Sotnikova's Skating Gold Whips up Storm of Protest
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SPORTS SATURDAY, FUBRUARY 22, 2014 SOCHI: Skiers race in SOCHI WINTER OLYMPICS the Women’s Freestyle Skiing Ski Cross Small Final at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park during the Sochi Winter Olympics yesterday. — AFP big ski names flop Sotnikova’s skating gold ROSA KHUTOR: Big names who go home empty handed, under-achievers crowned as champions: the Sochi Olympics whips up storm of protest have a tendency to upset all predictions in alpine skiing. When the new super-combined Olympic champion was announced last week, it wasn’t US hot shot Ted Ligety or French young gun Alexis Pinturault, but Switzerland’s Sandro US suffer medal shutout Viletta-a skier with just one World Cup podium to his name. France’s Steve Missillier, who won giant slalom silver on Wednesday, could also only point to one World Cup third SOCHI: She was not even considered num- Palace. While the nine-person judging pan- Even before she had finished her final place back in 2010. Meanwhile, Norwegian ace Aksel Lund ber one in her country but Adelina el would no doubt point out that Kim pose, the crowd erupted and were on their Svindal-a five-time world champion, two-time overall World Sotnikova stormed out of the shadows of attempted only six triple jumps compared feet to show their appreciation to a woman Cup winner and current leader in super-G and downhill rank- Julia Lipnitskaya to become the first to Sotnikova’s seven, that did not explain who had finally ended Russia’s long search ings-returned home without any medals to add to his three Russian to win the Olympic women’s figure why Italian bronze medallist Kostner had for an Olympic women’s champion. “Today from Vancouver. skating title at the Sochi Games on been given 7.34 points fewer than the I realized that I really love what I do and I “Olympic Games are often like that: many manage to Thursday. Sotnikova had been hovering so Russian. can skate very well,” Sotnikova said. “I am shine when you least expect them,” 22-year-old Pinturault far in the background that when it came to Kostner, decked in an eye-catching really happy because this is the Olympics said after the super-combined, in which he failed to finish. potential Olympic champions, her name sheer black, backless dress, appeared to be and I worked toward this for a very long “And to shine when you’re really expected (to win) is always was not even in the mix with Lipnitskaya, almost floating on water as she executed time. I might be 17 but I dreamed of mak- more difficult.” US star veteran Bode Miller was a favourite in 2010 champion Kim Yuna, 2012 world every one of her 11 jumps, including seven ing it to the Olympics and getting a gold.” almost every race but had to watch younger, lesser known champion Carolina Kostner or Japanese triples, to the haunting melodies of Ravel’s It was a sentiment shared by Kostner as she colleagues climb to the top of the podium instead. “It heroine Mao Asada. Bolero that has long been a favorite with finally scooped an Olympic medal on her doesn’t surprise me to see some guys step in there,” said the But she soared above her more illustri- skaters. But within minutes, neutral fans third attempt. 36-year-old, who eventually won super-G bronze, his sixth ous rivals to leave the home crowd leaping were left scratching their heads wondering She has long been the standout female Olympic medal. and roaring with joy as she finally bull- what exactly the judges saw, or rather did skater in Europe, winning five continental “They see this as a huge opportunity to show the world dozed the last figure skating barrier that not see, as the Russian ended up with the titles, but she is equally known for her how good they are and they’re willing to take a risk. “And had remained for Russia. Since Ludmila top score despite a snatched landing fol- spectacular meltdowns. None was more when you take risks, it’s really everybody’s game, you see Belousova and Oleg Protopopov gave the lowing a double loop. painful than the one she suffered on home how close the races play, it really could’ve been Soviet Union their first Olympic title in Sotnikova was the only one of the lead- ice at the 2006 Turin Olympics when she anybody.”Perhaps gallingly for him, Miller was overtaken in 1964, the 2014 Winter Games hosts, as ing trio to make such an obvious mistake became the butt of jokes in her country the super-G by one of his own teammates. Silver-medallist Andrew Weibrecht already won bronze in Vancouver but his USSR, the Unified Team or Russia, had won but that did not stop her from obliterating after falling on her bottom on practically best World Cup results were two top-10 places, he had long 26 golds in the sport before Thursday. her own season’s best for the free skate by every jump she attempted. Four years lat- been beset by injury and he had no other major podiums. Surprisingly none of them had been in more than 18 points. “Any questions er when she suffered the same fate in ‘She’s an Olympic specialist’ the individual women’s event and they (about the scores) are for the judges, not Vancouver, she left the ice a broken “I don’t know what it is about the Olympics. It’s just the had barely featured on the podium until for me. I did my job. I gave a gift to Russia,” woman and in floods of tears. On one time that people in the US actually watch (skiing) so you Sotnikova captivated the hollering home Sotnikova said, determined not to let any- Thursday, though, her perseverance finally want to put down a good performance people can be proud crowd, if not the world, with a winning thing ruin her moment in the spotlight. For paid off. “For me this medal is absolutely of,” the 28-year-old said afterwards. When it comes to raising score of 224.59 that raised more than a few her, the win was vindication of her own self worth gold, I will cherish it,” said the 27- one’s game at big events, his teammate Julia Mancuso could eyebrows. “I smashed my season’s best. In belief as remarkably she had not been giv- year-old Italian. teach a few lessons. Despite missing out on World Cup tro- fact, I smashed my highest score for my en a look-in for the team competition that The United States’ hopes that Gracie phies, the perky Californian has amassed five world champi- whole career and I did it at the Olympics. I Russia had so gloriously won 11 days ago Gold would live up to her name proved to onship medals and four at Olympics, most recently combined didn’t think I could skate like I did today,” thanks to two electrifying performances by be wide off the mark as she finished fourth bronze in Sochi. As German champion Maria Hoefl-Riesch put said Sotnikova, who had been pacing nerv- the 15-year-old Lipnitskaya. after tripping up on Thursday and that it: “She’s an Olympic specialist.” “I love being at the Olympics. ously backstage until her victory was con- As Lipnitskaya-mania gripped the result meant the Americans suffered a I get really energized,” said Mancuso. “Anything’s possible at firmed since Kim was the last competitor to nation, there seemed to be only one name shutout in men’s and women’s singles the Olympics, you can never count anyone out. You just have skate. The South Korean had been on the lips of Russia’s 143 million inhabi- skating for the first time since 1936. “When to do your best.” favourite to join Norway’s Sonja Henie and tants, but Sotnikova was determined to I went down on it, I thought, ‘Dang it!” said Last-minute injuries, weather conditions or just sheer luck Germany’s Katarina Witt as the only show that there was more than one Gold. It was a sentiment Asada would have can turn things upside down in any race.But the Olympics women to have won back-to-back Olympic teenaged superstar in the country. While shared on Wednesday when her Olympic seem to have a special vibe that brings out the best in some. titles and despite delivering a flawless dis- Lipnitskaya stumbled and staggered her dreams were left in tatters and she lan- Like Weibrecht who overtook Miller to land super-G silver, play full of grace and beauty, she was left way out of contention on Thursday, finish- guished in 16th place. Twenty four hours Missillier relegated teammate and top favorite Pinturault to sobbing backstage after losing her title by ing fifth, Sotnikova made history. Wearing later, a tearful Asada was left wondering third place on the giant slalom podium, bumping Austrian 5.48 points to Sotnikova. “I am stunned by a sparkling smokey ash dress, she landed what might have been after a fall-free long ace Marcel Hirscher down to fourth. In the men’s downhill this result, I don’t understand the scoring,” 11 jumps, including seven triples, to the program earned her 142.71 - the third best and super-G, a Norwegian did win a medal but instead of Svindal, it was Kjetil Jansrud. —AFP Witt was heard commentating on German stirring backdrop of ‘Introduction and score on the night - and lifted her to sixth TV from her booth at the Iceberg Skating Rondo Capriccioso’.