SUNDAY, JANUARY 26, 2014 SPORTS Winter Games a family affair for athletes

VIENNA: Sibling rivals, dynasties of champi- Lake Placid and bronze four years later in , while their sister Allison has skated for won two silvers and one bronze in sin- ’s Marlies and Bernadette Schild, ons or coaching parents: the Olympic com- Sarajevo. The Kostelic siblings of - Georgia and now Israel at international level. gles between 1992 and 2002 and is also his German double Olympic champion Maria munity likes to style itself as one big family... Janica and Ivica-have accumulated nine In biathlon, ’s Anastazia Kuzmina and manager. Even when they’re not racing, Hoefl-Riesch and her sister Susanne, and and in winter sports, that’s quite often literal- Olympic medals, including four gold, since her brother Anton Shipulin took part in sepa- uncles, dads and other relatives are often Italian siblings Manfred and Manuela ly the case. In disciplines like , 2002. In Turin, she won gold in the women’s rate races in Vancouver in 2010 but still took part of the all-important entourage back- Moelgg. French nordic combined star Jason passed on from one generation to the next combined and he won silver in the men’s home a full set of medals. Olympic genes are stage. Yves Hamelin, head of Canada’s short Lamy-Chappuis, an Olympic and world in remote valleys in or Austria, race. Siblings competing together are not an especially strong in some families. Super-G track speed skating program, led his athletes champion, has a cousin, Ronan, in ski jump- there is no shortage of racing dynasties. Tina unusual sight in or luge, like gold medalist in Vancouver Andrea to five medals on home ice at the last ing. In a well-timed effort, Austrian two-time Weirather of , a top medal con- Austrian duo Andreas and Wolfgang Lindner, Fischbacher is a cousin of Austrian ski legend Olympics. On the team were his sons Charles ski world champion Mario Matt won a slalom tender in Sochi, is the daughter of 1980 dou- who took doubles gold in 2006 and 2010. and double Olympic champion Hermann and Francois who took gold in the men’s in Val d’Isere on December 15 just as his ble Olympic champion and But the Reed family has gone one step Maier. Ski jumper , 500m and 5000m relay. brother Andreas, silver medalist in former world champion . further: US-born ice dancers Cathy and who will be seeking a fourth Olympic medal Elsewhere, Alpine skiing also has ’s Vancouver, won in ski cross a few valleys Her uncle won silver in brother Chris will compete for in in Sochi, is the nephew of Markus Prock, who Fanchini sisters (Nadia, Elena and Sabrina), away. — AFP US eye medal repeat in land of long hard winter

LOS ANGELES: The is hoping to repeat their record medal success of Vancouver as the land of the long hard win- ter gets set to stage the largest Winter Games in history. The US heads to Sochi hop- ing for some sparkling Olympic performanc- es from its dominant ski team but also aware there are questions surrounding its athletes in traditionally strong events like figure skat- ing. The Americans would like to equal or better its performance in 2010 where it put together its most successful Winter Games with 37 medals, including nine gold. But they will be hard pressed to do so as there will be some big names missing-skier and figure skater both withdrew with injuries, while short- track speedskater Apolo Ohno has retired. Team USA will be paced by a potent alpine ski team that won eight medals in 2010, twice as many as any other nation. There could also be a passing of the torch in Sochi for the American skiers. With Vonn pulling out, the US would like these Games to become a breakout Olympics for teenage phenom . In 2012, Shiffrin captured the World Championship and she now has seven career World Cup slalom wins. The 18-year-old from Vail, Colorado knows the expectations are high but she isn’t letting the pressure get to her. “For any athlete it is a childhood dream to win an Olympic medal and it is no differ- ent for me. The perfect Sochi experience for me would be knowing I put my best into both slalom and GS.” Besides Shiffrin, one of their best medal hopes rests with , who been enjoying some of the best success of his brilliant career. Ligety claimed three gold medals at the 2013 Worlds in Super-G, Super-Combined and . He won a gold medal in 2006 Olympics in Combined but failed to reach the podium at the Vancouver Games. SOCHI: Visitors pose in front of the Olympic rings at the yesterday in Sochi, Russia. The Olympics begin Feb 7th. — AP “It was disappointing walking away from Vancouver without a medal but it helped me get in the right mind set for moving forward because the last three years have definitely Push comes to shove as former been my best three years.” Some of the biggest questions for the USA in Sochi sur- round the figure skaters, including the loss of track stars eye bobsleigh glory 2010 men’s champion Lysacek, who pulled out of the Games in December because of injuries. PARIS: Three former top-level female track ath- on social media. But Jones simply remains to it 100 percent-hopefully we can become top the team.” Another athlete featuring in the bob- The women will try to redeem themselves letes will bid to complete a remarkable transfor- focused on what lies ahead for the two-women six at the Olympics. “You just don’t know-it’s a sleigh event will be former British sprinter Craig after a subpar performance in 2010 when mation into winter sports stars when they take to bobsled, which made its Olympic debut at Salt very different sport. I have the physical attributes, Pickering, who turned from the track to the ice they went without an individual medal for the bobsleigh track at the Sochi Olympics. Ex- Lake City in 2002. “There are some skills that will it’s just now whether I can put it together in the after his funding was cut following injury prob- the first time since 1964. US women will have 100m hurdler Lolo Jones and Lauryn Williams, a transfer from track, obviously the running behind split second we take off.” Radjenovic added: “Jana lems that saw him miss the London Games. With three skaters in the individual but none are gold medalist with the 4x100m relay team at the the bobsled, but other than that, there is actually trains very hard and has brought a good work a best of 10.14sec over 100m and a world favored to reach the podium. The last time 2012 London Games, will represent the US bob- a lot that I had to learn,” said Jones. ethic to our strength and conditioning. 4x100m relay bronze medal from 2007, Pickering the Americans went without a medal in both sled team with Australia’s former two-time world “You just have to be really strong and power- “As for the bobsled side of things she was as said: “Two years ago I was at home thinking my men’s and women’s individual was 1936. This 400m hurdles champion Jana Pittman also mak- ful for bobsled, and there’s really no sport like it. much a rookie as everyone else. However she has career was over. “But today I made my second also marks the 20 year anniversary of the ing the trip to Russia. It’s not like you can practice this sport in high worked hard to learn fast and contribute a lot to . Never give up.”— AFP Tonya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan scandal that Jones, a two-time world indoor hurdles cham- school or middle school.” Williams, the 100m run- rocked the figure skating world and became pion who finished fourth in London and seventh ner-up at the 2004 Athens Olympics, added: “You the biggest story of the 1994 Winter Games in Beijing in 2008 after clipping the final hurdle really have to come there and have no knowl- in Lillehammer. while leading the field, and Williams become the edge about it and then just have to learn every- What were they thinking? Once again there is controversy after ninth and tenth US athletes to compete in both thing so very quickly. It takes a lot of help from third-place finisher at nationals, Mirai Summer and Winter Games. Neither athlete had your teammates. “It’s a lot of people just mould- Skaters fashion own style Nagasu, was passed over for the team in even tried bobsled until 2012 when they were ing together at the same time. It’s been a chal- favor of Ashley Wagner who placed fourth. recruited after the London Games. “It felt like lenge. It’s definitely more challenging than track PARIS: Forget the quadruple jump or the triple Holiday” this season has mystified spectators. Social media lit up with negative reaction to someone put me in a can and threw me off of and field in that aspect.” axel what will really count in the Olympic rink at “It was (coach) Brian (Orser)’s idea to use the decision and an online petition was start- Mount Everest,” Jones said after her first trip in a Pittman’s selection for the Australian bob- Sochi’s Iceberg Sports Palace from February 6-20 Spanish-typical colors. It’s a bit ‘a mix of ideas ed to try and get the decision reversed. Two sled. sleigh team sees her become the country’s first will be what the skater is wearing. Olympic skat- from various people ... put together in a unique time world champion and As a “push athlete”, Jones proved to be a quick female to compete in a Summer and Winter ing fashions are the most talked about at the costume!” he explained. Costumes for skating’s Charlie White are the frontrunners for the learner, winning a gold medal in the mixed team Games, having already competed at the Sydney Winter Games. American Johnny Weir may not biggest stars such as ’s Kim Yu-Na gold medal in ice dancing. Snowboarder event at the 2013 World Championships. “It hon- Olympics in 2000 and Athens four years later. “I have made the podium in Turin or Vancouver, and of Japan run into the thousands Shaun White and Shani Davis in long-track estly takes nowhere near two years to compete at really thought my career was over,” Pittman told but his over-the-top costumes stood out as of dollars but for more modest skaters such as speedskating are also expected to shine. a high level in bobsled if you have the required olympics.com.au in reference to calling it a day in Russians Oxana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin Romania’s Zoltan Kelemen it can prove costly at The men’s hockey team has been built attributes,” USA Bobsled and Skeleton Federation hurdling in 2012 and trying her hand at rowing danced to bronze in at the 2010 Games in over 2,000 dollars. “My costumes are made by a around speed up front of front and the best start coach Stuart McMillan, who has worked and boxing before settling on bobsleigh. “To be “Aboriginal” suits. Russian company. You send them the music and goaltending the tournament led by with Williams and Jones, told TODAY.com. The able to come and do something that is really fun Two-time Olympic women’s champion they give you a couple of examples. There’s Jonathan Quick. The Americans are heavily- duo both compete as push athletes, whose role is and that is very different and something I think Katarina Witt’s costumes pushed the boundaries nothing random about it,” said Kelemen of his favored to win gold in women’s hockey. The to push the sled from the block for up to 40 we are going to be very good at is something of ice fashion, with her skirtless feather-trimmed floral shirt. USA and Canada have squared off in three of metres and then jump in, relying heavily on that has drawn me here.” Pittman will partner 1988 costume for a showgirl-themed routine “For me it just matters how I feel in it, that it’s the last four gold medal games but the two explosive sprinting capabilities. Astrid Radjenovic, who represented Australia at leading skating body the ISU to change the rules comfortable and light. “For my budget it’s teams appear to be headed in opposite The selection of Jones, who consumed 9,000 the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics. requiring female skaters to wear more modest expensive so I can use the same one for two sea- directions. The USA won three straight calories a day to bulk up her lithe hurdler’s body, “Astrid is only a tenth, two tenths of a second costumes, including skirts. Sochi should live up sons.” Former Olympic medalist Barbara Fusar- games over Canada in a pre-Olympic exhibi- has not come without some criticism, however, off the leaders so she has been looking for some- to expectations. Olympic men’s gold medal Poli, now a coach, is fussy with what her charges tion series including a dominating 5-1 victo- with some critics arguing that she was picked for one with a lot of speed and power for a while,” hopeful Javier Fernandez of Spain’s stripy black, wear in a sport where choreography and inter- ry.—AFP her telegenic looks and high-profile positioning Pittman said. “If we can train well-I am committed white, red and yellow costume to “Satan Takes A pretation count in the scores. —AFP ’s Prevc wins 2nd ski-jumping WCup title

SAPPORO: Slovenia’s Peter Prevc that’s special here in ,” the soared to the second ski-jumping Slovenian winner said. “I made really World Cup title of his career yesterday good jumps, maybe the second one by dominating a diluted field to surge was even better than the first. I’m real- up the Olympic season’s leaderboard. ly satisfied today.” The 21-year-old, who won his first- With eight of the top 10 athletes on ever individual World Cup two weeks the World Cup tour shunning long ago at Tauplitz, Austria, leapt 137 travel in order to peak for next month’s meters and 134.5 meters to collect a Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Prevc total of 294.6 points on the took over the overall lead with 732 Okurayama hill in Sapporo, northern points. His performance pushed back Japan. absentees Poland’s Kamil Stoch into Each of his jumps were the longest second spot on 721 points and in their rounds in the night’s event. Austrian Gregor Schlierenzauer into Fellow Slovenian Jernej Damjan fin- third place on 670. “I know that many ished second on 277 points with think I’m now a favorite for Sochi and jumps of 135.5 meters and 129 meters that puts more pressure on me. I have and Japan’s 41-year-old Noriaki Kasai to use this pressure in my favor and be came in third on 272.1 points after more focused on my jumping and SAPPORO: Slovenia’s Peter Prevc jumps in the practice session before the men’s ski-jumping World Cup competition in jumping 132.5 meters and 129 meters. more motivated in training,” Prevc Sapporo, Hokkaido prefecture yesterday. Prevc soared to the second ski-jumping World Cup title of his career by domi- “The wind didn’t change much and said.— AFP nating a diluted field in the two rounds to surge upon the Olympic season’s leaderboard. —AFP