SPORTS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2014 Stunning Domracheva makes history for in

SOCHI: of Belarus on Tuesday won the ex-Soviet state’s first ever women’s gold at the Winter Olympics when she destroyed the field in the 10 km biathlon pursuit. Domracheva, 27, crossed the line in 29min 30.7sec, 37.6sec ahead of her near- est rival of , who took silver. Bronze went to Teja Gregorin of Slovenia (30:12.7). Setting a blistering ski pace, the Belarussian missed no targets in the two KRASNAYA POLYANA: (From left to right) silver medalist, Tatjana Huefner of Germany, gold medal- prone shoots or the first standing. She ist of Germany and bronze medalist Erin Hamlin of the United States pose missed one of the five targets in the final with their flags after the women’s singles competition. — AP standing but still had time after her penal- ty loop to pick up a Belarussian flag and wave it in triumph as she headed to the Geisenberger eases to first gold finish. Hosts missed out gold again, ROSA KHUTOR: Germany’s Natalie Geisenberger was Koenigssee in Bavaria. She came into the Games hav- with their highest placed athlete Olga in a class of her own, smashing the track record for ing dominated the World Cup circuit, winning seven Vilukhina coming just seventh. With no the second time at the Games to secure a com- of eight events this season, and she set the tone on Russian in medal contention, the thou- manding victory in the women’s luge and her first Monday with a track record on her first run. sands of Russian fans in the stands at the KRASNAYA POLYANA: Belarus’ Darya Domracheva skis on her way to win the gold Olympic title. Geisenberger’s superiority was such Geisenberger won the bronze four years ago and Laura biathlon centre above Sochi gave medal in the women’s biathlon 10k pursuit, at the . — AP that she was the only slider to clock under 50 seconds her only problem in scorching to gold this time “Dasha” Domracheva their vocal support. - a feat she managed on three of her four runs. appeared to have been a shoe malfunction before the “I’m so grateful for the support I got Olympics Medals Table Her dominant performance easily eclipsed the start on the first day. here for this high-class race,” Domracheva Olympic champion and compatriot Tatjana “Someone had to pull it off my foot and I put said. “The feeling was great, the support SOCHI: Following is the medals tally at the Sochi Winter Olympics yesterday. Huefner, who settled for silver, while an emotional another one on,” she said. With a commanding lead was cool, especially when I had enough Erin Hamlin won bronze, the first ever medal by an from day one, Geisenberger returned to the Sanki time to dance with the flag at the finish.” Rank Country Gold Silver Bronze Total American luger in singles. Siding Centre yesterday and promptly set another Domracheva said she did not panic after 1 Norway 4 3 4 11 “Runs one, two and three were nearly perfect,” said track record, this time a 49.765 seconds blitz. missing her final target. “I knew I had 2 Canada 4 3 2 9 Geisenberger. “The feeling was that I could make a lit- With gold in her grasp, she did not have to push enough time so I wasn’t disappointed.” 3 Germany 4 1 0 5 tle mistake (on her fourth and final run) and still win - with her final slide and eased to victory by 1.139 sec- After a catalogue of falls on a high 4 Netherlands 3 2 3 8 that was a good feeling.” onds — the third biggest margin in women’s singles speed hairpin bend in the men’s pursuit, 5 United States 2 1 4 7 Germany, who also celebrated gold on Monday since luge was introduced at the Games in 1964. Domracheva said she knew she needed to 6 2 0 0 2 when Felix Loch successfully defended his men’s title, Hamlin, who put an end to Germany’s 12-year keep her concentration until the very end. 7 Russian Fed. 1 3 3 7 has won 12 of the 15 available medals in the women’s world championship reign in 2009, was thrilled to The warm conditions on the undulating 8 Austria 1 3 0 4 event from 1998, including all five golds. reach the podium. “I was the first American to win the course with slushy snow were also tough 9 France 1 0 2 3 Geisenberger, 26, belongs to the same worlds and now I’ve done this, I hope it paves the way going. “It’s really warm here. The snow is 10 Belarus 1 0 0 1 Berchtesgaden training group, along with Loch, that for a new generation of female American lugers,” she soft and together with the topography 10 Korea 1 0 0 1 comes under the wing of three-time Olympic champi- said. “I haven’t turned my phone on for 24 hours, and the weather, it made me work hard.” 10 Poland 1 0 0 1 on Georg Hackl in the German luge mecca of when I do it’s going to explode. — Reuters Brought up in Russia - 10 1 0 0 1 Belarussian freestyle skier Alexei 14 Sweden 0 3 1 4 Grishin won the men’s freestyle aerials in 15 Czech Republic 0 2 1 3 Vancouver in 2010 but no Belarussian 16 Slovenia 0 1 2 3 woman had ever won gold before at the 17 Italy 0 1 1 2 Winter Olympics. Domracheva had previ- 17 Japan 0 1 1 2 ously picked up a bronze in Vancouver 19 China 0 1 0 1 and two world titles. 19 Finland 0 1 0 1 , Russian-born but 21 Britain 0 0 1 1 representing Slovakia, led out the pursuit 21 Ukraine 0 0 1 1 race after winning gold in the sprint. She was in contention for a medal throughout but finished in sixth after missing her final with her architect parents. ed sports stars in her country, where target. It was in Siberia that she took her first strongman President Alexander Kuzmina’s gold in the sprint left a bitter steps in biathlon and turned out for the Lukashenko takes a huge interest in taste in the mouth of Russia’s sports boss- Russian junior biathlon team. But she sports. es given she had represented her native returned to her native and was rap- Domracheva said that she thought of country before switching to Slovakia. idly approached by Belarussian coaches her mother back in the Belarussian capital They might also now be regretting that with an offer to become a member of the as she claimed her gold. “I had an image in Domracheva was allowed to get away. Belarussian biathlon squad. my head. I imagined my mum in Minsk, Although born in Minsk, Domracheva Along with tennis star Victoria sitting in front of the television and I could moved to Siberia in Russia at an early age Azarenka, she is now one of the most fet- imagine how happy she was.”— AFP Volosozhar, Trankov waltz to pairs lead

SOCHI: World champions and set a new world record score for the short pro- gramme to get their bid for a second Olympic gold off the mark yesterday. Trankov, resplendent in a military- themed outfit, and Volosozhar, in a ball- room-style dress, performed flawlessly to “Masquerade Waltz” by Aram Khachaturian to score 84.17 points. It gave them a 4.53-point lead on Olympic bronze medallists Aliona SOCHI: Team Russia celebrates their 2-1 win over Japan during the 2014 Winter Olympics Sacvhenko and of women’s ice hockey game at Shayba Arena. — AP Germany. The Russians opened with a high triple twist, and included perfectly timed side-by-side triple toeloops and a Russia sink Japan throw triple loop to the deafening roars of the crowd as they landed each jump. It bettered the 83.98 they achieved on to reach quarters their way to a third European title in January to the delight of the partisan home crowd and a sea of red and white SOCHI: Russia secured a spot in the quarter-finals of two Stanley Cup championships with the Chicago Russian flags at the Iceberg Skating the women’s ice hockey tournament following a 2-1 Blackhawks, said he’s going to be even more focussed Palace. win over Japan at the Sochi Olympics yesterday. in Sochi. Germany’s Aliona Savchenko and Alexandra Vafina broke a 1-1 tie with a short-hand- “The gold medal game was special but I was Robin Szolkowy, four-time world champi- ed goal late in the third period, setting off wild cele- young and naive. I didn’t realize how big a game it ons, are sitting second 4.53 points brations among the many flag-waving Russian sup- was at the time. It would be nice to get back in that behind with a new season’s best 79.64 for CANADA : A picture taken on February 26, 2010 shows Lebanon’s Jacky porters in attendance at the packed Shayba Arena. situation,” said Kane, who has 27 goals and 63 points their crowd-pleasing “Pink Panther” rou- Chamoun clearing a gate during the Women’s Vancouver Japanese goalie Nana Fujimoto was outstanding in in 59 games with Chicago this season. Slalom event at Whistler Creek side Alpine skiing venue. — AFP the losing effort, turning aside 36 shots. tine. Russia, who reached the quarter-finals by securing BITTER MEMORIES “When you’re having fun doing your one of the top two spots in Group B, close out their Brown said he still has bitter memories of how routine and the audience goes with it, it Lebanese skier Chamoun preliminary round on Thursday with a game against they lost to Canada. “Sometimes a loss motivates you just makes you feel good and less nerv- undefeated Sweden. more than anything else,” Brown said. “I keep it in the ous,” said Savchenko. back of my mind. The German couple returned to the apologises for pictures UNFINISHED BUSINESS “In 2010 no one gave us a chance. It is always programme which won them their third Zach Parise and his USA teammates have some about the expectations you put on each other in the world title in 2011 after trailing at the SOCHI: Lebanese skier Jacky Chamoun “Anyways, I want to apologize to all of unfinished business to take care of at the Sochi dressing room. We are itching to play at an Olympic European championships before with- apologised yesterday after photos and a you, I know that Lebanon is a conserva- Olympics after coming within a goal of striking gold level.” drawing before the free skate because video from a shoot three years ago sur- tive country and this is not the image four years ago in Vancouver. The Americans are in the difficult Group A with Savchenko was sick. faced on the internet, causing a stir in that reflects our culture. I fully under- The memory of their 3-2 loss in the gold medal Russia, Slovakia and Slovenia. They will play one of “We are happy we changed our pro- her Arab nation. stand if you want to criticise this,” said game, when Sidney Crosby scored in overtime for the most anticipated games of the preliminary round gramme. It was the absolute right choice. Chamoun, who also competed in the the 22-year-old. “Now that I’m at the Canada, is still fresh in their minds. “We came so close when they face Russia on Saturday. Maybe we couldn’t skate it at 110percent, Vancouver 2010 Olympics and lives in , these photos that I nev- in Vancouver,” said Parise. “It was a tough way for us to The USA team will be without their general man- but at least at 105percent,” said Szolkowy. Switzerland, said the material that er saw before are being shared. It is sad. finish. “We know that just because we finished second ager David Poile who can’t travel to Sochi after under- Russia’s Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor appeared on the internet showing her All I can ask to each of you who saw this, the last time there is no guarantee we are going to going surgery for facial injuries he suffered when Klimov, also gold medallists in the team topless was not part of the shoot for an is to stop spreading it, it will really help get back to gold medal game. A lot of things have to struck by a puck last week. Poile needed surgery for Austrian skiing calendar. “Yes I did pho- me focusing on what is really important go right.” damage to an eye and received stitches for a deep cut event, scored 75.21 for their “Flamenco” to sit third ahead of Chinese veterans tos for an Austrian ski calendar with oth- now: my trainings and race,” said The Americans may not have the star power on to his face. er professional athletes three years ago,” Chamoun. offence that Russia and Canada or even Sweden Poile, who is also the GM of the Nashville Pang Qing and , silver medal- lists in Vancouver in 2010, who achieved she said in a statement posted on her The Lebanese Olympic Committee boasts, but they are deep in goal which is key for any Predators, was standing in a tunnel area just off the facebook page. said the images were not representative 73.30 after Pang under-rotated his triple team hoping to make a run at a medal. ice surface when a hard pass from defenceman Shea “The photos of the photoshoot are of the nation’s sports but would not call toeloop. The 2010 silver medallists will likely go with Weber, who will play for Canada at the Olympics, not like the actual images that are now the athlete back. Jonathan Quick as their No. 1 followed by Ryan Miller deflected over the boards. Teams from Russia and the former circulating on the net. The video and “The Lebanese Olympic Committee and Jimmy Howard. And talented forward Patrick “David is getting the medical attention he needs have dominated the sport photos that you are now seeing are part will not ask to exclude Chamoun from Kane could turn out to be the biggest game breaker back in Nashville,” said Jim Johannson, the assistant for the past 50 years winning 12 titles of the making off, the preparation, it was- the Sochi Games in adherence to the of the tournament for any team. executive director of USA Hockey yesterday. “We are since two-time winners Ludmila n’t supposed to go public.” Olympic rules, especially since the He was the USA’s best forward in Vancouver and going to miss his input but we are in communication.” Belousova and Oleg Protopopov took The photos in the calendar show the offence did not take place during the he anchors an explosive powerplay that also includes Weber said his pass deflected off Roman Josi’s stick. their first gold in 1964. Russia failed to Lebanese scantily dressed but not preparations (for the Games) nor during Dustin Brown and Parise. “The puck went into the tunnel where he was. It is make the pairs podium for the first time naked. The photos that appeared in the Games,” it said in a statement. It did “The Olympics is a place you can make a name for very unfortunate to see that happen in a practice. It in Vancouver. The free skating final takes recent days show her topless as she pre- however say it did “not reflect the real yourself,” said associate general manager Ray Shero. wasn’t even a player that got hurt, but our GM,” Weber place today. — AFP Kane, who has a silver medal from 2010 and has won said yesterday.—Reuters pares for the shoot. image of the Lebanese sports.”— Reuters