Sports FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2014 SOCHI WINTER OLYMPICS Finns win 1st stage of Tour de Sochi SOCHI: Finland took a Tour de Sochi approach bikes all the time so no problem, I’m use to it. Rask. “We weren’t ready to play and they came Finns with captain Teemu Selanne leaving the to open the Olympic men’s ice hockey compe- “It was probably the fastest way to get here.” at us hard. “The first goal, everybody got game after the first period with what was tition, riding bikes to the Boshoy Ice Dome Austria, back in the Olympic ice hockey caught sleeping and then it’s in the back of described by coach Erkka Westerlund as a yesterday before cruising to an 8-4 win over competition for the first time since the 2002 the net, and we battled back. So it definitely “small upper body injury”. The 43-year-old Austria. Although it was just the first stage of Salt Lake Games, announced their return in looked like after that first goal we woke up Selanne, competing in this sixth Olympics, set the 12-day tournament, the Finns got off to a stunning style with Michael Grabner scoring and didn’t let that bother us. “Kind of a disas- up Finland’s first goal but was later spotted flying start with the help of two goals each the first of his three goals just 36 seconds after ter to (allow) those goals. We battled back on the bench getting treatment around his from Mikael Granlund and Jarkko Immonen. the opening faceoff. But the Finns, who have right away, and got the lead, and kept it.” Sami neck and shoulder area. Westerlund said the On a brilliant sunny day at the Black Sea resort, reached the podium in four of the last five Lepisto, Jussi Jokinen and Petri Kontiola injury did not appear serious and Selanne the Finland players opted to make a leisurely Games, were soon back in control with Olli rounded out the Finland scoring. Grabner could be ready to return for Finland’s second 10-minute ride to the arena on blue bikes Maatta and Immonen scoring eight seconds added a pair of third-period tallies to complete preliminary round game on Friday against rather than take the bus. “Everybody did, we apart to put their team 4-2 ahead at the end of a hat-trick for Austria and Thomas Norway. “I don’t think it’s anything serious, all rode bikes from the village,” Finland net- the opening period. Hundertpfund got the other goal. probably just a precaution,” said Rask. “He’ll minder Tuukka Rask told reporters. “I ride “Well the start wasn’t good for us,” said The win could prove a costly one for the be back.” — Reuters Sister act makes winter Games a family affair SOCHI: The Winter Olympics may be a multi-billion dollar enterprise reaching every corner of the globe-but for many the Sochi Games are a strictly family affair. There are Dutch speed skating twins, three Canadian freestyle skiing sisters, another three Swiss siblings in the biathlon and a father-and-son combination in ice hockey among many other family groups. Not content with reaching the moguls final all together, the Dufour-Lapointe sisters made off with gold and silver at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park. It was 19-year-old Justine, the youngest of the three, who triumphed - and she admitted she had been inspired by her siblings. “I saw my sisters in the World Cup and I watched Chloe (who won silver in Sochi) in Vancouver. I decided I wanted to train hard. I have always been a competitive tiger. I take after my dad. It’s how I grew up so it’s normal.” Proud father Yves said the success was partly down to strong “family values” and mum Johane said sisterhood has always come first. “At times, one sister would be happy for her high result, but we would try not to make them feel better than the others. We consult- ed a psychologist,” she said. “We wanted to treat all the girls equally. They are first and foremost sisters. Sometimes they fall out, but now they are mature enough to handle themselves.” And the sisters are not the only family threesome at the Games. South Korea’s short- track skater Park Se-Yeong is in Sochi alongside big sisters Park Seung-Hi, also a short-track skater, and speed skater Park Seung-Ju. And the Swiss Gasparin sisters-Selina, Elisa and Aita-are among seven sibling combinations competing in biathlon. Elsewhere, the Dutch Mulder twins, Michel and Ronald, took gold and bronze in the men’s 500m speed skating event. “Of course the perfect scenario would be KRASNAYA POLYANA: A drone camera follows Norway’s Aleksander Aurdal during the men’s ski slopestyle final at the for me to win gold and my brother after me,” said Ronald. “But I’m Rosa Khutor Extreme Park, at the 2014 Winter Olympics yesterday. — AP really happy I made it to the podium.” Sibling rivalry US Nordic combined brothers Bryan and Taylor Fletcher admit Christensen leads US sweep there is an edge when they compete but say they also look out for one another. “There’s definitely sibling rivalry, but we have each oth- ROSA KHUTOR: Joss Christensen led a United States podi- beaming minor medalists managed to lift Christensen into er’s back and work together to try to get the best result for both um sweep in spectacular fashion to win the first Olympic the air on an improvised chair. “I am so stoked about an instead of one-up on each other,” said Bryan, the older by four years. gold medal in men’s slopestyle skiing at the Sochi Games American one-two-three,” said Kenworthy. “Nick is always “I will try to give him tips but he doesn’t need too many,” Taylor said yesterday. Another bumper crowd at Extreme Park were the guy to kind of beat in a contest, he is so consistent and of Bryan. “Like how to race the rhythm of the course and stick behind treated to a thrilling display of acrobatics as the freestyle so incredible and Joss is really killing it right now. He is one someone on the downhill so you can slingshot past them.” US-born ice dancers Cathy Reed and brother Chris are competing skiers pushed their routines to the limits against a backdrop of my best friends and I am stoked.” The United States for Japan in Sochi. Born in Michigan, the brother-sister duo began of snow-capped mountains and blue skies. swept both slopestyle skiing golds after Jamie Anderson’s their ice dance career competing for the United States but later Christensen led the pack after qualifying and his 95.80 victory in the women’s event, which was also making its switched to representing the country of their mother’s birth. “The on his opening run of the final, which he capped with a debut at the Sochi Games. Japanese fans have been so supportive of us,” Chris Reed said. “We stunning switch triple-corked 1440 on the final jump, While Christensen learned his tricks on the best facilities want to honor that support with our skating. We want to give the assured him of the title even before his second attempt. in the world in his home town of Park City, Utah, James support they have given us back to them.” Reflecting the have-a-go spirit of the sport, though, the 22- Woods had to make do with a dry slope in the unglamorous At the 2010 Vancouver Games there were three Reed siblings year-old nailed another spectacular flurry of flips, spins and British industrial city of Sheffield. Woods made it through to competing-with younger sister Allison Reed representing Georgia. tricks for a score of 93.80, which would have been enough the final in third place but, hampered by a hip injury he sus- She has since switched both partners and countries to Israel but is for gold in itself. “I can’t really believe it right now, this is tained in a crash last week, was unable to deliver Britain not competing in Russia. Veteran Russian luger Albert Demchenko, pretty crazy. It has been just an amazing day,” said their second Olympic medal on the snow and finished fifth who won silver on Sunday in his seventh Winter Games, had hoped Christensen. “I am shocked. I am stoked to be up here with behind Norway’s Andreas Haatveit. Goepper, who won the to compete alongside his daughter, Viktoria, but those hopes were my friends. last two X-Games titles in slopestyle, reflected a general dashed when the 18-year-old failed to qualify for the national team. Gus Kenworthy took silver with a score of 93.60 on his consensus that the skiers had taken the sport to a whole But Slovenian ice hockey head coach Matjaz Kopitar is at the second run after falling in his first, while teenager Nick new level in Sochi. “I feel amazing,” said the 19-year-old. “It Olympics alongside his son Anze-the only player from the country in Goepper, the pre-competition favorite, settled for bronze think today was the best display of skiing we have ever seen the National Hockey League. —AFP with 92.40. Despite being encumbered by all their gear, the in our sport, so I am so happy.”— Reuters.