut of the Alpine team event. The Swiss team consisted of Wendy Holdener — who also earned silver in the slalom and bronze in the combined — Denise Feierabend, Daniel Yule and Ramon Zenhaeusern . ... Iivo Niskanen beat Russian Alexander Bolshunov with a strong sprint to the finish and won Finland’s first gold medal of the Games in taking the 50-kilometer cross-country mass-start race . ... Switzerland’s Nevin Galmarini won gold in the men’s parallel giant slalom.