PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics Day 8

Day 8

It was a spectacular Day 8 of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics.

Highlights:

Men's Figure Skating Free Skate

What a sensational men's figure skating final! History was made in the skating rink on Day 8 of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics!

Gold medal winner Yuzuru Hanyu, right, of Japan reacts with teammate and silver medalist Shoma Uno after the men’s free figure skating final at the 2018, South Korea, Saturday, Feb. 17, 2018. David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Yuzuru Hanyu has successfully defended his Sochi 2014 title, becoming the PyeongChang 2018 Champion!

Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan competes during the Men's Single Free Program the PyeongChang 2018 February 17, 2018 South Korea. Feb. 16, 2018 - Source: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images AsiaPac

Yuzuru Hanyu is only second man to be a back to back Olympics champion since American Dick Button at St. Moritz 1948 and Oslo 1952. It was a well earned gold medal, the 1000th awarded in the Winter Olympics!

The first Winter Olympics was held in 1924 at Chamonix, France, where American speedskater Charles Jewtraw won the first gold medal of the Winter Olympics, in the 500m speedskate. That medal is now at the Smithsonian.

All the men's figure skating podium winners deserved their spot.

(L-R) Silver medal winner Shoma Uno of Japan, gold medal winner Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan and bronze medal winner Javier Fernandez of Spain celebrate during the victory ceremony for the Men's Single Free Program PyeongChang 2018 February 17, 2018, South Korea. Feb. 16, 2018 - Source: Jamie Squire/Getty Images AsiaPac

Spain's Javier Fernandez becomes the first Spanish figure skater to medal at the Olympics. He was second in the short program heading into the free skate. But he left out elements, costing him valuable points in a tight race. He takes the bronze. It is Spain's fourth Winter Olympics medal overall.

Javier Fernandez of Spain competes during the Men's Single Free Program PyeongChang 2018 February 17, 2018, South Korea. Feb. 16, 2018 - Source: Jamie Squire/Getty Images AsiaPac

And my favorite performer of the night was Shoma Uno of Japan, third after the short program. He fell in the start of his free skate and stumbled on a combo, but he nailed the rest of his stirring program to leap ahead of Fernandez to take silver. Had Shoma Uno skated cleanly, he may have well been the Olympics champion! But a silver win is a great win for his efforts.

Shoma Uno of Japan competes during the Men's Single Free Program PyeongChang 2018 February 17, 2018, South Korea. Feb. 16, 2018 - Source: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images AsiaPac

Nathan Chen of the US, 17th after a disastrous short program, delivers a record six quads in the free skate. He won the Free Skate, leaping from 17th to 5th overall. Not enough to medal, but enough to redeem himself and prove that he deserved his spot at the Games.

Nathan Chen of the United States competes during the Men's Single Free Program PyeongChang 2018 February 17, 2018, South Korea. Feb. 16, 2018 - Source: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images AsiaPac

Vincent Zhou of the US delivered five quads to jump up to 6th place. And fellow American Adam Rippon, who doesn't do quads, skated cleanly and beautifully to finish 10th overall. Jin Boyang of China was 4th. Olympic Athletes from Russia, Dmitri Aliev, 7th, and Mikhail Kolyada, 8th. And Canada's Patrick Chan was 9th.


Women's Alpine Super G

What a stunning race in Women's Alpine Super G!

The podium seemed set. First place was Anna Veith of Austria, formerly Anna Fenninger before her wedding to snowboarder Manuel Veith two years ago, the defending Sochi 2014 Champion in super-G.

Tina Weirather of Liechtenstein was in second, just 0.10 seconds behind Veith. And heavily favored Lara Gut of Sweden was just 0.01 seconds behind Weirather was set for bronze.

The announcers were all ready calling the race as done, as the last group of skiers were not considered serious challengers. But this is the Olympics, and anything can happen. And something did.

Blasting right out of the gate, Ester Ledecka of the Czech Republic attacked that race course like the snowboarder she is. She came to compete in next Thursday snowboard parallel giant slalom. She has made the podium many times in snowboarding. But she has never made the podium in alpine skiing. She is ranked 46th!

But from her 26th position and racing on skis borrowed from American star Mikaela Shiffrin, snowboarding champion Ester Ledecka completed a career-best run, clocking in a winning time of 1 minute 21.12 seconds. She beat Anna Veith by 0.01 seconds!

And she was in shock! Everyone was! Including her mother, the other racers, and the NBC news crew who had all ready proclaimed Veith as the winner! Ledecka thought it was a mistake, so she kept staring at the time in glowing green, wondering when they'd put on her right time.

Ester Ledecka of the Czech Republic reacts at the finish during the Alpine Skiing Ladies Super-G PyeongChang 2018 February 17, 2018, South Korea. Feb. 16, 2018 - Source: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images AsiaPac

The crowd and other racers had to tell Ledecka that she actually won! What a stunning turn of events! NBC had to issue an apology and make a correction about who really won the race! It ain't over til it's over! Anything can happen at the Olympics.

Ester Ledecka of the Czech Republic reacts at the finish during the Alpine Skiing Ladies Super-G PyeongChang 2018 February 17, 2018, South Korea. Feb. 16, 2018 - Source: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images AsiaPac

Anna Veith of Austria settles for silver. Tina Weirather of Liechtenstein is left with bronze. And heartbreak for Lara Gut of Sweden, who again, finishes in fourth! She was fourth at Sochi 2014 in this event. I felt bad for her as she cried at her unexpected loss. Fourth place is the cruelest of positions, so close yet so far away from that podium!



Women's Cross-country Skiing 4X5km Relay

Norway's Marit Bjoergen is a superwoman!

Marit Bjoergen of Norway celebrates as she crosses the finish line to win gold ahead of Stina Nilsson of Sweden during the Ladies' 4x5km Relay PyeongChang 2018 February 17, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. Feb. 16, 2018 - Source: Lars Baron/Getty Images AsiaPac

The Norwegians came to redeem themselves after a poor showing in Sochi 2014, when they didn't even podium in the race. And they seemed to be struggling in the first two legs.

Then Ragnhild Haga, who won gold in the women's 10km free, managed to close the gap to 3.4 seconds in the third leg before she handed over to Bjoergen, with Sweden in the lead, and 0.3 seconds ahead of OAR.

Marit Bjoergen took that run and hunted after Women's Sprint Classic Champion Stina Nilsson of Sweden. And she overtook Nilsson!

By the last 500m of the race, Marit Bjoergen opened up the gap and left Stina Nilsson in her dust! Norway crosses the finish line first for gold. Sweden finishes two seconds later for silver. And Olympic Athletes from Russia came third to take the bronze, 43.3 seconds behind the winners.

With this gold win, Marit Bjoergen ties countryman Ole Einar Bjoerndalen at 13 medals for the most won by a Winter Olympian. And she could break that tie with two more opportunities in either one of the final two women's events: the women's team sprint relay Wednesday or the 50-kilometer mass start. Best of luck to Marit!

Ingvild Flugstad Oestberg, Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen, Ragnhild Haga, and Marit Bjoergen of Norway take gold.

Sweden's Anna Haag, Charlotte Kalla, Ebba Andersson, and Stina Nilsson take silver.

Olympic Athletes from Russia Natalia Nepryaeva, Yulia Belorukova, Anastasia Sedova, and Anna Nechaevskaya claim bronze.


Women's Biathlon 12.5km Mass Start

Anastasiya Kuzmina has struck gold in the 12.5km mass start at the Pyeongchang Olympics. She has two silvers from the 10km pursuit and 15km individual. All three of her medals are the three Slovakia has won so far at PyeongChang 2018.

Anastasiya Kuzmina of Slovakia celebrates winning the gold medal during the Women's 12.5km Mass Start Biathlon PyeongChang 2018 February 17, 2018, South Korea. Feb. 16, 2018 - Source: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images AsiaPac

She missed only one target, hitting 19/20. But her fast skiing had her clocking in at 35 min 23 seconds--18.8 seconds over silver medalist Darya Domracheva from Belarus. Norway's Tiril Eckhoff won the bronze medal.

Germany's Laura Dahlmeier was the favorite in the event. She has golds in the 7.5km sprint and 10km pursuit, plus a bronze in the 15km individual. However, she struggled with two misses and finished in 16th place.


Women's Short track Speedskating 1500m

It's a golden day for South Korea as Choi Min-jeong redeems herself from a shocking 500m disqualification and takes the 1500m gold.

Minjeong Choi of Korea, Jinyu Li of China, Kim Boutin of Canada, Alang Kim of Korea, Jorien ter Mors of the Netherlands, Petra Jaszapati of Hungary, Arianna Fontana of Italy compete during the Short Track Speed Skating Ladies' 1500m Final A PyeongChang 2018 February 17, 2018, South Korea. Feb. 16, 2018 - Source: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images AsiaPac

Li Jinyu of China earned silver and Kim Boutin of Canada took bronze, adding to her 500m bronze.

World Champion Elise Christie of Britain crashed hard in the semifinal and was stretchered out. She was later penalized for interference with Li Jinyu, thus barring her from advancing. Hopefully, she'll recover soon.

Jinyu Li of China and Elise Christie of Great Britain fall as Minjeong Choi of Korea skates past during the Short Track Speed Skating Ladies' 1500m Semifinals on day eight of the PyeongChang 2018 February 17, 2018, South Korea. Feb. 16, 2018 - Source: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

Men's Short Track Speedskating 1000m

Samuel Girard of Canada takes the gold in men's 1000m short track Speedskating.

Samuel Girard of Canada, John-Henry Krueger of the United States, Yira Seo of Korea, Shaolin Sandor Liu of Hungary and Hyojun Lim of Korea compete during the Short Track Speed Skating Men's 1000m Final A on day eight of the PyeongChang 2018 February 17, 2018, South Korea. Feb. 16, 2018 - Source: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images AsiaPac

John-Henry Krueger of the U.S. earned silver. It is the first and only American medal at speedskating so far at PyeongChang 2018.

And Seo Yira of South Korea took bronze.

Liu Shaolin Sandor of Hungary crashed in the turn with a lap to go, taking out the 1500m Champion Lim Hyo-jun of South Korea. Liu Shaolin Sandor was penalized, but as he was last place at the time, it doesn't affect the order of finish.

Former world champion Charles Hamelin of Canada was penalized for impeding in his semifinal. He did not make the final.


Women's Skeleton

Good news for Great Britain:

Lizzy Yarnold of Great Britain reacts as she finishes her final run during the Women's Skeleton PyeongChang 2018 February 17, 2018, South Korea. Feb. 16, 2018 - Source: Tom Pennington/Getty Images AsiaPac

Britain's Lizzy Yarnold has successfully defended her Sochi 2014 title in women's skeleton, making her the first woman to medal multiple times in skeleton. She clocked in a four run total of 3 minutes, 27.28 seconds for the gold.

Another Briton, Laura Deas took third for the bronze.

Germany's Jacqueline Loelling takes silver.

(L-R) Silver medalist Jacqueline Loelling of Germany, gold medalist Lizzy Yarnold of Great Britain and bronze medalist Laura Deas of Great Britain celebrate on the podium during the victory ceremony after during the Women's Skeleton PyeongChang 2018 February 17, 2018, South Korea. Feb. 16, 2018 - Source: Clive Mason/Getty Images AsiaPac

Ski Jumping Large Hill

Kamil Stoch of Poland successfully defends his Sochi 2014 title, taking gold in the Ski Jumping Large Hill Event.

Kamil Stoch of Poland makes a jump during the Ski Jumping - Men's Large Hill PyeongChang 2018 February 17, 2018, South Korea. Feb. 16, 2018 - Source: Lars Baron/Getty Images AsiaPac

It is Poland's first medal at PyeongChang 2018. Kamil Stoch is the first to successfully defend an Olympics ski jump title since Calgary 1998, when Matti Ensio Nykänen of Finland defended his Sarajevo 1984 title.

Normal Hill Champion Andreas Wellinger of Germany took the silver. And Robert Johansson of Norway won the bronze, adding to his Normal Hill bronze.


And so ends a sensational Day 8 of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics. For some, winning the gold was proof of their incredible skills and training. For others, the loss is but a painful motivation to reassess and refocus, to keep on going. Nothing worthwhile is ever achieved so easily.