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Home , Charlotte Kalla, Heidi Weng, Julia Mancuso, Lindsey Vonn, Matthias Mayer, Sara Takanashi

SPORTS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2014

Preview Bjoerndalen leads golden oldies

SOCHI: Norwegian biathlete Ole Einar the skiing was fantastic.” Ski veteran Miller, But he then unleashed a fierce critique ing attention, this course can kill you.” Bjoerndalen made a mockery of his 40 who won gold, silver and bronze at the of the challenges of the course. “This In the spectacular slopestyle event, years yesterday when he won a record- 2010 Olympics, was fastest in course is very treacherous. It has teeth Kotsenburg, who only just squeezed into equalling 12th Winter Olympic medal as training for today’s blue riband medal race everywhere,” he said.This course can kill the final, claimed the inaugural title. His ’s senior citizens nudged aside up in Rosa Khutor. you. “If you’re not totally focused and pay- first run scored 93.50 and although some younger rivals. of his rivals put in high scores on their sec- Bjoerndalen went level with compatriot ond runs, the 20-year-old from Utah held Bjorn Daehlie, who also gathered 12 on for victory. “I’m really excited. It feels medals in his cross country career. He also awesome. I don’t know what to call it,” said became the oldest gold medallist in an Kotsenburg. individual event thanks to an astonishing ’s Staale Sandbech (91.75) display of raw power and technique which claimed silver while Mark McMorris of saw him romp to victory in the 10km Canada took bronze with 88.75. Bjoergen sprint. claimed her fourth career gold to become But the Norwegian, nicknamed ‘The her country’s most successful female Cannibal’, wasn’t the only evergreen ath- Olympian, surpassing legendary figure lete chewing up the competition on the skater Sonja Henie. first full day of action on the edge of the Under stunning blue skies at the Laura Black Sea. cross-country ski centre, Bjoergen won the Outspoken ski star , 36, was combined 7.5km classic style/7.5km headline-grabbing on and off the slopes freestyle event. at Rosa Khotur, dominating downhill train- ’s was second ing before lambasting the state of the with of Norway taking the course. bronze. Bjoergen won three golds in Meanwhile, 30-year-old Austrian veter- Vancouver four years ago. In women’s ski an Daniela Iraschko-Stolz was the top per- jumping, Iraschko-Stolz won two of the former as women made their three training jumps, ahead of Japanese debut at the Olympics. teen star . At least, snowboarder Sage Kotsenburg “Weeds don’t die away quickly!” said of the broke the magic spell KRASNAYA POLYANA: Norway’s Ole Einar Bjoerndalen gets ready to shoot during the Austrian with a laugh, having jumped of the senior performers when the 20- the men’s biathlon 10k sprint, at the . — AP 100 metres, the only woman to do so yes- year-old claimed the first gold medal of terday. the Sochi Olympics in men’s slopestyle. Medals tally Speed skater Sven Kramer retained his Bjoerndalen was the undoubted star of Olympic 5,000m title, destroying the field the day when he overcame a penalty lap Following is the medals tally at the Sochi Winter Olympics yesterday. to win by nearly five seconds as the to clock 24min 33.5sec to take his seventh Netherlands swept the podium, 50 years Olympic gold in his sixth Games ahead of Rank Country Gold Silver Bronze Total after the last clean sweep. ’s Dominik Landertinger, in 1 Norway 2 1 1 4 Kramer’s time of 6min 10.76sec was a 24:34.8sec, and Jaroslav Soukup of the 2 Netherlands 1 1 1 3 new Olympic record. Jan Blokhuijsen took Czech Republic, who clocked 24:39.2. 3 United States 1 0 0 1 silver in 6:15.71 while Jorrit Bergsma “It was important for me. I think I’m in =4 Austria 0 1 0 1 (6:16.66) won bronze. KRASNAYA POLYANA: United States’ Bode Miller the best shape this year for me. It was the =4 Sweden 0 1 0 1 The day’s last medal will be in freestyle makes a jump during a men’s downhill training run goal for me to be prepared for the race, =6 Canada 0 0 1 1 skiing where American defending champi- for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics. — AP this championship,” said the champion. =6 Czech Republic 0 0 1 1 on Hannah Kearney is favorite to retain her “My shooting was almost perfect and women’s moguls crown. — AFP Speed kings ready to deliver thrills ‘Iron Lady’ Marit grabs Preview

ROSA KHUTOR: “Been there, done that” the veter- gold with skiathlon win an American Bode Miller said of the Olympics this week. But in the moments before he flings himself ROSA KHUTOR: Marit Bjoergen fulfilled reporters. down the men’s downhill course today, you can be expectations by earning her fourth Olympic “I knew Charlotte would be strong in the sure the adrenaline will be pumping as strongly as gold medal with victory in the skiathlon sprint and she’s good at the climbs but I ever. event on a bittersweet day for Norway at the thought that if I could follow her, I would Miller calls the race the “pinnacle” of his sport, Sochi Winter Games. have a chance. “I knew it would be a sprint. I and the showman will begin the Alpine pro- Bjoergen, dubbed the ‘Iron Lady,’ stayed did my best for the last 100 metres and I was gramme at the Sochi Games in style if he becomes safe in the leading pack for most of the race, sprinting very hard at the end.” the oldest male skier to capture an Olympic gold. which combines 7.5km in classic style and The 36-year-old, competing in what will almost 7.5km in freestyle, until outsprinting COMPLTE CONTROL certainly be his fifth and final Games, will have a Sweden’s Charlotte Kalla in the race to the Norway women’s coach Egil Kristiansen, finish. told TV2: “Marit seemed to be in complete fight to be king of the hill, with Norwegian giant Another Norwegian, Heidi Weng, took control. And with third and fourth place too, , Austrians Klaus Kroell and third place just ahead of World Cup leader it’s a great day.” Matthias Mayer, and Swiss Didier Defago - a sur- and compatriot , who paid Bjoergen’s fourth Olympic gold medal prise winner four years ago - among those in the the price of working tirelessly at the front of takes her past Sonja Henie as the most suc- frame. the pack in the second part of the race. All cessful woman from Norway in summer or No Winter Olympics truly comes alive until the four of the Norwegian skiers in the race were winter Games. events start, and the opening races wearing black armbands after receiving the Kalla was the fastest at the 7.5km mark SOCHI: Tea Villila of Finland and Lyndsey Fry of the Untied States battle for control of should provide some compelling tales, whether it news that the brother of cross-country team where the field changed skis but things did the puck behind the net during the third period of the women’s ice hockey game. — AP is victory for a resurgent Miller or Germany’s Maria mate Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen had died not go as smoothly for Pole Justyna Hoefl-Riesch filling the void left by American on Friday, the day of the opening ceremony. Kowalczyk, who fell just before the stop and ’s absence in the women’s downhill. “My fantastic girls ... You are my strength lost time she could not recover. US open with 3-1 With Vancouver champion Vonn missing fol- in thick and thin,” Tweeted Jacobsen during Johaug then pulled the leading pack of lowing knee surgery, Hoefl-Riesch has been left as the race. “Thanks for the commemorating five into the final 3.75-km lap as they armbands. Forever grateful, whether there charged down a descent at over 70kph. the woman to beat in the downhill, and she des- will be medals or not.” Kalla attacked with just under a kilometre win over Finland perately wants to win after claiming two golds Television pictures later showed the left, taking Bjoergen in her slipstream and four years ago in slalom and super combined. Norwegian skiers hugging together, with a the Norwegian, who has now eight Olympic SOCHI: The United States eased past Pieniniemi conceded the Americans and She will come under pressure from Austrians crying Bjoergen resting Johaug’s on medals to her name, put in the decisive Finland 3-1 yesterday as the women’s ice Canadians will be tough to beat. Anna Fenninger and Elizbeth Goergl, experienced her shoulder. attack on the sprint to the line. Second place hockey competition at the Sochi Olympics “I know for sure there are 21 players and American , and Slovenian all- Bjoergen came home in a time of 38:33.6, seemed to satisfy Kalla, though. got off to a familiar start with a one-sided four coaches in the USA Hockey locker room rounder . ’s 1.8 seconds ahead of Kalla. “One gold was “This is my dream,” she said. “It means a victory. The U.S. and Canada have won that don’t believe this is a two-team hockey could also be a dark horse for the title. my goal, so now I can relax a little bit. I can lot to me to be on the podium for the first every gold medal since women’s ice hockey tournament,” Stone told reporters. “We “Of course it’s a big goal, but it is a difficult track enjoy the rest of the Games,” Bjoergen, who time. I could not imagine this before the joined the Winter Games programme in played Finland in November and they beat 1998 and the Americans signalled that they us, we played them here today in a very where a mistake can happen virtually on every still has five events to take part in, told race.”— Reuters are once again ready to challenge for top close game and we believe very strongly turn,” Hoefl-Riesch told reporters after her second spot with a clinical victory. that this is a world event and anyone can training run on the challenging Rosa Khutor Bronze medallists four years ago in win.” Even though all four teams in Group A course on Friday. “The one who makes the least Vancouver and upset winners over the advance out of the preliminary round, the mistakes and keeps pace on the skis the best will mighty Americans in a pre-Sochi tune-up, it Americans came out playing with a sense of win. was thought the Finns might be ready to urgency determined to cement their status “I will try my very best, but it won’t be easy.” threaten the US/Canada Olympic duopoly as gold medal favourites. Such is Hoefl-Riesch’s strength across all the disci- at the top of the medal podium. The US, who chose not to take part in plines — she won slalom and super combined in But early indications are it will be more Friday’s opening ceremony in order to rest, Vancouver — that it would be no surprise if she of the same in Russia, with the US and scored on their first shot, just 53 seconds matched Janica Kostelic’s haul of four career Canada once again appearing on a gold into the opening period. Hilary Knight stole Olympic golds over the next two weeks. medal collision course. Canada, going for a the puck and rifled it past Raty to open the third successive gold, start their campaign scoring. “Anytime you can strike quickly, later on Saturday against Switzerland. regardless of the team you are playing, the ‘INTO YOUR HEAD’ Under pressure from the International goaltender, the environment, it helps give Much of the talk over the past few days has Olympic Committee (IOC) to make the sport everyone a little bit of deep breath,” said been about the respective pistes cut into the more competitive, International Ice Hockey Stone. “I’m pleased the way our team played Caucasus Mountains that loom over the Black Sea Federation (IIHF) officials will do doubt be today, came out flying. “Obviously scoring in resort of Sochi. pleased by the apparently close 3-1 score- the first minute sets the tone and take a bit While Hoefl-Riesch was worried that organisers line but for those watching at a nearly sold- of the edge off.” Kelli Stack and Alex had slowed the women’s track down too much out Shayba Arena the contest was not near- Carpenter added goals in the second period after concerns about one of the jumps, Svindal ly as close as the result would indicate. to make it 3-0 before Susanna Tapani pulled said some of the men’s jumps were on the limit, Only a valiant display from Finnish net- one back for Finland to spoil US netminder although Miller had no complaints. minder Noora Raty prevented the opener Jessie Vetter’s shutout bid with just under “The Olympics are meant to be the pinnacle of from becoming a blowout as the United five minutes to play in the third. “They were the sport. If the downhill course doesn’t get into States outshot their opponents 43-15. pretty lucky but you have to earn your luck US coach Katey Stone did her best dur- and they definitely earned their goals,” said your head, it is not good enough,” six-times ing the post-game press conference to sell Raty. “It was kind of a nightmare start for me Olympic medallist Miller said on Friday. POLYANA KRASNAYA: Norway’s gold medal winner Marit Bjoergen (left) hugs bronze medal winner Heidi Weng during the flower ceremony of the women’s cross-country 15k skiathlon at the possibility of new drama in the women’s as a goalie but I think we got better as the In between the men’s and women’s downhill is tournament but even Finnish coach Mika game went on.” — Reuters the women’s super combined on Monday, featur- the 2014 Winter Olympics.—AP ing a shortened downhill followed by a slalom - an intriguing event designed to test all-round skiing technique. The first week of Alpine action then contines Ski jumpers facing ‘mean girl’ with the men’s super combined on Friday before the super-G races next weekend. ROSA KHUTOR: The Olympic men’s ski jumping competition during training on Thursday, said the artificial snow used on The oldest man ever to win an Olympic individual jump- Technical events then take centre stage with starts on Sunday on a normal hill so challenging that one of the hill tended to deteriorate after the first 50 jumpers. ing gold is Jens Weissflog of Germany, who was 29 when he Austria’s slalom wizard Marcel Hirscher starting the favorites for gold has dubbed it “a mean girl”. Ammann, who won both the normal and large hill gold in triumphed on the large hill in 1994. the Games as the Alpine powerhouse nation’s best Several contenders, including double defending champi- the 2010 Games, said he had not yet worked out how aggres- of Slovenia, ranked second in the world, is chance of a men’s gold after the dismal flop in on , said they were still trying to adjust to a sive to be on the in-run. His comments reinforced the impres- another good prospect for a medal. The Austrians, tradition- Vancouver, where the men went home without a relatively flat in-run that makes take-offs challenging. sion that the 32-year-old will do well to finish on the podium. ally among the more powerful ski jumping nations, are not in medal for the first time since 1936. Top-ranked of Poland had three largely indif- “I don’t have any hopes. I’m here for the ski jumping ... I will the best of shape. Two Americans could also light up the second ferent jumps on the first day of training on Thursday but on just fly,” said the four-time Olympic gold medalist, who was Fourth-ranked took three weeks off week of action, with world champion Friday posted two firsts and a second, prompting him to also Switzerland’s flag bearer at the opening ceremony in before the Games to work on his technique while team mate review his initial downbeat impressions of the hill. Sochi on Friday night. is recovering from a bad crash and aiming to win another Olympic gold “I called her a mean girl. She is not my best friend yet but admits he is not fully fit. Such were the questions about after his combined title in 2006. is becoming a good colleague,” said the 26-year-old, who last HUMBLED AND THRILLED Morgenstern’s presence in Sochi that the Austrians felt Colorado teenager will be the year won the large hill title at the World Championships. Ammann is relatively old for a jumper but looks positively obliged to produce the team doctor at a news conference on woman to watch in the slaloms, having won three Jernej Damjan of Slovenia predicted a very tight finish. “I youthful compared to 41-year-old , who is enter- Friday to insist there was no medical reason for the jumper World Cup races already this season following on think the competition is really really close together ... I think ing his seventh Olympics in search of an elusive individual not to compete. from her world title. — Reuters the top five will be within half a metre at the end. medal. “There is a doubt I will win. It is 50/50,” the third- Women will be jumping for the first time ever at Sochi - Style will matter a lot,” he said. Jumpers are judged on ranked athlete said on Tuesday. He did not take part in any of albeit only on the normal hill - after a 15-year fight with both distance and style. Robert Kranjec of Slovenia, who fell the training jumps. Olympic organisers to be allowed in.—Reuters