Day 6Canada wins 2 speed skating silvers
Canadian speed skaters struck for two silver medals in the team pursuit Thursday at the Torino Olympic Winter Games.
Canada's men's pursuit squad, featuring Calgary's Arne Dankers of Calgary, Steven Elm of Red Deer, Alta., and Regina's Justin Warsylewicz, lost the gold-medal final of the new Olympic event to host Italy.
"Just to be here was something special for our team," Dankers said.
Canada set the world record of 3:39.69 last November yet the Italians won handily, taking the eight-lap race in three minutes and 44.46 seconds. Canada's skaters clocked 3:47.28 but, according to Dankers, "we exceeded all our expectations."
The trio of Kristina Groves of Ottawa, Winnipeg's Clara Hughes and Christine Nesbitt of London, Ont., also settled for silver in the women's final against favoured Germany.
The world champion Germans completed six laps in 3:01.25 to finish more than a full second faster than Canada (3:02.91).
"We did the best that we could," Hughes said. "That's the best race we've ever done together.
"Our goal was to get to the gold-medal final. And then, fight it out."
Groves and Hughes combined with Winnipeg's Cindy Klassen to outfox Japan by 3.82 seconds in the semifinals, but Klassen wound up replaced by Nesbitt in the final.
"Anybody could have skated the final," Klassen noted. "I have a lot of racing at these Games, so that's why I didn't race the last one."
Buttle wins figure skating bronze
Canadian Jeff Buttle won the bronze medal in men's figure skating with a solid free skate Thursday.
Russian Evgeny Plushenko won the gold medal while Stephane Lambiel of Switzerland won the silver. Buttle had his best free skate of the season. He nailed his first two jumps and executed a good three-jump combination, including a triple Lutz. He also nailed his final jump, a triple Lutz. But the skater downgraded a triple loop to a double, leaving some points on the table. Most significantly, he fell on his quadruple jump, one he has struggled with all season. Buttle skated third from last and waited with baited breath as the final two skaters performed.
"Oh, my God, it's nuts," Buttle said as soon as he realized he'd made the podium. "It hasn't sunk in. It's nuts. This is huge for me."
Plushenko was heavily favoured to win gold. He has dominated men's figure skating in recent years. Plushenko, the three-time world champion, took few chances but managed a personal best and won the fifth straight gold medal for Russian/Soviet men.
Canadian slider wins bronze
Canadian slider Mellisa Hollingsworth-Richards won the bronze medal in the women's skeleton Thursday.
Swiss slider Maya Pedersen won the gold medal and Briton Shelley Rudman claimed the silver. Hollingsworth-Richards finished with a combined time of two minutes and 1.41 seconds, 1.58 seconds slower than the winner.
She was in third place with two sliders remaining. She worried that German Diana Sartor, who finished ahead of her in the first run, would knock her off the medal podium. But Sartor had a weak run and allowed the Canadian to claim bronze.
"In two minutes it went from heartbreak to 'Oh my goodness, I'm going to have to wait for four more years' to 'Thank God,'" said Hollingsworth-Richards.
"That's the thing about sport. You're never, ever wanting anybody to make mistakes to give you an advantage. Maybe that's where luck comes in."
Pederson was a medal favourite heading into the Games. She finished fifth at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. She skipped the 2003-04 World Cup season because she was pregnant. But after giving birth to her daughter, she came back stronger than ever. Her gold medal was the first of this Games for Switzerland.
Canadian men too strong for Germany
Any thought of a German upset was quickly put to rest by Canada in men's hockey Thursday at Palasport Olimpico. Looking more relaxed than their game against the Italians on Wednesday, the Canadians beat Germany 5-1 to remain undefeated in the preliminary round.
It was expected that the pesky Germans, renowned for their tight-checking style, would keep the game close considering they nearly upset Canada four years ago at the Salt Lake City Olympics in Provo, Utah. However, Canada was able to solve Germany's 1-4 defence that gave the Czech Republic team so many problems Wednesday. With this strategy, the Germans employ one forechecker and four defenders across their own blue-line, making penetration by the opposing team difficult. Simon Gagne led Canada with one goal and an assist.
The game turned in Canada's favour early and in an unusual way. Canadian goaltender Roberto Luongo came out of his net to clear the puck, but forward Lasse Kopitz intercepted his attempt. With an apparent open net, a sliding Adam Foote, who covered for Luongo on the play, robbed the German. On the ensuing rush, defencemen Wade Redden converted a 2-on-1 with Gagne as he beat Germany's goalie Thomas Greiss at 4:52 of the first period to give Canada a 1-0 lead.
Predictably, the German's style of play caused them to take a number of penalties but Canada was only able to score one power-play goal on eight chances. That goal came when Joe Sakic banged home a rebound at 7:29 of the first after Griess stopped Rick Nash's initial shot. Sakic's goal gave Canada a 2-0 edge. Unlike their game against Italy, the Canadian's power play struggled as shots from the point missed the German net several times. Dany Heatley and Shane Doan scored Canada's other goals while Christian Ehrhoff had Germany's lone tally.
Canada's next game is Saturday against Switzerland.
Kleibrink splits two
Canadian curler Shannon Kleibrink beat Norway in the evening draw to earn a split in two matches at the Torino Olympics on Thursday.
Kleibrink stole three in the eighth end and added a pair in the ninth to tip the balance in what had been a seesaw affair. Norway got a pair back in the last end to make the final 10-8. Both Kleibrink and Dordi Nordby of Norway are 3-2 in the standings.
In action for the first time in two days, Kleibrink dropped a 6-5 decision to Switzerland's Mirjam Ott in the morning draw.
A silver medallist at the 2002 Olympics (as third for Luzia Ebnother), Ott crushed Denmark 10-2 in evening play. Like Ott, Anette Norberg of Sweden won twice on Thursday. After doubling Italy 8-4 in the morning, Norberg again bested Cassie Johnson of the U.S., 5-4 in evening play. Norberg had beaten Johnson last March in the final of the world championship in Paisley, Scotland. Johnson left her last rock short in the 11th end to give Norberg the win on Thursday. The U.S. are 1-4 and will need to win their last four matches in the Olympic round-robin to have a chance at the medal round. Switzerland and Sweden each have a 4-1 record to top the standings. Great Britain (3-1) are next after beating Russia 10-4 in the morning, followed by Canada and Norway.
In the morning match, Ott broke a 5-5 tie in the 10th end by scoring one to hand Kleibrink her second loss of the tournament. Kleibrink, who curls out of Calgary, was the first on the board when she scored one in the second end. Ott scored three in the fourth, but Kleibrink made a pretty shot to edge the Swiss skip's stone out of the way to score a deuce in the fifth to tie the game. Kleibrink stole one in the seventh, but Ott scored two in the eighth. The Canadian again tied the score in the ninth with a single, but Ott had an open look at the button with her final rock in the tenth to win the draw.
Gushue drops Trulsen for the men
Canada's Brad Gushue upped his Olympic curling record to 4-1 Thursday with a 6-5 win over defending men's gold medallist Paal Trulsen of Norway.
Trulsen fell to 2-3 on the tournament after his final rock of the 10th end rubbed on another stone, leaving Gushue's shot stone as the decisive point.
Gushue opened the scoring with two points in the first end and one in the second before Trulsen got one back in the third. The Norwegian then stole one in each of the next two ends to even the game, 3-3. Gushue reclaimed the lead in the seventh, drawing to the four-foot for one, before Trulsen gave up a steal in the eighth to hand Gushue a lead of two. Trulsen again squared the game in the ninth before Gushue picked up the winning point in the tenth via Trulsen's missed shot.
In other men's action on Thursday afternoon, David Murdoch of Great Britain kept pace with Gushue atop the standings with a 7-6 win over Germany's Andy Kapp, who fell to 1-3. Switzerland's Ralph Stoeckli evened his record at 2-2 with a 9-7 win over Sean Becker of New Zealand, who fell to 0-5. Pete Fenson of the United States stunned Sweden's Peja Lindholm by stealing two in both the ninth and tenth ends for a 10-6 win. Both skips are now 2-2.
Gushue returns to the ice on Friday evening for a game against Finland's Markku Uusipaavalniemi, who was idle on Thursday afternoon and stands at 2-2.
Canadian DQ'd in snowboard semi
Canadian Jasey Jay Anderson was disqualified from his semifinal heat Thursday as snowboard cross made its Olympic debut in Turin, Italy. Anderson, from Mont-Tremblant, Que., got tangled up with Spain's Jordi Font near the middle of the course, with both riders going down. While Radoslav Zidek of Slovakia cruised to the finish line in first, Anderson managed to get up and cross the line in second. But after judges reviewed the replay, Anderson was disqualified.
In snowboard cross, riders aren't allowed to make aggressive body contact but they are permitted to protect their personal space, which leads to jostling in many races.
Riders race side by side in groups of four in a number of elimination heats, with the top two advancing to the next round. Eventually four riders remain for the four-athlete final. Anderson regrouped from his disqualification in the semifinals to win the "small final" and earn the fifth position.
Anderson's mishap in the semis was part of a disappointing day for Canadians in the snowboard cross. Drew Nielson of North Vancouver, B.C., a medal favourite who had the fastest time in qualifying, finished third in his heat in the round of 32, failing to advance to the quarter-finals. Tom Velicek of Vernon, B.C., also did not make the quarters. Neilson got tripped up by Rafal Skarbek-Malczewski of Poland, who slipped and fell into the netting. Neilson made it down the course but was left shaking his head at the unpredictable nature of his sport.
Snowboard cross, formerly known as boardercross, is a big twist on its cousin, the parallel giant slalom. Fast reflexes, tight carves and a kamikaze psyche are keys to advancement. The Olympic course, designed by Canadian Jeff Ihaksi, is land-mined with elements called whoops, waves, banks, kickers and spines. These features test the riders' momentum and balance.
Swiss stun Czechs in men's hockey
The biggest shocker of the day came when Switzerland beat the Czech Republic 3-2 Thursday morning to pull off the first big upset of the men's Olympic hockey tournament.
Led by the brilliant goaltending of David Aebischer, Switzerland won its biggest game in the nation's hockey history. Mark Streit scored the winning goal on the power play at 6:42 of the third period. The goal came after Czech forward Vaclav Prospal took an ill-timed high-sticking penalty.
The key for the Swiss team was holding off an offensive onslaught by the Czechs in the second period. Aebischer made 20 saves including six against Jaromir Jagr. Playing with only two NHL players, the Swiss were penalized six of the eight infractions in the second and had to withstand a 5-on-3 penalty for nearly two minutes. Switzerland killed off the final seven minutes to take a 2-1 lead into the third period.
Aebischer, who was the clearly the best player on either side, was mobbed by his teammates after the game. The Czechs were playing without goaltender Dominik Hasek, who injured his left hamstring against Germany Wednesday. The 41-year-old Hasek will know Thursday whether his hamstring is torn as he is scheduled to have an MRI exam in the Olympic Village. (update:The trainer for the Czech Republic men's hockey team thinks Dominik Hasek is more likely to bow out of the Olympics than risk further injury).In his place, Tomas Vakoun made 16 saves but didn't look as strong as he did against Germany in the Czech's 4-1 win.
With Switzerland leading 2-1, Marek Zidlicky tied the game for the Czech Republic one minute into the third period. It was Zidlicky's first goal of the tournament. Jagr scored the Czech's first goal, but was robbed by Aebischer on several chances. During one stretch in the second, Aebischer dove across his crease to make a great pad save on the NHL's leading scorer. Thomas Ziegler gave Switzerland a 1-0 lead in the first period and Thierry Paterlini answered Jagr's goal in the second with a short-handed goal at 9:44.
Before the hockey tournament began, Switzerland players felt their team could upset one of the Olympic elite, but even the most ardent of them couldn't envision beating the defending world champions.
Swiss player Mark Streit provided the understatement of the day,
"I think it's by far the biggest win in Swiss hockey – since I've been playing. Even in history, it's kind of a miracle."
Switzerland plays Canada on Saturday.
U.S avoids disaster by tying Latvia
Jordan Leopold saved the United States from a potentially embarrassing loss in men's hockey action at the Torino Olympics on Wednesday. The Calgary Flames defenceman beat former NHL goaltender Arturs Irbe early in the third period with a hard shot just inside the Latvian blue-line as the teams skated to a 3-3 tie at the Palasport Olimpico. Latvia, which failed to qualify for the Salt Lake Games four years ago, had a chance to bury the 2002 silver medallists but couldn't find the net on the power play.
"We were not expected to win or even get the tie," said Irbe, who made 18 of his 39 saves in the third period. "We were big-time underdogs in this game in everybody's eyes except our own people.
The shut your big mouth award
Goes to...no big suprise Don Cherry!
Cherry had a message for coach Melody Davidson and the Canadian Olympic women's hockey team:
Stop running up the score in Turin, Italy, or else.
"If you keep it up, you're committing suicide and they'll throw [women's hockey out of the Winter Games after Vancouver in 2010]," the Hockey Night in Canada personality said on Wednesday night, referring to the International Olympic Committee.
Canada has outscored the opposition 36-1 during its three preliminary-round games, including a 16-0 thrashing of Italy to open the tournament on Saturday. The man who's mouth is at times as loud as his jackets, echoed with his comment the ones by American defensemen Angela Ruggiero.
"I'm upset that Canada has been running up the score, especially against the host nation," Ruggiero told Sports Illustrated's website on Monday.
"There was no need for that. They're trying to pad their stats ... Canada is running up the score for whatever reasons – personal, short-term."
To Cherry and the critics who have said the Canadian women lack class, these girls went to Turin to play their best, and that's what there doing. It's not their fault the rest of the world hasn't woken up to the huge success of womens hockey.
T don't agree with Cherry who believes the sport could receive the same treatment in the Olympics as baseball and softball. Last week, the IOC – which is comprised of 125 members, of which 60 are European – voted against reinstating both sports for the 2012 London Games at their annual meeting in Turin.
"They don't play [baseball and softball] in Europe, [so the IOC] had it thrown out," Cherry said. "If you beat all those European [hockey] teams [by lopsided scores] and make a mockery of the hosts [they'll throw it out]."
They play hockey in Europe, just not at a competitive level, yet. Women's hockey is about the same level as the men's game was in the fifties, with only a couple of countries dominating. Noboby said get rid of the game then. Some developement money and better coaches, and the game will improve.
And finally the dumbest attempt at a defense...
Goes to Nikolai Durmanov, head of the Russian Anti-Doping Committee When asked about Russian biathlete Olga Pyleva positive test for a banned substance, Durmanov blamed Pyleva's positive test on a doctor who treated her for an ankle injury in January. According to Durmanov, the doctor gave Pyleva an over-the-counter medication that did not list carphedon as one of its ingredients.
"This was 100 per cent the physician's mistake," Durmanov said.
The silver medallist in Monday's 15-kilometre race, had been stripped of her medal and thrown out of the Torino Olympics after two doping tests came back positive. CBC News has learned Pyleva tested positive for the stimulant carphedon. Pyleva, 30, is the first athlete to fail a drug test at these Winter Games.
Carphedon was developed in Russia and used to treat a brain disorder that causes dementia and seizures. The drug can also be used to increase physical stamina and provide improved tolerance to cold. As a result, it appears on many of the lists of banned substances made by the IOC.
Later,
Kenaz
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