SOCHI, Russia — Let’s get down to business on the five highlights of Saturday’s Sochi Olympics — with coast-to-coast agreement on the best story of the day: Hockey.
1. Rivalry alive and well
It was a thriller that came down to a shootout, and we have a new hero of the day.
The United States and Russia faced off Saturday, and though it was just a preliminary-round game, both teams played as if gold were on the line.
The Americans won a thrilling overtime 3-2 victory that inevitably evoked memories of another dramatic win when the United States upset the former Soviet Union in a semifinal game at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics.
Saturday’s game ended in a tie at 2. In overtime, American T.J. Oshie scored four times on six attempts in one-on-one confrontations with Russian goalie Sergei Bobrovsky.
The exceptional performance by Oshie sealed the U.S. win, though much more hockey remains to be played before medalists are determined. Russia is still in contention for the podium.
Oshie, 27, a native of Everett, Washington, plays forward for the National Hockey League’s St. Louis Blues. Bobrovsky, 25, a native of Novokuznetsk, also plays in the NHL, for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“My hands are a little tingling, my feet are tingling,” Oshie said after the game. “It was pretty nerve-racking out there. We knew it would take 65 minutes and then some.”
Said Bobrovsky: “Obviously I’m very disappointed. It was a shootout; we wanted more. It is heartbreaking.”
Don’t be surprised if you hear of a controversy in this game: The Russians scored what appeared to be a game-winning goal in the third period, but it was disallowed because the net had moved from where it was supposed to be.
2. Men’s skeleton
As of late Saturday, the only American to win a medal was Matthew Antoine, who took bronze in the men’s skeleton, which is headfirst individual sledding at speeds up to 90 mph, with your face just inches above the ice.
Antoine, 28, a native of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, was 2.97 seconds behind gold medalist Alexander Tretiakov of Russia. Winning silver was Latvia’s Martins Dukurs, who was 0.81 seconds behind first place. Dukurs’ brother, Tomass, finished fourth.
Antoine’s achievement came despite how he was told years ago that he couldn’t make the U.S. team because he lacked talent.
3. Speed skating
American favorite Shani Davis was unable to make his way to the podium in men’s long-track, or 1,500-meter, speed skating. He won silver medals in both the 2010 Vancouver and 2006 Turin games.
Instead, the day went to Polish skater Zbigniew Brodka who won the gold, but it was by among the slimmest of margins: 0.003 seconds, to be precise. The skater missing gold — and winning silver — was The Netherlands’ Koen Verweij.
Canada’s Denny Morrison took bronze.
Davis finished 11th.
4. Super giant slalom
In women’s Super-G skiing, America’s favorite for a medal, Julia Mancuso, was shut out, too. She had won gold in the Super-G in the 2006 Turin Games (as well as two silvers in the 2010 Vancouver Games in the super combined and downhill contests).
It was the Austrians, however, who took two of three medals, with a German skier taking the other.
The Sochi course was rigorous, causing 18 of 49 skiers to crash or miss a turn, especially early in the competition.
Winning gold was Austrian Anna Fenninger, making it her first Olympic medal. Germany’s Maria Hoefl-Riesch took silver, and Austria’s Nicole Hosp won bronze.
Mancuso finished eighth.
5. Short-track speed skating
Who doesn’t like short-track speed skating that American Apolo Ohno made fun and breathtaking to watch?
Ohno is retired, and his mantle is being passed to J.R. Celski, a native of Monterey, California.
But in Saturday’s 1,000-meter men’s short-track, the Russians nearly swept: Victor An took gold and Vladimir Grigorev took silver. Winning bronze was Dutchman Sjinkie Knegt.
An’s gold medal was Russia’s first ever in short-track. The medal was An’s second of the games: He earlier won bronze in the 1,500-meter short-track.
An, 28, a native of Seoul, South Korea, earlier went by the name Ahn Hyun-Soo and represented South Korea in the 2006 Turin Games when he won individual gold in the 1,000-meters and 1,500-meter short-track events.
It hasn’t been easy for An: He missed the 2010 Vancouver Games because he crashed into a wall during training in 2008 and suffered a near career-ending knee injury that required four surgeries over 15 months. He changed his allegiance to Russia after he couldn’t qualify for the Vancouver Games and now has Russian citizenship.
Celski had a final ranking of 13th, behind two other Americans, Chris Creveling at 10th and Eduardo Alvarez at 11th.
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