Pic of the Day
Talking points
Plushenko says goodbye: He was supposed to have one last hurrah in front of an adoring home crowd but injury forced Evgeni Plushenko to say his goodbyes today instead. The legendary Russian figure skater –and double Olympic gold medallist — aggravated a back injury during warmups and withdrew from the men’s competition, announcing his retirement shortly afterwards.
Drama on ice: Britain’s Elise Christie missed out on an Olympic medal in a chaotic finish to the women’s 500m short track skating. Christie finished in the silver medal position behind winner Li Jianrou of China but was penalised for her part in an earlier, with Italy’s Arianna Fontana and Park Seung-Hi of South Korea promoted to silver and bronze.
Ouch: A bobsleigh smashed into a course worker leaving the man reportedly with both legs broken, an AFP reporter who witnessed the incident said. The incident occurred at the start of training for the two-man bobsleigh competition.
Going for broke: Poland’s Justina Kowalczyk won gold in the women’s Nordic skiing 10km with a broken foot. A. BROKEN. FOOT.
Oh, Canada: Shea Weber, Jamie Benn and Drew Doughty scored as champions Canada got their gold medal defence up and running with a 3-1 win over Norway in the men’s ice hockey.
USA A-OK: Joss Christensen led an American 1-2-3 in the men’s freestyle skiing slopestyle, winning gold ahead of team-mates Gus Kenworthy and Nicholas Goepper.
Elsewhere there was gold for Germany (luge team relay), Martin Fourcade (men’s biathlon 20km individual), and China’s Zhang Hong (women’s 1000m speed skating).
You gotta see this
Cold? This shirtless spectator took full advantage of Sochi’s heat wave while watching the women’s 10km skiing.
Hero of the day
American figure skater Jeremy Abbott. Put it this way: if we snotted ourselves at the Olympics, we certainly wouldn’t have the composure to get back up and finish our routine in style.
They said what?
I am sorry for my fans and for everybody, but I tried till the end. I almost cried. It’s hard, believe me.
– Evgeni Plushenko, 31, announces his retirement.
Yes, I’m a mommy’s boy and of course I miss her.
– Jamaican bobsleigh pilot Winston Watts.
Medal table
Irish Eye
Sean Greenwood — born in Canada to a Galway mother — makes his Olympic debut when the first heat of the men’s skeleton gets underway at 12.30pm.
Jan Rossiter is also in action in the men’s cross-country skiing 15km classic.
Tomorrow’s highlights
Our neighbours across the water will be keeping a close eye on the women’s skeleton (12.25pm) when Lizzy Yarnold bids to win Team GB’s first gold of the game.
Us? We can’t get enough of the curling.
- Additional reporting from © AFP, 2014