Winter Olympics Sochi 2014: Day 8

Friday, day eight may not have had lots of activity but yesterday's events were no doubt epic! For the first time in 12 years, the US team medaled in skeleton. Japan won it's first Olympic gold in men's figure skating. Bode Miller was once again shut out of a medal in this Olympics, this time in the men's super combined slalom.

At only 19, Yuzuru Hanyu is the second youngest man to win the gold medal in men's figure skating. He is also Japan's first man to win a gold in the sport. In the short program, he made history, earning over 100 points for his program. This is perhaps what carried him to a sound victory from Canada's Patrick Chan. Chan was looking to break Canada's curse and win the first gold in men's figure skating. The irony in all of this is that Brian Orser, from Canada, silver medalist, and part of this curse coaches Hanyu in Toronto. Despite the fact that Hanyu fell two times in his long program, it was enough to bring him a victory. It also didn't help that Patrick Chan had a luckluster long program. Third place could have gone to several men--- In contention, American Jason Brown, two additional men from the Japanese team Daisuke Takahashi and Tatsuki Machida, and Javier Fernandez of Spain. But it was Denis Ten of Kazakhstan who took the bronze medal. It must also be said that American Jeremy Abbott skated a breathtaking long program. It was an amazing end to a journey that started out bumpy but left the 27 year old with a bronze medal in the team event and able to walk away with his head held high.

The Results:

Figure Skating: Men's

1. Yuzuru Hanyu, Japan, short: 101.45, free: 178.64, total: 280.09
2. Patrick Chan, Canada, short: 97.52, free: 178.10, total: 275.62
3. Denis Ten, Kazakhstan, short: 84.06, free: 171.04, total: 255.10

9. Jason Brown, USA, short: 86.00, free: 152.37, total: 238.37
12. Jeremy Abbott, short: 72.58, free: 160.12, total: 232.70

Noelle Pikus Pace capped a career with a silver medal that she called, "good as gold". An excited Pikus Pace jumped into the stands to greet her husband and children waiting in the stands. In 2005, her leg was shattered by a bobsled denying her a medal in 2006 in Torino. A mistake cost her the bronze in Vancouver. And four years later, she can walk away with a dream realized. Her husband said that Noelle coming out of retirement was all worth it.

The Results:

Skeleton: Women's

1. Elizabeth Yarnold, Great Britain, total time: 3:52.89
2. Noelle Pikus Pace, USA, total time: 3:53.86
3. Elena Nikitina, Russian Federation, total time: 3:54.30

4. Katie Uhlaender, USA, total time: 3:54.34

Bode Miller came up short again in his second event of these Games, the super combined slalom. This was a gold medal event for him in Vancouver. American Ted Ligety was the 2013 World Champion in this event and also came up short. It's been an odd games; to put things in perspective, Sandro Viletta of Switzerland who ended up winning the gold has never won a World Cup super combined. Kostelic of Croatia won a fourth career silver medal. Christof Innerhofer of Italy won bronze, following up in a silver that he won in downhill. Both men were grateful for their silver and bronze medals and felt pleased.

The Results:

Alpine Skiing: Men's Super Combined Slalom

1. Sandro Viletta, Switzerland, 2:45.20
2. Ivica Kostelic, Croatia, 2:45.54
3. Christof Innerhofer, Italy, 2:45.67

6. Bode Miller, USA, 2:46.60
11. Jarded Goldberg, USA, 2:47.29
12. Ted Ligety, USA, 2:47.39

Finally, in aerials, US team favorite, Emily Cook, in her final Olympics failed to make it into the finals of the event. She couldn't land her jumps. I watched the event and it seemed like more people fell after their jumps than landed.

The Results:

Freestyle Skiing: Ladies' Aerials

1. Alla Tsuper, Belarus, 98.01
2. Mengtao Xu, China, 83.50
3. Lydia Lassila, Australia, 72.12

Winter Olympics Sochi 2014: Day 7

Day 7 in Sochi was full of action and the unexpected.

The US men completed the sweep in freestyle skiing's slopestyle event. This is the third time in Winter Olympic history that Team USA has completed a sweep. The great thing about each of these young men is that there's something special about each of them. Josh Christensen, the gold medalist, dedicated his medal to his late father. Silver medalist Gus Kenworthy wants to adopt some stray dogs from Sochi and bring them back to Colorado with him. Finally, bronze medalist, Nick Goepper, almost didn't make it to Sochi. Years ago when he became interested in the sport he had to work and raise his own money to train and pay for equipment. His parents couldn't afford the sport, so Nick shoveled neighbors' driveways.
Of his win today, “The stars lined up for me,” Christensen said.

                                            Gus Kenworthy and stray pup

    AP Photo

The Results:

Freestyle Skiing: Men's Ski Slopestyle

1. Josh Christensen, USA, run one: 95.80, run two: 93.80, best: 95.80
2. Gus Kenworthy, USA, run one: 31.00, run two: 93.60, best: 93.60
3. Nicholas Goepper, USA, run one: 92.40, run two: 61.80, best: 92.40

In short track today, the ladies' 500 m took place and atop the podium was Jianrou Li from China and then in speedskating, the ladies' 1,000 m took place and atop the podium was Hong Zhang from China. One thing is for certain at the Sochi games, thus far, the US Team has not fared well. They have not even earned one medal. Surprising for a team that's been so dominant in the past. The Netherlands continued to rack up medals adding two more in speedskating, including a second medal for Ireen West who already won a gold and a second for Margot Boer who already won a bronze.

The Results:

Short Track: Ladies' 500 m

1. Jianrou Li, China, 45.263
2. Arianna Fontana, Italy, 51.250
3. Seung Hi Park, Korea, 54.207

Speedskating: Ladies' 1,000 m

1. Hong Zhang, China, 1:14.02
2. Ireen Wust, Netherlands, 1:14.69
3. Margot Boer, Netherlands, 1:14.90

Martin Fourcade of France won a second gold medal today in biathlon for the Men's Individual 20 km, only three days after winning his first gold in the 12.5 km Pursuit. What's even more notable is that at one point in today's event he almost lost his balance and fell, but Fourcade battled through it, and proves he's tough competition in biathlon. At only 25 years of age, he has many more years left in him. The US had one of their highest finishes ever in biathlon.

The Results:

Biathlon: Men's Individual 20 km

1. Martin Fourcade, France, 49:31.7
2. Erik Lesser, Germany, 49:43.9
3. Evgeniy Garanichev, Russian Federation, 50:06.2

8. Lowell Bailey, USA, 50:57.4

Perhaps the marquee event of these games, many would argue, is figure skating. Tonight, the men skated their short programs and took a step towards determining who would be the men's Olympic champion. Of course, all this would not go down without some drama. Just before the event would start, Evgeni Plushenko withdrew from the competition saying that he would in fact retire. Plushenko had a rough practice yesterday and fell several times while attempting triple axels. Plushenko has been plagued by injury throughout the years, having around 12 surgeries for his knees and back.

US front runner Jeremy Abbott took a hard fall during his short program and he sits in 15th place. Nineteen year old Jason Brown who many saw as a longshot for the American team sits in 6th place in medal contention. Many have called his long program perfection so that's what I am hoping for when he skates tomorrow.

The Standings, after the Short Program:

Men's

1. Yuzuru Hanyu, Japan, 101.45
2. Patrick Chan, Canada, 97.52
3. Javier Fernandez, Spain, 86.98
4. Daisuke Takahashi, Japan, 86.40
5. Peter Liebers, Germany, 86.04
6. Jason Brown, USA, 86.00
7. Brian Joubert, France, 85.84

    Farewell Evgeni........ thank you for so many breathtaking performances, for lots of drama, and for                 wonderful memories.