Russians to face surprising Germany in hockey final
GANGNEUNG, South Korea — The Russians expected to play for the Olympic men’s hockey gold medal for the first time in 20 years.
Their opponent is quite the surprise: Germany will play in its first Olympic hockey final on Sunday hours before the games conclude.
Patrick Hager’s powerplay goal at 12:31 of the second period wound up the game-winner as Germany stunned two-time defending gold medalist Canada 4-3 Friday night to set up a very unexpected gold medal game. Germany has only two bronze medals in hockey in its history — the last in 1976.
After upsetting top-seeded Sweden and pulling off their latest amazing win, an elusive gold medal suddenly isn’t so far-fetched.
“Who knows? Who knows?” German goalie Danny Aus Den Birken said with a big smile. “If we keep fighting like this, we have nothing to lose.”
The Germans may believe in each other, but this is a country that didn’t even qualify for the Olympic men’s tournament four years ago at Sochi. They finished 11th in Vancouver, and they had to qualify for this tournament.
Coached by former NHL player Marco Sturm, the Germans scored two power-play goals against backup Canadian goalie Kevin Poulin with Ben Scrivens out injured. This wasn’t the Canada team that won gold in 2014 in Sochi or 2010 in Vancouver with a roster stocked with NHL stars.
“We didn’t know what to expect,” Sturm said. “Everyone, the best players should be in Olympics. All the NHL guys should be in the Olympics. That’s just what the event is for and hopefully in the future they will be back on Olympic ice.”
For now, the Germans have capitalized in their biggest win yet.
Shiffrin jokes about whether Vonn’s Olympic career is over
PYEONGCHANG, South Korea — Mikaela Shiffrin is not quite convinced Lindsey Vonn’s Olympic career is done.
“Whenever I hear anybody say something about this,” Shiffrin said Friday, “it’s like, ‘most likely,’ ‘probably,’ ‘maybe,’ ‘we’ll see,’ ‘not sure.’ I’m like, ‘Knowing Lindsey, I don’t believe her.’”
And with that, Shiffrin let out a big laugh.
She is, without a doubt, the heir apparent to Vonn as the leader of U.S. ski racing. They were the only two members of the country’s Alpine team to earn a medal at the Pyeongchang Games — and the only two to hold news conferences a day after the sport’s last two individual events.
First came Vonn, 33, wearing her downhill bronze medal. After she left the room, it was time for Shiffrin, 22, whose gold from the giant slalom and silver from the combined dangled from her neck.
Vonn spent much of her session taking questions about her, um, extensive experience — “You’re not getting any younger,” was the way one reporter put it, to which the skier replied with a smile, “Come right out and say it, why don’t you!” — and the emotions of her (presumably) last Olympics.
Silent Shani: Davis finishes 7th in 1,000 at 5th Olympics
GANGNEUNG, South Korea — Shani Davis let his skating do his talking in his last event at the Pyeongchang 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’ time in Pyeongchang involved a mix of controversy and public silence.
He declined to attend the opening ceremony after losing a coin toss to decide the U.S. flag bearer in a process he said was handled “dishonorably.” His tweet about it implied race might have been an issue, but he chose not to explain further.
Davis was assailed online in what became one of the few controversies of the games.
He 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.”
Nuis gets 2nd skating gold with assist from Poutala
GANGNEUNG, South Korea — Kjeld Nuis won his second gold medal in speedskating, and he had Mika Poutala’s Olympic spirit to thank for it.
The Dutchman became the first speedskater to win two golds at the Gangneung Oval, but it is Poutala who deserves a special medal.
With Nuis going full out on the final straightaway in the men’s 1,000 meters on Friday, Poutala could easily have held him up on the crossover and denied him the title. But the Finn realized his chances for a medal were waning and instead of aggressively seeking the middle of the lane he stayed left, keeping the Dutchman’s path clear.
“Mika Poutala just saved my life,” Nuis said after adding the 1,000 title to his 1,500 gold. “If he would have thrown himself in front of me, I would have been the fool. He didn’t. That is so beautiful.”
As a result, Nuis kept his pace and finished 0.04 seconds faster than Havard Lorentzen, who was anxiously watching from the infield. The Norwegian, himself the 500 champion, was also chasing a second gold.
Nuis ended up winning in 1 minute, 07.91 seconds. Kim Tae-yun of South Korea took bronze.
“I have two of these things around my neck, and that is why I came here,” said Nuis, who failed to make his country’s national team for the last two Olympics.