Vonn scatters ashes of grandfather in Korea
JEONGSEON, South Korea — Lindsey Vonn came to South Korea with the goal of taking home an Olympic medal and leaving something even more special behind. She did both.
The American skiing great said Thursday she recently scattered some of the ashes of her grandfather, Don Kildow, who served during the Korean War, on a rock near the mountain where the downhill races were run.
“I know that it would mean a lot to him to be back here, a part of him is in South Korea always,” Vonn said.
Kildow served two years in South Korea in the Army Corps of Engineers in areas near Jeongseon, one of the three Olympic venues. Vonn briefly met with seven elderly South Korean men, who expressed their thanks for what they called her grandfather’s contribution for the freedom of South Korea. Get ready for some big air: The medalists in snowboard slopestyle — Red Gerard of the United States and Canadians Max Parrot and Mark McMorris — all have qualified for the men's final in big air snowboarding. NBC will have the telecast in prime time.
“WWe cranked my bindings up as high as they would go. We were like, lik ‘You know what, my leg’s coming off before the ski does.’”
GANGNEUNG, South Korea — They took turns skating with the American flag held above their head or draped around their shoulders. Springsteen blared over the sound system as chants of “USA! USA!” filled the arena.
The U.S. women’s hockey team waited 20 years for this celebration. Twenty years of silver medals, of heartbreaking losses, of having to stand there in tears and watch their archrival celebrate just like this.
Now it was their turn to feel what it’s like at the summit of their sport.
They didn’t hold back. They hugged and shed happy tears, and screamed until their throats burned. “Pure screams and pure happiness,” one player would say later.
The Americans are bringing home the gold medal from the Olympics this time. Not Canada.
“You’re in shock,” defenseman Sidney Morin said.
A rivalry that already ranked among the best in sports managed to deliver another epic.
Three periods and one overtime couldn’t settle the matter.
A shootout was required, and Team USA won it 3-2 for a 3-2 victory over Canada that gave the Americans their first gold medal since 1998, the year women’s hockey debuted in the Olympics.
Canada had won four consecutive gold medals and had not lost an Olympic game — 24 in a row — since a loss in that 1998 gold-medal game.
The Americans weren’t just trying to dethrone a champion. They also needed to conquer their own goldmedal demons and finally rid themselves of the nightmare of their late-game meltdown in Sochi four years ago.
They had to prove to themselves, to everyone, that they could beat the team that never loses in the Olympics.
“We knew that we could beat them,” forward Dani Cameranesi said.
This game was worthy of gold, reminding us that nothing in sports surpasses the emotion and tension of two heavyweights performing at their best with a championship on the line.
Hilary Knight gave the U.S. a 1-0 lead with 25.4 seconds left in the first period, redirecting a shot from Morin. The lead lasted only two minutes into the second, however, when Haley Irwin tipped in a midair pass from Blayre Turnbull. And when — American David Wise, the gold-medalist in the men’s halfpipe, when wh he faced an all-or-nothing run after his ski bindings had failed fa him in his two previous trips down. The competition had sent se one-third of the 12 skiers limping off with injuries Morin lost the puck, Melodie Daoust grabbed it and passed to Meghan Agosta, who hit Marie-Philip Poulin for a wrister into the left side of the net at 6:55 for a 2-1 Canada lead.
Monique LamoureuxMorando tied it up with a breakaway with 6:21 left in regulation.
U.S. goaltender Maddie Rooney was spectacular, making 29 saves and stopping the final two Canadians in the shootout.
“This is a classic example of how hard it should be,” U.S. coach Robb Stauber said.
It indeed was a masterpiece, 80 minutes of anxiety-filled hockey that was emotionally exhausting to witness.
The Americans won because Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson executed one of the prettiest shootout moves you’ll ever see. Two fakes sent Canada goaltender Shannon Szabados tumbling backwards, creating an open net.
“She’s got filthy hands,” Megan Keller said, paying her teammate a fine hockey compliment.
The Americans needed one more stop after that, putting their faith in Rooney, who was 7 months old when Team USA won its only gold medal. Rooney stuffed Agosta and the party was on.
“I never felt for one minute that it wasn’t going to work out,” Stauber said.
His players believed, too. Then they went out and proved it.
“This is as good as it gets for us,” Morin said.
“It’s indescribable how happy it is to be an Olympic champion,” LamoureuxMorando said. “It’s a title no one can take away from us.”