SPORTS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2014 Joy for Fenninger and USA, Games hit by horror accident SOCHI: Anna Fenninger swept to Olympic super-G gold while the USA edged ice hockey rivals Russia yesterday, but gloom hit Sochi when a freestyle skier suffered a broken back in a horrific fall. Austrian 24-year-old Fenninger showed off her smooth and technically sound giant slalom skills, conquering the demanding course to clock 1min 25.52sec for victory. Only 12 of the leading 30 women managed to finish the 2.2km-long Rosa Khutor run-with just three of the first 10 getting safely home. Germany’s Maria Hoefl-Riesch won silver at SOCHI: Men’s super-combined medalists (from left) Croatia’s Ivica Kostelic, silver, Switzerland’s 0.55sec to go with the gold she won in the Sandro Viletta, gold, and Italy’s Christof Innerhofer, bronze, pose with their medals at the 2014 super-combined, while combined silver Winter Olympics. — AP medallist Nicole Hosp of Austria took bronze, a further 0.11sec adrift. “You have to be so tactical. I can’t describe Olympics medals table my emotions, I am really stunned. I didn’t SOCHI: Gold medallist Poland’s Zbigniew Brodka (in red) and Shani Davis of the US compete in the men’s think it was going so well while I was going 1,500-meter speedskating race at the Adler Arena Skating Center during the 2014 Winter Olympics. — AP down,” said Fenninger. “I was very good up SOCHI, Russia: Winter Olympics medals table yesterday (after five of seven gold medal top, not so good at the bottom but in the cross course. “We have had no sports cancelled or events): middle section, there was still the possibility The state-owned R-Sport news agency moved. Everything is going according to plan,” Gold Silver Bronze Total to go faster.” quoted a source familiar with the situation as said International Olympic Committee Germany 7 3 2 12 Switzerland’s Dominique Gisin, who shared saying the 23-year-old had sustained a frac- spokesman Mark Adams. Switzerland 5 1 1 7 gold with Slovenia’s Tina Maze in the down- tured vertebrae while it was later revealed In all seven gold were to be decided late Canada 4 5 3 12 hill, was one of the skiers to crash out while that Komissarova had undergone a six-hour yesterday. Russia’s Victor Ahn won his fourth Netherlands 4 4 6 14 Maze finished fifth just behind downhill operation to repair the damage to her spine. gold in short track when he stormed to victo- Norway 4 3 6 13 bronze medallist Lara Gut of Switzerland. “Maria Komissarova received a serious ry in the men’s 1,000m. United States 4 3 6 13 In men’s ice hockey, TJ Oshie scored the injury today during training. She was urgently Ahn, who won three golds for his native Russia 3 6 5 14 shootout winner as the USA defeated Russia taken to hospital,” the Russian freestyle feder- South Korea at the 2006 Turin Olympics China 3 2 0 5 3-2 in a nail-biting hockey clash to decide the ation said. before switching nationality, triumphed in a Belarus 3 0 1 4 latest chapter of the two giants’ historic rival- “Doctors carried out the necessary exami- time of 1min 25.325sec. Poland 3 0 0 3 ry. nation and took the decision to operate on Poland’s Zbigniew Brodka won a dramatic Austria 2 4 1 7 Pavel Datsyuk had two goals in regulation her on the spot.” The balmy weather condi- 1,500m speed skating race by just three-thou- France 2 0 2 4 for the Russians while Joe Pavelski and Cam tions continued to pose headaches for sched- sandths of a second from devastated Sweden 1 5 2 8 Fowler scored powerplay goals for the ulers, with a high of 20 degrees Celsius (68 Dutchman Koen Verweij. Japan 1 2 1 4 Americans with both coming while Russian degrees Fahrenheit) recorded at the Black Sea Sweden took a thrilling gold in the Slovenia 1 1 2 4 forward Alexander Radulov was sitting in the coastal venues in the early afternoon. women’s 4x5km cross country relay, overtak- South Korea 1 1 1 3 penalty box. Up in the mountains of Rosa Khotur, it was ing Finland and Germany in the last metres Great Britain 1 0 1 2 13 degrees Celsius. Today’s men’s super-G race while in women’s short track, China’s Zhou Slovakia 1 0 0 1 DISALLOWED GOAL will start earlier than planned at 10:00 am Yang defended her 1,500m title. Later yester- Italy 0 2 3 5 With the score tied 2-2 in the third period, (0600 GMT) to make the most of firmer condi- day, Poland’s Kamil Stoch aims to become Czech Republic 0 2 1 3 the Russians appeared to score the winner, tions. only the third ski jumper to win both the nor- Finland 0 2 0 2 but the goal was disallowed, apparently mal and large hill golds at the same Olympics. Australia 0 1 1 2 because the net had been knocked out of FREE OF WEATHER STRIFE Swiss ski jumper Simon Ammann, twice a place. Away from the action, there was a som- Croatia 0 1 0 1 Despite the bright sunshine, which has double gold medallist, is seeking a record fifth bre mood at the Extreme Park when Russian seen some competitors race in shorts and T- gold. Latvian brothers Martins and Tomass Latvia 0 0 2 2 freestyle skier Maria Komissarova sustained a shirts, organisers insist the Games remain free Dukurs are among the favorites in the men’s Kazakhstan 0 0 1 1 broken back in a fall while training on the ski- of weather-related strife. skeleton. — AFP Ukraine 0 0 1 1 Davis, White bid for first Ace Svindal looks to US ice dance gold medal super-G for recovery SOCHI: Two-time world champions Meryl dancers to win a world title. ROSA KHUTOR: So far, Norwegian skiing on for over a week, but with a 500-metre Davis and Charlie White will bid to claim a “We’ve worked hard for people to have ace Aksel Lund Svindal has had a disap- lower start. And Svindal can take comfort first Olympic gold medal for the United great expectations from us,” said Davis. States in ice dancing at the Iceberg Skating “We’ve had them for ourselves our entire pointing run at the Winter Olympics in in his super-G consistency over the years. Palace starting today. lives since we were little kids. Expecting to Sochi. Four of his seven World Cup crystal Their biggest rivals will be reigning do well, expecting to grow and improve After scoring a full set of medals in globes have been in this discipline, Olympic champions Tessa Virtue and Scott and that’s what we’ve grown accustomed Vancouver in 2010, he just missed the including in the last two seasons. His one Moir of Canada and two Russian couples- to-expecting a lot from ourselves. podium in the downhill here, one of his Olympic gold was in super-G and at European champions Ekaterina Bobrova “We’ve enjoyed working hard to get to best disciplines, and fell to eighth in the world championships last year he took and Dmitri Soloviev and Elena Ilinykh and the place we are now.” Virtue, 24, and Moir, super-combined. bronze, alongside downhill gold. Nikita Katsalapov. 26, were the first North American ice But today, the 31-year-old five-time Also in the frustrated ranks-seeking to Both Russian couples have already won dancers to win gold in Vancouver, where world champion could redeem himself in add another medal to his five from 2002 gold in the new team event last Sunday in they finished ahead of silver medallists the men’s super-G and defend his and 2010 Olympics-US star Bode Miller which the Canadians finished silver medal- Davis and White. Olympic title from four years ago. will be looking to make up for his eighth lists and the Americans took bronze. The “I think we’re maybe in the toughest As Olympic champion and current place in the downhill and sixth in super- team event, making its debut in Sochi, place having to defend our title,” said leader in World Cup super-G rankings, combined. “I’ll never stop pushing myself brought together figure skating’s four disci- Virtue. “This Games is for us,” warned Moir. there is no doubt the elegant past my limits, but the mistakes that plines — men’s, women’s, pairs and ice “We feel like we’re ready to take this one. Scandinavian goes into the race as the come with it are hard to swallow. #frus- dance. Davis, 27, and White, 26, dominated We know the Americans will be strong, the favourite. trationstation,” the super-G silver-medal- the team dancing event finishing three Russians will be strong ... for us it’s about His lack of success so far in the list from Vancouver tweeted on Friday. points ahead of the Canadians in the short having our own Olympic moment.” Caucasus mountains has also been “The tactics are there. The skiing is dance and a comfortable 6.78-points ahead Europe has dominated the discipline gnawing at him and will leave him with there,” he also said. Miller’s US colleague in the free skate. since it was introduced into the Olympic something to prove today.