SPORTS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2014 Stunning Domracheva makes history for Belarus in biathlon SOCHI: Darya Domracheva 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 Tora Berger of Norway, 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 Natalie Geisenberger 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 luge 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 Russia 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 Sochi 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 2014 Winter Olympics. — 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 Vancouver 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 Switzerland 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 Slovakia 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 Anastasiya Kuzmina, 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 Minsk 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 Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov set a new world record score for the short pro- gramme to get their bid for a second Olympic figure skating 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 Robin Szolkowy 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 2010 Winter Olympics Japanese goalie Nana Fujimoto was outstanding in in 59 games with Chicago this season.