Olympic Hockey 2014: USA vs. CAN Battle Brings Women's Hockey to the Forefront

Hockey Olympic or otherwise isn't just for men.

At least, not anymore.

Teams USA and Canada are proving that women can be just as quick and hard-hitting as their male counterparts.

Both teams came in to Wednesday's game riding an undefeated Olympic streak for the year. Canada had recorded two shutouts against Switzerland and Finland, while USA had a 3-1 win over Finland and a decisive 9-0 shutout against Switzerland.

Though both teams are arguably the two best women's hockey teams this year, there is no such thing as a little friendly competition between the two.

The battle and rivalry between the two North American teams is heated, to say the least.

In December, a brawl broke out during a U.S. vs. CAN game. There was definite hostility, and it wasn't even the Olympics.


Jen Neale, writing for Yahoo!'s Puck Daddy, had it right when she wrote:

If anyone says female hockey players aren't tough like the guys, you have been officially dared to drop gloves with one of them at the rink.

On Wednesday, the competition continued in search of the gold, and the intensity grew as Canada rallied back from a 1-0 deficit in the third.

Sallie Jenkins of the Washington Post summarized the intensity of the game this way:

It was supposedly a meaningless game, just an appetizer, because both teams already had byes into the semifinals. But there was nothing casual about it as they shouldered each other into the walls and the momentum swung back and forth.

Results complaints aside, Canada left as the only undefeated team in Group A (Sweden and Russia remain undefeated in Group B).

Watching these two teams play throws every female stereotype out the window. The players move quickly, think fast and hit hard. They compete just as hard as the men.

ESPN reported that professional football was the most popular sport in America for the 30th year in a row:

In 2014, 35 percent of fans call the NFL their favorite sport, followed by Major League Baseball (14 percent), college football (11 percent), auto racing (7 percent), the NBA (6 percent), the NHL (5 percent) and college basketball (3 percent).

Not one mention of women's sports. The only thing that comes close is auto racing, where Danica Patrick is breaking barriers. Otherwise, it's nothing but males.

In a nation where men's sports are the front-runners in popular sports, the U.S. women's hockey team is making a case for women's sports everywhere.

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Julia Mancuso Fails to Medal in Women's Downhill Final at Sochi 2014

Julia Mancuso failed to ride the wave of momentum to another medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. The American was coming off a bronze in the women's super combined, but wasn't able to reach the podium again in the downhill.

NBC Olympics provided word of Mancuso's latest result:

Mancuso entered the Olympics with a lack of hype despite her previous success at the Games. Her medal performances in both 2006 and 2010 showed the big stages always seems to bring the best out of her, at this year was no different at the outset.

She put together a tremendous downhill showing in the first part of the super combined event to take a sizable lead into the slalom. Even though her run in the second half was average at best, it was still enough to add a bronze medal to her collection.

The U.S. Olympic Team also noted it made her the country's first skier to land on the podium at three different Games:

When you combined her great run in the downhill half of the super combined with her experience, it was easy to see why she was one of the top contenders heading into the event.

Mancuso also sports plenty of self-belief. It's something she talked about after winning bronze in her first event, as passed along by Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post:

I've always just had that real belief that I can do it. For me, putting out these dreams and beliefs that I can come in here and have a medal, and everyone being a little skeptical and just knowing in my heart that I can do it, was kind of like crossing the finish line being like, 'See, it works! Believing in yourself really works!'

Given her Olympic success, it's hard to argue with her mantra.

Unfortunately for Mancuso, she wasn't able to capture another medal in the downhill. After putting everything on the line during the super combined, she just wasn't able to muster another elite performance to end up on the podium again.

It's a disappointing result given her downhill greatness during the super combined. That said, even if she leaves Sochi with just one medal around her neck that will be a success. So anything more from this point forward would be a bonus.

She has already added to her legacy of being one of the top American skiers in Winter Olympic history. Failing to medal in the downhill doesn't change that as she looks ahead to her remaining events.

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Olympic Women's Downhill Skiing Schedule 2014: TV Info, Day 5 Medal Predictions

Uncertainty will reign supreme for the world's best women skiers as they head into Wednesday's downhill final at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Organizers were forced to cancel the final training session for the event on Tuesday, as temperatures were higher than expected and the terrain proved untenable. As noted by The Associated Press' Krasnaya Polyana (via ABC News), ruts left over from this week's super-combined competition needed to be repaired especially toward the bottom of the course.

This leaves the skiers in the field with just four instead of the typical five practice runs.


Luckily, most of the contenders have a good idea of how this will play out. Lindsey Vonn's absence from Sochi due to injury cracked the downhill field wide open, as the American star was widely expected to run away with the competition. Without Vonn, German and super-combined winner Maria Hoefl-Riesch will have a good chance, as will American Julia Mancuso, who finished second behind Vonn in Vancouver.

But there is an eclectic field here in Russia, one that won't have any fear on the slopes. And these women qualified for the Olympics for a reason. They are very, very good at skiing very, very fast down a sheet of snow.

We'll have to watch and see how this event plays out. With that in mind, let's check out how you can watch Wednesday's downhill competition and predict the medalists.

Women's Downhill Viewing Info
Date: Feb. 12
Time: 2 a.m. ET
TV: Click here for TV listings
Live Stream: Available on the NBC Olympics website


Medal Predictions

Gold: Lara Gut (Switzerland)

Gut comes into the downhill hoping to atone for a frustrating run at the super-combined. Heading into her second run, she was just 47 seconds behind Mancuso, with the rest of the field breaking perfectly for an easy medal. Hoefl-Riesch put together a solid lead time, but not an unattainable one for Gut, a Swiss who was exceptional in super-combined events in 2013.

Instead, Gut faltered. She was one of numerous high-profile skiers to disqualify herself early in her run, pulling off the slopes before even putting a medal anywhere near attainability. It was a disappointing performance that left Gut in tears after her run, her coach Hans Flatscher told Graham Dunbar of the AP (via The Charlotte Observer).

Still, the disappointment seemingly turned into motivation. Flatscher noted that his skier was still "really angry ... but after a few hours she was already in focus for the downhill."

The downhill very well could end with glory for Gut. At age 22, she came into Sochi seemingly primed for a run at gold. Gut, who was too injured to compete at the 2010 Games, was considered an up-and-coming threat for Vonn's throne in Vancouver before being ruled out. Now four years older and fully healthy, nearly everyone close to the Swiss thinks she has what it takes.

"She's physically perfect. Technically she improved because she did more work in the summer," Mauro Pini, Gut's former coach, told Dunbar (via The Washington Times). "I think the important point is Lara is not any more a little girl, she's a young lady. She is more mature."

From a purely physical standpoint, I tend to agree. But we'll have to see how she handles the mental spotlight. There is no telling whether it was nerves or merely a mental error that caused her to cough up the chance to medal in the super-combined. If it was the former, another disqualification or a poor run could forbid her contention once more.

If it's the latter, as suspected, Switzerland will be walking away with its third gold in Sochi.



Silver: Julia Mancuso (United States)

Will Mancuso ever get the rightful credit she deserves within United States skiing circles? Vonn is widely considered the most decorated female skier in the country's history, but that entirely depends upon how you judge someone's legacy.

When it comes to World Cup victories, Vonn is unimpeachable. Her 59 is more than eight times Mancuso's piddly total of seven. She consistently ranks as the first- or second-best skier in the world in season standings, dominating the downhill event to the point that she would have been the super-combined favorite just by proxy.

The Olympics are another story entirely. Vonn's only two Olympic medals came in 2010, a gold in the downhill and a bronze in the super-G. Mancuso has twice her American friend and rival's bling. She has medaled in each of the last three Olympics, with her four overall medals being the most for a female skier in U.S. history.

"That kind of stuff has never mattered to me," Mancuso told Bonnie D. Ford of ESPN. "My teammates have been incredible. Lindsey Vonn is a champion and of course has had way more success than I have on the World Cup [59 wins to seven for Mancuso], so it's definitely warranted to give her a lot of credit."

Still, with Vonn injured, Mancuso added to her total in the super-combined. Though one has to surmise she was a little disappointed with bronze considering the lead she held coming in, Mancuso raised her arms in triumph ever the good sport. Her slalom run was uncharacteristically sloppy at points, as she was unable to let go of the skis at the right time and wound up losing momentum as her run went along.

The first downhill run, on the other hand, was nearly flawless. She had a near half-second lead over Gut going into the slalom, and only the top four competitors were within a second. If past performance is any indicator of future results, Mancuso may add to her 2010 silver with a 2014 gold. I'm taking Gut, but these two are our favorites.


Bronze: Maria Hoefl-Riesch (Germany)

Believe it or not, Hoefl-Riesch is a bit of an underdog coming into the downhill. Though the AP (via Yahoo! Sports) selected her as the favorite to win the downhill, the actual results don't back that up. The German is a menace in slalom competition and has won each of the last two super-combined medals, but the downhill is arguably her worst discipline.

She ran only fifth during the downhill portion of the super-combined and was absent from the podium in Vancouver, finishing eighth. While she has had some success in the event on the world circuit, bronze is the best Hoefl-Riesch has ever done in the World Championships.

Here, then, would likely be the spot where an underdog could slip in. Tina Maze of Slovenia is the best bet to take Hoefl-Riesch's place, as is Leanne Smith, the least-discussed of the American skiers in the field. And there are a number of dark horses who could come completely out of the woodwork to a surprise medal.

Hoefl-Riesch is just performing far too well to predict any of that stuff will happen. She's been brilliant in Sochi—and all season actually. She has tamed her greatest beast with three wins in seven World Cup downhills this season and, if she wins on Wednesday, will tie the women's all-time Alpine Olympic record of four golds.

"I don't think about records so much," said Hoefl-Riesch, per the AP (via ABC News). "If it happens, it's great."

It's a bit of a long shot, but if we've learned anything in Sochi, it's never count Maria Hoefl-Riesch out of any skiing competition.

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Curling Men and Women's Round Robin Results from Day 4 of Olympics 2014

Round-robin curling action continues at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia on Day 4.

The women kicked things off with four pivotal showdowns, headlined by Team USA taking on host nation Russia in what turned out to be Tuesday morning's most thrilling matchup on the ice.

Without further ado, let's take a look at the latest results.

2014 Olympic Curling Results: Session 2 (Women)
Winner        Score Loser
Canada          9-3      Sweden
Switzerland  7-6      Denmark
Korea        12-7      Japan
Russia          9-6      USA
Sochi2014.com

Ahead of the clash with Russia, three-time Olympian and current U.S. women's skip Erika Brown stressed the importance of her squad keeping their nerves in check during the big moments throughout the Winter Games, per TeamUSA.org's Amanda Manci:

Our coaching staff and the support we've received have been tremendous to put us in a position to finally get up there and win a medal. It’s important to perform under pressure. Managing the stress and adrenaline of the situation is what will separate teams.

However, during the fourth and fifth ends on Tuesday, it was Russia who were able to manage their adrenaline better than Team USA, scoring four quick points to erase a 3-1 deficit and take a 5-4 lead.

Unsurprisingly, the crowd inside the Ice Cube Curling Center was delirious.

The Americans would respond and level in the sixth but with the crowd behind them, Russia would again take the lead, moving ahead 7-5 in the seventh end.

Team USA would narrow the gap in the eighth end but Russian skip Anna Sidorova would put the game away with two big points in the ninth end to seal the deal for the hosts.

Meanwhile, Japan and Korea were engaged in a spellbinding back-and-forth battle as well.

Japan would go ahead 2-0 in the first end, but wound up watching helplessly as Korea came storming back in the second end, tying the score before moving ahead 4-3 in the fourth. The two squads would swap the lead a couple of more times before Korea took control late, turning a 7-7 deadlock into a 12-7 advantage.

Switzerland, coming off an impressive 7-4 victory over the United States on Day 3, looked strong in the early goings against Denmark. However, the Danes weren't content to roll over one day after falling 7-4 to Russia in their opening game, rallying to score twice in the fourth end to knot the score up at 3-3.

Trailing 6-4 after eight ends, Denmark rallied yet again to level the game at 6-6.

But the Swiss would take advantage of the hammer in the 10th end to steal a 7-6 victory, their second of the round-robin.

Meanwhile, Sweden, who survived Great Britain on Day 3, had no answer against Canada on Tuesday, falling into an early 4-1 that they would never recover from. Canadian skip Jennifer Jones and her teammates were zeroed-in from the outset and secured another impressive win, just one day after trouncing China 9-2.

The 9-3 win in eight sets means Canada improves to 2-0 in round-robin play.

If the first two days of competition are any indication, both Canada and Russia will be awfully tough to beat the rest of the way.

Based on how dominant Jones and the rest of the Canadian women have been, the reigning Olympic silver medalists look poised to take home gold in 2014.

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Olympic Freestyle Skiing 2014: Women's Slopestyle Qualifying Results

The early action in Day 4 of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi included the women’s slope style qualifying runs for freestyle skiing.

American Keri Herman, who is on the short list of medal hopefuls, was definitely excited for the event to get underway.

Some bad news that came down the pipe before the event even started was the fact that Maggie Voisin and Tiril S. Christiansen had to pull out of the event.

At 15-years-old, Voison was set to be the youngest U.S. Olympian since 1972.

Unfortunately for the competitors, the injuries are par for the course.

The Cliff notes for the qualifying runs is that every competitor has the chance to ski two times, and the top 12 individual run scores advance to the final. The fact that there are two runs provides a bit of leeway in case of a poor run on the first attempt.

Herman was one such skier who struggled in her first try and stumbled on the landing of a jump, which put the pressure on for her second run in qualifying.

Julie Jacobson/Associated Press
Like the excellent Olympic athlete that she is, Herman came through in the clutch. Her second run was good enough to qualify for the finals, which is all she could ask for in the qualifying process.

Another skier who struggled on her first qualifying attempt was Lisa Zimmermann of Germany, who was the World Cup standings leader heading into the Olympics. She fell on her first run, which put one of the heavy favorites behind the proverbial eight-ball in the early going.

Unlike Herman, Zimmermann did not come through when it was most needed on the second run, failing to clinch a spot in the finals. It was certainly a disappointment for such a talented skier.

Elsewhere, Camilla Berra of Switzerland landed a double front flip in her first run, which gave her the early lead, but Dara Howell of Canada, who used to be a figure skater, became the first to receive a score better than 80 and showed her appreciation to the crowd.

Anna Segal of Australia proved that the Land Down Under can produce winter athletes as well as summer athletes by clinching a spot in the finals. She has a history of success under her belt.

eenager Julia Krass of the United States was fired up to have the chance to compete at the Olympic level and will also compete in the finals.

Perhaps most alarming in the qualifying runs was the nasty spill for Canadian Kaya Turski, which was made even worse because of her recent health issues.

She was certainly one of the favorites heading into the event and needed to come through in the second run to remain in the competition. With the knee clearly posing a problem, she was not able to do so, which eliminated another serious contender and making it anyone's game in the finals.

Here is what the top 12 looked like after the qualifying runs:

Olympic Freestyle Skiing: Women's Slopestyle Qualifying Leaderboard
Place Name                   Country                        Best Score
1 Dara Howell                   Canada                           88.8
2 Kim Lamarre                   Canada                           85.4
3 Katie Summerhayes           Great Britain                   84
4 Yuki Tsubota                   Canada                           81
5 Devin Logan                   United States                   80.4
6 Emma Dahlstrom           Sweden                           79.2
7 Anna Segal                   Australia                           78.8
8 Julia Krass                   United States                   78.4
9 Eveline Bhend                   Switzerland                   77.2
10 Camillia Berra                   Switzerland                   74.8
11 Keri Herman                   United States                   72.4
12 Silvia Bertagna                   Italy                           70.6
NBCOlympics.com



With the qualifying runs in the rear view mirror, it’s time for the freestyle skiing world to turn its attention to the finals. Here is a schedule for the event with broadcast information:

Women’s Ski Slopestyle Final
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 11
Time: 4 a.m. ET, 1 p.m. Sochi time and 9 a.m. GMT
Broadcast Information: Live stream at NBCOlympics.com at 4 a.m. ET, NBC at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. ET (rebroadcast) and BBC at 9 a.m. GMT

Who are the medal favorites? Let’s dig into a discussion on some names to watch in the finals.

Who to Watch For in Finals:
Dara Howell, Canada
Keri Herman, United States


While the qualifying runs were certainly exciting, medals will be handed out in the finals, which is the ultimate goal for every Olympian.

One of the serious contenders for the gold is Howell of Canada, who finished second in the World Ski Championships in slopestyle and third at the 2013 Winter X Games.

What’s more, she finished in second place at the U.S. freestyle championships in Vermont and found the podium in slopestyle at the New Zealand Winter Games.

The Canadian freestyle skiing team has already seen gold and silver in the men’s moguls from Alex Bilodeau and Mikael Kingsbury respectively, so don’t be surprised if Howell adds to the success.

American Herman may represent Uncle Sam’s best shot at the podium in this event, thanks to her impressive resume that includes a silver medal in the 2010 Winter X Games, a silver medal in the 2010 Euro Winter X Games, the second overall spot in the 2010 AFP rankings, a silver medal in the 2011 Winter X Games and a victory in the opening Olympic qualifying period slopestyle World Cup in Argentina in 2013.

Herman also has a number of other top finishes under her belt and became the first woman from the United States to take home the World Cup slopestyle title.

One competitor that the North Americans won't have to worry about now is Zimmermann from Germany, who was on the short list of favorites for the podium.

She is notable because, at such a young age she became the first female to land a double-cork 1260 in any competition, which caught the eye of fellow skier Turski, whose quotes were relayed by Megan Michelson of ESPN.com:

It's very impressive. Lisa is probably the only [woman] that can do the dub 12, which is huge... It definitely makes all of us think a little bit about what we need to be doing. It pushes me to work on what I'm doing.

Unfortunately for freestyle fans, the double-cork 1260 will not make an appearance in the finals.

Whoever brings home the gold, it is certainly set to be an exciting final. Make sure to tune in.

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Women's Speedskating Olympics 2014: Women's 3000m Medal Winners and Times

Ireen Wust won her third Olympic gold medal as she romped home to victory in the women's 3,000-meter speedskating event.

Defending champion Martina Sablikova of the Czech Republic took silver, while Russian Olga Graf won an emphatic bronze.

Graf had briefly threatened to cause an upset and send the home crowd into raptures as she blitzed around the Adler Arena. The 30-year-old clocked a time of four minutes, 3.47 seconds.

Women's 5,000-Meter Speedskating Results
1. Ireen Wurst Netherlands 4:00.34
2. Martina Sablikova Czech Republic 4:01.95
3. Olga Graf Russia 4:03.47
4. Claudia Pechstein Germany 4:05.26
5. Annouk van der Weijden Netherlands 4:06.73
6. Ida Njaatun Norway 4:06.77
7. Antoinette de Jong Netherlands 4:09.36
8. Yuliya Skokova Russia 4:09.39
9. Shiho Ishizawa Japan 4:10.02
10 Jilleanne Rookard USA 4:10.17
Sochi2014.com

Despite the eight skaters to come, the home athlete's time was just enough to cling on for a bronze medal and secure the host's first medal of the Games.

Sablikova topped Graf's time as she came home in 4:01.95, but she did not hold on to pole position for long as Wust stepped onto the ice next.

The Dutch skater, who won over the same distance in 2006, blew away her Czech rival by over 1.5 seconds in 4:00.34. Among the spectators at the Adler Arena, Wust was cheered home by King Willem-Alexander of Holland.

So impressive was Wust's display that Sablikova clapped her rival off the ice, as reported by the Associated Press' Paul Newberry, via ABC News. Sonali Karnick of CBC Radio One in Quebec tweeted her appreciation of Wust's victory.

The victory reaffirms the Netherlands' superiority on the ice, as they completed a 1-2-3 in the men's 5,000 meters Saturday. The win also sent the Netherlands up to second in the medal table, with four, two of which being gold. All of those medals have come at the Adler Arena.

Elsewhere, 41-year-old Claudia Pechstein missed out on winning a remarkable 10th Olympic medal. The German struggled to stay in contention over the final laps and eventually had to settle for fourth with a time of 4:05.26.

But for Wust, it was a third taste of Olympic glory, with another shot to come in the 5,000-meter event on Feb. 19. Fans should expect her to be ready, just as she announced on Twitter and Instagram Saturday heading into Sunday's event.

She will also go for the 1,500-meter event, where she is hot favorite to take home gold. And it is difficult to see past Wust leading home the Dutch pursuit team to gold.

If Wust can add one more gold to her resume, she would join Fanny Blankers-Koen one of the most successful Dutch Olympic athletes of all time on four gold medals.

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2014 Olympic Skiing: Preview and Predictions for Women's Ski Slopestyle

Get ready to witness history!
Freestyle skiing has gained quite a bit of traction in the last few Winter Games, and Sochi will be the first-ever Winter Olympics to award medals for the woman's slopestyle competition.

What is slopestyle?
It's a freestyle event, in both skiing and snowboarding, where the objective is to perform the most difficult aerial tricks while getting the most height off the course. The event rewards variety, rather than doing a single trick repeatedly, and has been a staple of—and one of the most popular events in—the X Games for years.

At Sochi 2014, the first women’s gold, silver and bronze medalists in these events will be crowned. This is your complete preview and predictions guide for the historic women's ski slopestyle competition.


You're going to need to be a night owl on the East Coast in order to catch the live action of the women's slopestyle qualification and medal rounds. The good news is that they are only separated by 95 minutes, and you'll get a chance to witness history if you do decide to stay up.


February 11
1 a.m. ET, Qualifying
4 a.m. ET, Medal Round
Live streams will be available at NBCOlympics.com.
Tape-delayed TV schedules can be found at NBCOlympics.com/TV-Listings.

Its been a long road.
The 2014 Sochi Games will be the first Winter Olympics to feature a women's slopestyle freestyle skiing event. That's right, a competition long-relegated to the X Games has finally become mainstream and burst onto the biggest of international stages.

This event is among the most thrilling you'll get to see in Sochi, combining speed, skill, athleticism and steely nerve in order to perform tricks that will oftentimes require you to pick your jaw up off the floor.

The short answer, then, is the way we got here wasn't easy, but for the athletes who will be attempting to become the first woman to wear that Olympic gold, the road was certainly worth it.


Will It Be a Hit?
Slopestyle has been around for a while now—it can be found in both freestyle skiing and snowboarding—but until it's inclusion in the Sochi Games, it was largely consigned to X Games competitions. For fans of the sport, the excitement, daredevil-like stunts and pure athleticism that will be showcased, making it a huge addition to the 2014 Games.

But the big question remains, will it be a hit with the masses, or will slopestyle remain a niche sport?

It's hard to see how people could help being awed by some of the stunts and tricks they'll see over the next few weeks, but in a spectacle built on tradition and pageantry, slopestyle might have a hard time breaking through.


Can Anyone Stop Kaya Turski?
If you've never seen Canadian Kaya Turski perform, drop what you're doing, find your nearest computer and get yourself onto YouTube. This girl can do some things on skis that will make your jaw drop, fall to the floor and scurry away with you chasing after it.

She's already a legend in the world of slopestyle and rarely loses a competition. But she'll be looking to break out in Sochi, capture that first-ever gold medal and become a star to more than just the audience she's been playing to for years.


Do the Americans Have Any Hope?
The United States team, and the event in general, received a huge blow this past week when it was announced that Maggie Voisin, the youngest U.S. Olympian in Sochi, would miss the Games due to an ankle injury, per The Associated Press (h/t The Huffington Post).

The 15-year-old from Whitefish, Mont. was injured during training runs on Friday, and her doctors determined that she would not sufficiently heal in time for Tuesday's event.

Without her, the American team is down to Keri Herman—a decorated slopestyle skier who has two silver, but no gold medals in X Games competition—Devin Logan, who captured silver at the 2012 X Games in Aspen and Julia Krass.

A medal is a possibility to the American ladies, but it won't be easy.


The only real answer to this question is, can anyone beat Kaya Turski? She's the overwhelming favorite to walk away from this event with the gold medal, and it'll take a special performance from one of the other women to deny her that historic medal.

Keri Herman
Herman is likely the American women's best shot to reach the podium in this event. She won the 2013 Copper Mountain Grand Prix and has four silver medals in X Games competitions to her name. Two of those came in the United States and two came in Europe, so she's definitely got some experience on an international stage.

Tiril Sjaastad Christiansen
Christiansen is one of the few women who have defeated Turski in a major competition. She unseated her in the slopestyle event at the 2013 X Games held in Aspen, Colo. That alone gives her a major edge over any of her competitors.

Dara Howell
Howell, like Turski, is a Canadian with an excellent shot at medaling in this event. She's captured three bronze medals in the X Games, and she came in just behind both Turski and Christiansen in Aspen last year.


Kaya Turski is the overwhelming favorite in this event, and with good reason.
The one hitch in her plans could turn out to be her left knee. The ACL in her knee was surgically repaired in late September 2013—the second reconstruction on her left knee and third overall—and it was only thanks to a revolutionary procedure that she was able to get back on skis as fast as she did.

She made her return in January at the U.S. Grand Prix of Freeskiing and placed third—narrowly behind Devin Logan and Dara Howell—showing that she still has what it takes to compete at a high-enough level to win gold in Sochi.

That was her first race back post-surgery, and if it's any indication, she remains the favorite to take home gold in Sochi. After all, she's only going to keep getting stronger and closer to the form that led her to dominate the sport these last several years.


This is Kaya Turski's moment. She's worked for it and she's earned it. After dominating the X Games for years, this will be her shining Olympic moment.

Expect her to be pushed, hard, by a talented field, and especially her by rival Tiril Sjaastad Christiansen and compatriot Dara Howell. They'll do enough to join her on the podium, but they'll have to settle for silver and bronze.

Gold: Kaya Turski (CAN)
Silver: Tiril Sjaastad Christiansen (NOR)
Bronze: Dara Howell (CAN)

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Olympic Speed skating 2014: Live Women's 3000m Medal Results and Analysis

It's not very often that you win an Olympic gold medal and find that your accomplishment has been completely overshadowed, but that's exactly what happened to the Netherlands' Irene Wust on Sunday afternoon in Sochi.

Wust, 27, captured gold in the women's 3,000-meter race her third overall speed skating gold and second at that distance but it was underdog Russian skater Olga Graf who stole the show.

Graf, who wasn't expected to reach the podium, set the arena on fire with a tremendous performance, initially snagging the lead and ultimately holding on for a bronze medal, the Russian team's first medal of the Sochi Games.

The Czech Republic's Martina Sablikova the 2010 gold medalist in the women's 3,000 meters had to settle for second place and a silver this time around.

Claudia Pechstein, who was attempting to capture her 10th overall Olympic medal, finished a surprising fourth and failed in her quest to become the oldest winter athlete to win individual gold and the first to medal in six different Games.

For the American team, it was another disappointing day at the rink.
Jilleanne Rookard, who entered today as a long shot, and finished tops among American women in 10th place.

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US Olympic Hockey Team 2014: Full Schedule and Predictions for Women's Squad

Todd Korol/Getty Images 84 Reads 0 Comments It is no secret that the United States and Canada are the teams to beat heading into the women's hockey tournament at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. They have combined to win four gold medals, three silvers and one bronze since the debut of women's hockey in the 1998 Nagano Games, and they have continued to thrive ever since.
Although it isn't totally inconceivable that a team like Finland could potentially play spoiler, it will be a major shock if Team USA and Canada don't make it to the gold-medal game. Due to the new format implemented to make the tournament more competitive, the United States and Canada will also meet in group play, so the bitter rivals will have seen enough of each other by the time the event comes to an end.
Canada is a slight favorite to win the tournament at 5-6, while Team USA is just behind at 1-1, according to Bovada. Canada has won gold in three straight Olympics, but the Americans enter Sochi having beaten Canada four consecutive times.
Here is Team USA's full schedule, along with predictions for how they will fare in Sochi as they vie for their second Olympic gold.
United States Women's Hockey Olympic Schedule Opponent Date Time (ET) Watch Finland Saturday, Feb. 8 3 a.m. NBCSN Switzerland Monday, Feb. 10 5 a.m. NBCSN Canada Wednesday, Feb. 12 7:30 a.m. NBCSN Quarterfinals (if necessary) Saturday, Feb. 15 TBD TBD Semifinals (if necessary) Monday, Feb. 17 TBD TBD Bronze-Medal Game (if necessary) Thursday, Feb. 20 7 a.m. NBCSN Gold-Medal Game (if necessary) Thursday, Feb. 20 12 p.m.

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Women's Snowboarding Slopestyle Olympics 2014: Medal Winners and Final Results

USA's Jamie Anderson took gold in the Women's Snowboarding Slopestyle in the first ever event in this format.

Enni Rukajarvi was placed in silver position after two runs on the slopes, with Great Britain's Jenny Jones grabbing all of the headlines.

Jones, who has taken her first ever Olympic medal, also earned her country's first 2014 Winter Olympic medal with bronze, in event that had twists, turns and plenty of tumbles at every slope.

Ollie Williams of Frontier Sports, reporting on the Games for the BBC, capped his feelings as Jones picked up bronze, tweeting:


2014 Winter Olympics Women's Snowboarding Slopestyle
Rank Competitor (Country) Run 1 Score Run 2 Score Best Score
1 Jamie ANDERSON (USA) 80.75 95.25 95.25
2 Enni RUKAJARVI (Finland) 73.75 92.50 92.50
3 Jenny JONES (Great Britain) 73.00 87.25 87.25
4 Sina CANDRIAN (Switzerland) 7.25 87.00 87.00
5 Sarka PANCOCHOVA (Czech Republic) 86.25 20.00 86.25
6 Karly SHORR (USA) 39.00 75.00 75.00
7 Torah BRIGHT (Australia) 64.75 66.25 66.25
8 Isabel DERUNGS (Switzerland) 58.50 15.25 58.50
9 Elena KOENZ (Switzerland) 24.50 54.50 54.50
10 Anna GASSER (Austria) 49.00 51.75 51.75
11 Silje NORENDAL (Norway) 49.50 32.00 49.50
12 Spencer O'BRIEN (Canada) 30.00 35.00 35.00


The first run proved fruitful for Czech Republic's Sarka Pancochova, who sat top of the rankings after her first run score of 86.25, with USA's Jamie Anderson continuing her fine form in this year's Winter Games with a fine score of 80.75 - leapfrogging Switzerland's Sina Candrian and Finland's Enni Rukajarvi in third and fourth respectively.

Great Britain's Jenny Jones then scored 73.00 on her first run; a good score from the 33-year-old, who is still searching for her first Olympic medal.

Francis Keogh of BBC tweeted of Jones' chances to make history for her country on snow in the Winter Olympics:


Elena Koenz of Switzerland was left to languish at the bottom of the table with 24.50, after a tumble saw her lose her chance at sitting at the upper echelons of the grid after the first run, along with Canadian Spencer O'Brien and USA's Karly Shorr, who made up the bottom three.

Crowds surrounded the slopes as the final run was set to get underway; plenty of new fans to the new format at the Winter Olympics.

Norway's Silje Norendal began the final run with a score of 32, which held her position in the middle of the final ladder and out of challenging position for any medals, followed by Jenny Jones, whose run showed pace and passion as she looked to breach the top-five.

Her mammoth score of 87.25 sparked jubilant celebrations from Jones and her onlooking British fans, with tally that looked set to place her with at least a bronze medal at the end of the event, but also within an excellent chance of taking top spot.

However, it looks a short-lived victory for Candrian, looked to have grabbed her board on two occasions to seal a big score, but was awarded just 87, keeping Jones at the summit of the leaderboard with the chasing pack all yet to run.

Drama then unfolded as Pancochova barrel-rolled down the slopes, with fear amongst commentators that the catapult of snow had left her with a concussion, but thankfully, she rose to her feet to walk from the track.

CBC Olympics correspondent Kate Pettersen captured the moment of Pancochova's fall, noting the importance of wearing headgear in this event, tweeting:

This fall ended any chance of re-claiming top-spot for Sarka, who was awarded just 20 by the judges, however her first run could still see her placed with a bronze medal at Sochi, but ultimately, her health still intact, as highlighted through Buzzfeed UK's Alan White's Vine and Agence France-Presse's tweet:


Top-spot then had a new occupant, following Rukajarvi's second run, as she scored 92.50 to push Jones and Candrian back into second and third respectively, and ended Pancochova's slim hopes of leaving this event with a medal.

USA's Karly Shorr returned to the slopes with two grabs and perfectly-executed landings showing her air of confidence in the new format; however could do only score 75 to leave her 10 points short of a medal birth.

O'Brien's second run proved as fruitful as her first, scoring 35 to keep her at the foot of the table, with last-placed Koenz returning to the slopes to find 54.5.

Norway's Norendal then failed to improve on her opening score of 49.5, leaving her also to be content with a mid-table finish as four competitors remained, but still all to play for at the top of the ladder.

Then came a second run for Australia's Torah Bright, who improved on her opening score with 66.25, but ended her chances of a medal in this event.

Jamie Anderson landed a beautiful, technical run with aplomb as she looked to break into the top three, in a run that oozed experience and confidence from the offset. And with a tally of 95.25, Anderson had done enough to take the lead at the late, late stage in proceedings.

Jones still sat in third place, as Great Britain looked for their first ever Winter Olympic medal, and as Switzerland's Isabel Derungs hit 58.50, leaving her in the lower-half of the final standings.

Williams  provided a statement from Jones' teammate, Aimee Fuller, discussing the historical importance:

With one ride to go from Austria's Anna Gasser, it looked likely that Anderson would take gold, and Jones would make her own history in Sochi. These feats were then realised as Gasser slipped onto her backside during the run, sealing a momentous performance for British snowboarding.

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Alpine Skiing Downhill Olympics 2014: Complete Men's and Women's Schedule

Some of the most indelible images from the Winter Olympics often come from the Alpine skiing events. The altitude, speed and grace at which these athletes perform is amazing.
In Sochi, fans should expect more memorable moments and performances from the world's best.
Here's a look at the full men's and women's schedule. All television coverage will come via NBC and the NBC Sports network.

Schedule
(Per NBCOlympics.com)
Feb. 9: Men’s downhill, 3 a.m. EST
Feb. 10: Women’s super combined, 3 a.m. EST
Feb. 12: Women’s downhill, 3 a.m. EST
Feb. 14: Men’s super combined, 3 a.m. EST
Feb. 15: Women’s super-G, 3 a.m. EST
Feb. 16: Men’s super-G, 3 a.m. EST
Feb. 18: Women’s giant slalom, 3 a.m. EST
Feb. 19: Men’s giant slalom, 3 a.m. EST
Feb. 21: Women’s slalom, 7:45 a.m. EST
Feb. 22: Men’s slalom, 7:45 a.m. EST

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Women's Olympic Downhill Ski Training Run Delayed After Jump Ruled Too Dangerous

The demands of Sochi's slopes have incurred further criticism after the women's downhill ski training was put on hold due to one of the jumps being deemed too big.

According to the Associated Press (h/t CBC's official Sochi 2014 website), three racers lodged complaints after going through their paces on the Thursday run, commenting that they were getting too much air.

CBC confirmed through their official Sochi Twitter account that it's a jump near the race's finish that's drawn the ire of some:

Jump at bottom of women's downhill at Sochi deemed too dangerous, training halted after just 3 racers so it can fixed.
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