PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics Day 10

Day 10

We are in the last week of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics, and Day 10 was full of action.

Highlights

Ice Dancing

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir have broken their own record for an ice dance short program with a score of 83.67 points!


The Vancouver 2010 champions and Sochi 2014 silver medalists from Canada lead the short program, going into the free skate final tonight.

They were flawless and flowing and fantastic. The gold medal is all but theirs to lose, barring a mistake or wardrobe malfunction.

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada compete during the Figure Skating Ice Dance Short Dance PyeongChang 2018 February 19, 2018 South Korea. Feb. 18, 2018 - Source: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images AsiaPac

Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron of France, training partners to Virtue and Moir, are expected to challenge for gold. Their music was great. Unfortunately, they suffered a wardrobe malfunction (her top snapped open at the back of her neck), causing them some distraction in their performance, costing them points. And the audience was treated to a lovely flash of her boob on live tv. That alone should've garnered them bonus points.

Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron of France compete during the Figure Skating Ice Dance Short Dance PyeongChang 2018 February 19, 2018 South Korea. Feb. 18, 2018 - Source: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

They end up in second. Still close enough to challenge for gold. But honestly, it's Virtue and Moir who set the bar high, and everyone else is trying to reach it.

And interestingly enough, the third place went to Americans Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue, who are also training partners with the top two! They were powerful and dynamic. I really thought they should've been scored higher.

Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue of the United States compete during the Figure Skating Ice Dance Short Dance PyeongChang 2018 February 19, 2018 South Korea. Feb. 18, 2018 - Source: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images AsiaPac

Out of 24 teams, the top 20 move on to the free skate final tonight. My fave moment of the competition was watching the shocked expressions of the South Korean dancers when they scored well enough to qualify for the free skate.

Yura Min and Alexander Gamelin of Korea react after competing during the Figure Skating Ice Dance Short Dance PyeongChang 2018 February 19, 2018 South Korea. Feb. 18, 2018 - Source: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images AsiaPac

The Americans, representing South Korea, Yura Min and her partner, Alexander Gamelin, suffered a wardrobe malfunction in the team event. This time, they shine and were rewarded well for their performance that was pleasing to the home crowd. I enjoyed watching them dance. They currently sit at 16 out of the 20 who make the free skate final tonight.

Two things bugged the hell out of me. The first was the music some of the skaters used to dance to a Latin beat. It's official: Despacito is the new Swan Lake. I didn't like Despacito when it was playing on the radio. And after listening to three teams skate to it, two of them back to back, the other soon after, I really despise Despacito now!

The one other thing that annoyed me were the damn announcers yapping with their inane opinions during the performances. I wish they'd just shut the hell up and just let us enjoy the skaters dancing.

My fave skaters for pure fun and joy and fantastic performances:

Marie-Jade Lauriault and Romain Le Gac of France: Energetic, Exciting, best lift.

Marie-Jade Lauriault and Romain Le Gac of France compete during the Figure Skating Ice Dance Short Dance PyeongChang 2018 February 19, 2018 in South Korea. Feb. 18, 2018 - Source: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images AsiaPac

Yura Min and Alexander Gamelin of South Korea: Charming

Yura Min and Alexander Gamelin of Korea compete during the Figure Skating Ice Dance Short Dance PyeongChang 2018 February 19, 2018 South Korea. Feb. 18, 2018 - Source: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images AsiaPac

Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Canada: Fabulously Fun, awesome costumes. Check out his sleeves! Normal:

Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Canada compete during the Figure Skating Ice Dance Short Dance PyeongChang 2018 February 19, 2018 South Korea. Feb. 18, 2018 - Source: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images AsiaPac

Then Bam: Party sleeves!

Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Canada compete during the Figure Skating Ice Dance Short Dance PyeongChang 2018 February 19, 2018 South Korea. Feb. 18, 2018 - Source: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images AsiaPac

Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje of Canada: Spectacular

Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje of Canada compete during the Figure Skating Ice Dance Short Dance PyeongChang 2018 February 19, 2018 South Korea. Feb. 18, 2018 - Source: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images AsiaPac

The free skate is set to be a historic event. If Virtue and Moir medal, they will be the most decorated ice dancers ever.


In Olympics news, the Court of Arbitration for Sport has confirmed that Russian curling medalist Alexander Krushelnitsky has been charged with a doping offense at the Pyeongchang Olympics. Proceedings have begun.

Krushelnitsky won bronze in the mixed doubles event along with his wife, Anastasia Bryzgalova. It's unlikely they'll keep the medal if found guilty. The Russian delegation has suggested that maybe someone spiked Krushelnitsky's food or drink with meldonium, a stamina booster given to Soviet soldiers back when they were fighting in Afghanistan.

Elsewhere, 8 new cases of the norovirus have been confirmed, bringing the total to 283 infected. 49 of those are still under quarantine; the rest have recovered and were released to resume normal duties. Hockey players have been advised to fist bump, instead of shaking hands. The men are following the advice. But the American and Finnish women decided it was more important to shake each others hand, to uphold the cherished hockey post game tradition that encourages sportsmanship and camaraderie.


Men's Speedskating 500m

Drama and excitement in Speedskating. At Sochi 2014, The Netherlands swept this event. This time, the Dutch Speedskating Machine has been shut out of the Men's 500m race.

The excitement started with South Korea's Cha Min-Kyu, ranked 9th and not even considered a medal favorite. He stunned the Speedskating world and delighted the home crowd by tying the Olympics record of 34.42 seconds, set by American Casey Fitzrandolph at Salt Lake 2002! No one expected him to have an impact in today's race, but he rocketed to the top!

Min Kyu Cha of Korea competes during the Men's 500m Speed Skating on day 10 of the PyeongChang 2018 February 19, 2018 South Korea. Feb. 18, 2018 - Source: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images AsiaPac

Then in a dramatic turn of events just minutes later, Havard Lorentzen of Norway sets off a blistering pace and kicks in a strong finish to tie Cha! A foto finish was needed! And after a tense wait, it was determined that Havard Lorentzen clocked in at 34.41 seconds, 0.01 seconds faster than Cha! A new Olympics record!

Four years ago, Havard Lorentzen was 32nd at Sochi. Fifty years ago at St. Moritz 1948, Finn Helgesen was the last Norwegian to win the 500m race. Havard Lorentzen's 500m win is Norway's first speedskating gold since Adne Sondral won the men's 1500m at the Nagano 1998.

Coming into these games, the Norwegian Speedskating Team raised eyebrows by claiming that they went with blue colored uniforms, because blue is a faster color. I don't think it's the blue color that made Havard Lorentzen go faster.

Rather, I think the speedsuit's crotch highlighting patch and fishnet stockings that distracts and confuses the other skaters, making them pause, do double take, and go WTF?, giving the Norwegians extra time to pull ahead and leave behind their discombobulated competitors.

Havard Lorentzen of Norway celebrates setting an Olympic record during the Men's 500m Speed Skating PyeongChang 2018 February 19, 2018 South Korea. Feb. 18, 2018 - Source: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images AsiaPac

Other speedskating teams are also using their own techniques to increase speed. I'm guessing South Korea's secret to reducing drag is using the drag queen secret of tucking!

Min Kyu Cha of Korea celebrates his race time during the Men's 500m Speed Skating PyeongChang 2018 on February 19, 2018 South Korea. Feb. 18, 2018 - Source: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images AsiaPac

South Korea's Cha Min-Kyu takes a surprise silver. And the bronze went to Gao Tingyu of China, clocking in at 34.65.

Cha Min-Kyu is only the third South Korean Olympic medalist in men's 500m speedskating, after Lee Kang-seok took bronze at Torino 2006, and Mo Tae-bum claimed gold at Vancouver 2010. Mo Tae-bum placed 16th in today's race.

Ronald Mulder was 7th, the highest Dutch placement in the race.


Ski Jumping Large Hill Team

In the Large Hill Ski Jumping Team Event, marvelously mustachioed Robert Johansson takes the final jump and secures Norway's first ever ski jumping large hill team gold!

From the beginning, there was no doubt that defending champions Germany, World Champions Norway, and former world champions Poland would make the finals. Norway’s Robert Johansson, Poland’s Kamil Stoch, and Germany’s Andreas Wellinger have been battling over top spot in the ski jumping events.

In the normal hill individual, Andreas Wellinger won gold, while Kamil Stoch took silver, leaving Robert Johansson the bronze. At the large hill, it was Stoch who took gold, Wellinger with the silver, and Johansson is left with bronze.

Through the first round, Norway held a razor-thin lead over Germany, 545.9-543.9, with Poland just behind at 540.9 points.

Then came the final round. Daniel Andre Tande of Norway out jumps and outscores the first group. Andreas Stjernen followed suit in the second group. Johann Andre Forfang did the same in the third group. And when Robert Johansson took the final jump, Norway was ahead by 22 points! They close out with a commanding 23 points lead over the nearest competitors.

The Germans and the Polish battled for silver. And in the final round, Germany’s Andreas Wellinger, Richard Freitag, Stephan Leyhe, and Karl Geiger outjumped the Polish, scoring 3.3 more points to take silver.

World's top ranked jumper, Kamil Stoch, and his team with Dawid Kubacki, Stefan Hula, and Maciej Kot deliver Poland's first team ski jumping Olympics medal, the bronze.

(L-R) Winners of the bronze medal, Poland winners of the gold medal, Norway and winners of the silver medal, Germany celebrate on the podium following the Ski Jumping - Men's Team Large Hill PyeongChang 2018 February 19, 2018 South Korea. Feb. 18, 2018 - Source: Matthias Hangst/Getty Images AsiaPac

With their team medals, Johansson and Wellinger became just the seventh and eighth ski jumpers ever to medal in all three events in one Olympics (normal hill, large hill, and team).


Two-man Bobsled

Fantastic news in two man bobsled! It was the most exciting race in years! The results made history!

Justin Kripps and Alexander Kopacz of Canada slide during the Men's 2-Man Bobsleigh PyeongChang 2018 February 19, 2018 South Korea. Feb. 18, 2018 - Source: Lars Baron/Getty Images AsiaPac

Canada and Germany have tied for the gold medal in two-man bobsledding, both clocking in a total time of 3 minutes, 16.86 seconds! It's the second time two countries have shared gold in this event in Olympic history. Canada and Italy shared gold at Nagano 1998. At those same Nagano 1998 Games, France and Great Britain tied for the bronze in the four man bobsled.

Francesco Friedrich and Thorsten Margis of Germany make a run during the Men's 2-Man Bobsleigh PyeongChang 2018 February 19, 2018 South Korea. Feb. 18, 2018 - Source: Lars Baron/Getty Images AsiaPac

At Grenoble 1968, Italy tied with West Germany, both sleds clocked in at the same time. The Olympics then utilized a fastest-heat tiebreaker, which gave the Italians the gold. That tie breaker rule is no longer in use.

The Canadian sled driver Justin Kripps and brakeman Alexander Kopacz share the PyeongChang 2018 gold with the German sled driver Francesco Friedrich and brakeman Thorsten Margis.

Hilarious reaction: Upon reaching the finish line and seeing the clock say number 1, Canadian Justin Kripps was overjoyed as they were mobbed at the tracks. He saw the Germans, Francesco Friedrich and Thorsten Margis, also jumping for joy, and thought, 'Man, that's nice. They're really excited that we won.'

They're all friends. And once the mob dispersed, Thorsten Margis hugged Justin Kripps and whispered that they tied for first! Kripps reaction was," 'We tied?' It's insane. Amazing!"

Joint gold medalists Thorsten Margis and Francesco Friedrich of Germany and Alexander Kopacz and Justin Kripps of Canada celebrate after the Men's 2-Man Bobsleigh PyeongChang 2018 February 19, 2018 South Korea. Feb. 18, 2018 - Source: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images AsiaPac

Pierre Lueders and Dave MacEachern were the Canadian team that tied with Italians Günther Huber and Antonio Tartaglia at Nagano 1998. Justin Kripps credits Pierre Lueders for teaching him the fundamentals of bobsled. Pierre Lueders is the head coach of the South Korean bobsled team.

Oskars Melbardis and Janis Strenga of Latvia make a run during the Men's 2-Man Bobsleigh PyeongChang 2018 February 19, 2018 South Korea. Feb. 18, 2018 - Source: Lars Baron/Getty Images AsiaPac

Latvia's Oskars Melbardis and Janis Strenga finished 0.05 seconds behind, taking the bronze in the closest three-sled finish in Olympic history.

I think they should've just bumped the Latvians to silver and given the bronze to the next fastest finishers, Nico Walther and Christian Poser of Germany. They led the first two runs out yesterday, with the fastest time after surviving a spectacular crash. They entered this final two runs in the lead, but they couldn't hold on to the top spot.

Driver Nico Walther and Christian Poser of Germany crash in the finish area after the second run during the two-man bobsled competition at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Sunday, Feb. 18, 2018.  Credit: Michael Sohn, AP

It was a spectacular and stunning finish to an astounding, history making race.


And so ends a sensational Day 10 of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics. The Games are winding down but there is still more action to come as the athletes continue the quest for gold.