Pic of the Day
Talking points
First gold for Britain: Lizzy Yarnold of Great Britain earned her country’s first gold medal of the Sochi Olympics with victory in the skeleton.
The 25-year-old, who led the event after the two opening runs, produced two more consistent rounds to clock a combined time of 3min 52.89sec to finish 0.97sec ahead of second-placed Noelle Pikus-Pace of the United States.
Swiss success in Alpine skiing: Switzerland’s Sandro Viletta won the men’s Olympic super-combined topping a shock podium that included neither favourites Ted Ligety of the US nor Frenchman Alexis Pinturault.
The 28-year-old, who had only one World Cup win and podium so far, won with a combined time of 2min 45.20sec, after one downhill and one slalom run.
Domracheva’s double delight: Belarus’ Darya Domracheva put in a phenomenal skiing performance to win her second biathlon gold of the Sochi Olympics in the women’s 15 km individual.
Domracheva, who already clinched the pursuit gold this week, was penalised for one missed target in her first standing shoot but was simply too fast on skis for her opponents to get near.
Cologna reigns supreme: Switzerland’s Dario Cologna won his second gold of the Sochi Games and underlined his supremacy in cross country skiing with a dominant performance in the men’s 15km classic.
Cologna finished in 38min 29.7sec, a colossal 28.5sec ahead of his nearest challenger Johan Olsson of Sweden who took silver. Daniel Richardsson, also of Sweden, won the bronze in 39min 8.5sec.
Cologna’s gold is his second in Sochi after his win in the skiathlon that mixes both the classic and freestyle.
Surprise victory in aerials: Alla Tsuper shocked a top draw field to win the women’s aerials in her fifth Games.
The Belarussian had never before won a medal in four previous attempts and was ranked only 13th in the World Cup standings coming into the Olympics.
Yet the 34-year-old was the only athlete to land perfectly in the final four shoot out and she edged out world champion Xu Mengtao of China into silver with Australia’s reigning Olympic champion Lydia Lassila taking bronze.
Tsuper’s gold medal ensured this would be the most successful Winter Games in Belarus’s history.
You gotta see this
Ireland’s own Sean Greenwood hit the wall at high speed today but miraculously managed to recover and stay on his skeleton sled.
Hero of the day
In what will go down as one of the more touching moments of the Sochi Olympics, Swiss cross-country skier Dario Cologna won a gold medal and then waited 28 minutes to congratulate last-place finisher Roberto Carcelen of Peru at the finish line.
The 43-year-old Carcelen is Peru’s first Winter Olympian and has only been skiing since 2005. He was also competing with broken ribs as the result of a training accident just two weeks before the Olympics.
Irish Eye
Canada-born Sean Greenwood made his Olympic debut in the skeleton and got off to a decent start in the first heat — finishing 21st with a time of 57.99.
Disaster struck in the second heat, however, when he crashed. Although he wasn’t injured, he finished last place (27th).
Cork’s Jan Rossiter is was in action in the men’s cross-country skiing 15km classic and clocked a time of 48.44.6 to earn 82nd place from 92 athletes.
They said what?
Wu-Tang is for the children!”
Swedish skier Henrik Harlaut gave a shout out to US hip hop act Wu Tang Clan before his run.
Medal table
Source: www.sochi2014.com
Tomorrow’s highlights
There are medals to be won in Alpine skiing, speed skating and men’s skeleton.
In men’s ice hockey, the US face hosts Russia in a replay of the 1980 game dubbed “The Miracle on Ice” when an American team of amateurs defeated the world’s best side at the time in front of a home crowd.
Believe us, it will be worth watching.
- Additional reporting from Ben Blake and Business Insider
