PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics Day 4

Day 4

More thrills and excitement on Day 4 of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics. There were some spectacular flying as some athletes soared and horrific falls as some athletes crashed in the quest for Olympic gold.

Highlights:

Curling Mixed Doubles Bronze

It was a dramatic couples showdown in the first curling mixed doubles medal event at the Olympics.

Russia's Anastasia Bryzgalova was strategizing with her teammate Aleksandr Krushelnitckii when she tripped over a stone behind her and fell on the ice, to the gasps of the crowd.

Anastasia Bryzgalova of Olympic Athletes from Russia falls as she competes against Norway during the Curling Mixed Doubles Bronze Medal Game PyeongChang 2018 February 13, 2018, South Korea. Feb. 12, 2018 - Source: Jamie Squire/Getty Images AsiaPac

Anastasia Bryzgalova recovered and received no serious injuries, and went on to defeat Norway's Kristin Skaslien and her boyfriend Magnus Nedregotten to take the bronze.

After the match, Bryzgalova sheepishly confessed that she had forgotten the stone was behind her when she stepped backward to strategize with her teammate, husband Aleksandr Krushelnitckii. She credits their strong relationship for helping them recover from tough loss to Switzerland on Monday.

Canada will face off against Switzerland later Tuesday in the mixed doubles gold medal match.


Women's Halfpipe

Some scary falls in the dangerous sport of halfpipe snowboarding.

Arielle Gold of the United States falls during Snowboard Ladies' Halfpipe PyeongChang 2018 February 13, 2018, South Korea. Feb. 12, 2018 - Source: David Ramos/Getty Images AsiaPac

Emily Arthur of Australia crashes during the Snowboard Ladies' Halfpipe PyeongChang 2018 February 13, 2018, South Korea. Feb. 12, 2018 - Source: David Ramos/Getty Images AsiaPac

Thankfully, the athletes were able to walk away without serious injuries.

Chloe Kim, 17, lived up to the hype and won gold in Women's Halfpipe.

Chloe Kim of the United States at Snowboard Ladies' Halfpipe PyeongChang 2018 February 13, 2018, South Korea. Feb. 12, 2018 - Source: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images AsiaPac

It is the second PyeongChang 2018 gold for the US. Kim was too young to take part in Sochi 2014. In the first of three runs, she scored 93.75, the only athlete to pass 90. Her third and final run, a victory lap as none of the others came close, she was near perfect with 98.75! Among her family present was her South Korean grandmother cheering her on.

China's Liu Jiayu took silver with an 89.75, and becomes the first Chinese snowboarder to ever medal at the Olympics.

And American Arielle Gold narrowly edges out Kelly Clark for the bronze. To be honest, I thought Kelly Clark should've been scored higher. Her run was incredible.

Kelly Clark, 34, is the Salt Lake 2002 champion and bronze medalist at Vancouver 2010 and Sochi 2014. This is her fifth Olympics! And it may be her final. It is an amazing testament to her skills and endurance to be at PyeongChang competing with a generation of snowboarders she inspired.


Men's Alpine Combined Slalom

Alpine ski racing finally began at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics. Men's combined was supposed to be the third event on the Alpine program. But the bad weather and wind gusts has forced a change in the scheduled events. The men's downhill and women's giant slalom have been postponed until Thursday.



A course gate is blown by the wind at the Men's Alpine Combined Downhill PyeongChang 2018 February 13, 2018, South Korea. Feb. 12, 2018 - Source: Tom Pennington/Getty Images AsiaPac

The high winds meant shorter-than-expected courses. In the Combined Slalom, skiers race downhill first. Then race a slalom portion later on. The skier with fastest time of the combined downhill and slalom races is the champion.

Organizers had the downhill run that opens the men's Alpine combined event start lower down the mountain at Jeongseon, due to heavy gusts at the scheduled start house. This lower start is used for the super-G and shortened the downhill run by about 20 seconds. And the afternoon slalom was shortened by about 10 gates. That balanced the race as an equal test for the downhill and slalom specialists.

Still, a frightening moment happened at the downhill when third starter, Russian Pavel Trikhichev, hooked a gate with his left ski, then crashed out and slid into the safety fences. The race was delayed. Trikhichev, the only Russian athlete in the race, was able to stand but it's not clear how badly he was hurt. Hopefully, he recovers well.

Pavel Trikhichev of Olympic Athlete from Russia crashes during Men's Alpine Combined Downhill PyeongChang 2018 February 13, 2018, South Korea. Feb. 12, 2018 - Source: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images AsiaPac

Others also crashed.

Ryan Cochran-Siegle of the United States crashes Men's Alpine Combined Downhill PyeongChang 2018 February 13, 2018, South Korea. Feb. 12, 2018 - Source: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images AsiaPac

Thomas Dressen of Germany was the first racer in the downhill portion of the men's Alpine combined event. He was the fastest. Dressen was 0.07 seconds faster than Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway, and 0.13 ahead of Matthias Mayer of Austria, the 2014 Olympic champion in downhill.

The world's best slalom skier, Marcel Hirscher of Austria, was well placed with just 1.32 to make up in his best discipline, the slalom. He placed 12th after the downhill. And when the slalom race took place, Hirscher used his incredible reflexes and skills to speed down the slalom and leap from 12th place to first.

And when it was all over, Austria's Marcel Hirscher had the fastest combined downhill and slalom time to become the champion! Marcel Hirscher's combined two-run time was 0.23 seconds faster than silver medalist Alexis Pinturault of France. Victor Muffat-Jeandet, also of France, was 1.02 seconds behind Hirscher to take bronze.

Marcel Hirscher of Austria Men's Alpine Combined Downhill PyeongChang 2018 Winter February 13, 2018, South Korea. Feb. 12, 2018 - Source: Tom Pennington/Getty Images AsiaPac

Marcel Hirscher has finally won the elusive Olympics gold. He won silver in the slalom at Sochi 2014 and left Vancouver 2010 empty handed. He felt he was cursed at the Olympics. But no more. Hirscher has a record six overall World Cup titles as the season's best all-round skier, and four career world championships gold medals. Now he is also an Olympics champion with two more races left that he is favored to win.

Matthias Mayer of Austria had a terrible crash, slamming into the crew at the slalom portion of the combined. Hopefully, he'll recover well enough to defend his Sochi 2014 downhill title. No man has ever successfully defended an Olympics downhill title.

Matthias Mayer of Austria crashes into staff at Men's Alpine Combined Downhill PyeongChang 2018 February 13, 2018, South Korea, Reuters photo

Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway did not even bother to race the slalom portion despite placing second in downhill. Germany's Thomas Dressen, first in downhill, finished 9th overall after the slalom.

This may be the last Combined Slalom race at the Olympics. It has dropped out of favor in the past few years as racers are specializing in either downhill or slalom. The Combined was the original event at Alpine skiing's Olympic debut in 1936. Traditionalists like the mix of skills, but racers are now so specialized that those good at one discipline tend not to be competitive at the other.

Hirscher almost never races World Cup downhills, while Svindal, a two-time world champion in combined, has not skied a competitive slalom run in two years.


In other Olympics news:

The International Ski Federation is under heavy fire for holding the Women's Slopestyle Snowboarding Event during dangerous and terrible weather conditions. Forty-one of the 50 runs ended with either a rider falling or bailing out because she could not build up enough speed to reach the crest of a jump. Freezing temperatures frosted the rails and gusty winds buffeted the athletes, making a dangerous sport even more hazardous.

International Ski Federation spokeswoman Jenny Wiedeke provided a poor excuse, claiming only one team "voiced concerns" about going ahead with the event. She did not name the concerned country but went on to say that there were concussion protocols and medical aid available. And whether or not just one country voiced concerns, there was no doubt that the athletes complained openly about the dangerous conditions in the mix zone, the area where athletes speak to reporters.

Safety of the athletes (and spectators) should be the top priority of the event organizers. Hopefully, it won't take a serious injury (or Buddah forbid, a death) before the organizers take proper actions.


Meanwhile, Japanese short-track speedskater Kei Saito has tested positive for acetalozamide, a diuretic that is also a masking agent that disguises the use of other banned substances. He has denied doping, but has voluntarily accepted a provisional suspension and will depart the Olympics Village. He did not want to draw unnecessary and distracting attention that may cause turmoil for his team.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport says Saito did not race in any event before the test result from a pre-competition sample was confirmed. The judging panel handling Olympic doping cases will issue a final verdict after the games are over.

As the highest court in world sports, The Court of Arbitration for Sport handles the prosecution of doping cases. The International Olympic Committee is responsible for testing athletes.


In Men's Halfpipe, Shaun White of the US has won the top spot in qualifying for what's shaping up to be an extraordinary final.

Shaun White of the United States at Snowboard Men's Halfpipe Qualification PyeongChang 2018 February 13, 2018, South Korea. Feb. 12, 2018 - Source: Clive Rose/Getty Images AsiaPac

The two-time gold medalist scored a 98.5 to edge Australia's Scotty James for the prime spot in Wednesday's three-run final. The top qualifier goes last after everyone else has had their run.

Sochi 2014 silver medalist Ayumu Hirano of Japan finished third in qualifying. Sochi 2014 gold medalist, Switzerland's Iouri Iourеvich Podladtchikov (aka I-Pod), had to pull out on medical advice. He is still suffering from a brain bleed injury resulting from a terrible fall at last month's X Games.

Ayumu Hirano won the Winter X Games last month with back-to-back 1440-degree double corks, becoming the very first to successfully the combination in competition. Shaun White has said he's working on the same tricks, while Scotty James is working on a similar technically difficult feat. The qualifier played out like an actual final competition, elevating the expectations for a super spectacular medal final event tonight.


Five new cases of norovirus had been reported, bringing the total to 199 people infected at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics. 154 have recovered and were released from quarantine. The outbreak before the start of the Olympics led to the sequestering of 1200 workers over fears of the norovirus spreading. It forced the South Korean military to step in and help maintain security at the Olympics.

Norovirus is a common, infectious bug that causes symptoms including diarrhea and vomiting but doesn't require medical treatment. Signs have been posted all over the Olympics reminding people to wash their hands and use hand sanitizer.



The rest of the events of Day 4 will be updated as the results come in. Do Not Read Below If You Intend To Watch Recorded Broadcast.

Spoilers will be posted below for Curling Mixed Doubles Gold, Women's 500m Short track Speedskating, Men's Speedskating 1500m, Women's Sprint Classic, Men's Sprint Classic, Women's Singles Luge


Summary:


Curling Mixed Doubles Gold

Kaitlyn Lawes and John Morris of Canada beat Jenny Perret and Martin Rios of Switzerland 10-3 to win the first Olympic gold medal in curling mixed doubles. It is Canada's third gold of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics.



Jenny Perret and Martin Rios of Switzerland compete against Kaitlyn Lawes and John Morris of Canada at Curling Mixed Doubles Gold Medal Game PyeongChang 2018 February 13, 2018, South Korea. Feb. 12, 2018 - Source: Jamie Squire/Getty Images AsiaPac

The Swiss missed an opportunity for a takeout using their last shot of the sixth end. Thus, the Canadians were awarded two points, creating a point deficit the Swiss could not overcome. The Swiss conceded defeat and settle for silver.

Husband and wife Anastasia Bryzgalova and Aleksandr Krushelnitckii, Olympic Athletes from Russia, beat Kristin Skaslien and Magnus Nedregotten of Norway in an earlier match for the bronze.


Women's 500m Short track Speedskating

Drama and a foto finish took place in the chaotic and thrilling sport of short track speedskating. There were several spectacular crashes as the skaters battled for gold.

Out of the bloody way, bitches! That gold is mine!

Elise Christie of Great Britain and Kim Boutin of Canada collide as Andrea Keszler of Hungary falls during the Ladies' 500m Short Track Speed Skating quarterfinal PyeongChang 2018 February 13, 2018, South Korea. Feb. 12, 2018 - Source: Source: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images AsiaPac

Arianna Fontana of Italy and Choi Min-jeong of South Korea needed a foto finish to determine who crossed the finish line first in the women's 500 meters short-track speedskating.

Arianna Fontana of Italy races Minjeong Choi of Korea to the finish line before Choi was penalized in the Ladies' 500m Short Track Speed Skating PyeongChang 2018 February 13, 2018 Korea. Feb. 12, 2018 - Source: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images AsiaPac

Arianna Fontana was declared the winner. It is Italy's first gold of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics. And Arianna Fontana ties Wang Meng of China to become the second woman to claim short track medals at four different Winter Olympics. It is her third medal in the 500m event, winning a bronze at Turin 2006 and a silver in Sochi 2014. A fourth medal is a Sochi 2014 bronze in the 1500m, and two more bronzes in the 3000m relay from Torino 2006 and Sochi 2014. That's a total of six Olympic medals overall.

Great Britain's Elise Christie, who set a world record in the event, was briefly in third spot. But as she tried to hold off The Netherlands' Yara Van Kerkhof, she lost her balance, fell, and careened into wall.

Arianna Fontana of Italy and Minjeong Choi of Korea race past as Elise Christie of Great Britain falls at Ladies' 500m Short Track Speed Skating PyeongChang 2018 February 13, 2018, South Korea. Feb. 12, 2018 - Source: Harry How/Getty Images AsiaPac

Meanwhile, the shocking surprises continue as Choi Min-jeong of South Korea was disqualified for intereference, much to the dismay and disappointment of the local fans who chanted her name. No South Korean woman has ever won the 500m.

As a result of the stunning disqualification, the silver medal went to Yara van Kerhof of the Netherlands and the bronze to Kim Boutin of Canada.

Elise Christie of Britain finished fourth.


Men's Speedskating 1500m

The Dutch continue to dominate the speedskating events, pulling off a 1, 2 podium finish in Men's 1500m.

Kjeld Nuis of the Netherlands at Men's 1500m Speed Skating PyeongChang 2018 February 13, 2018, South Korea. Feb. 12, 2018 - Source: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images AsiaPac

Kjeld Nuis blasted off at a blistering pace and had more than enough to hold off teammate Patrick Roest for a time of 1: 44.01. It is the fourth gold medal for the Netherlands in the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics. Another Dutchman, Patrick Roest, took silver, 0.85 seconds behind teammate Nuis.

Then drama unfolded as Dutchman Koen Verweij took on rising star Allan Dahl Johansson of Norway. Four years ago at Sochi 2104, Koen Verweij lost the gold medal by .003 seconds to Poland’s Zbigniew Brodka, the smallest margin in speed skating history. They both finished at the same time. To break the tie, the officials had to go to the 1000th of a second to see who would be crowned champion.

Koen Verweij and the Dutch were not happy to lose that Sochi 2014 gold. Today, Koen Verweij took on Allan Dahl Johansson of Norway. The race started out strong, but disaster struck when Johansson caught an edge and crashed before the halfway mark!

Allan Dahl Johansson of Norway crashes during the men’s 1,500 meters speedskating PyeongChang 2018, South Korea, Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2018. AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda

Without someone to push the pace with, Verweij became a non-contender, crossing the line at a disappointing 1:46.26, finishing 11th. But he did finish ahead of Zbigniew Brodka, who was 12th.

And it is 18 year old Kim Min-seok of South Korea who pulls off an incredible surprise bronze win for the home crowd. No one expected him to medal against the other heavily favored skaters. But he did it! It is South Korea's second medal of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics.

It should be noted that the race is skewed. The world record, Denis Yuskov of Russia, who has been a dominating force in 1,500m, was excluded from competing because he tested positive for marijuana!

Denis Yuskov was one of six Russian athletes whose appeal will not be heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport until after the 2018 Winter Olympics! Despite being cleared of doping violations, he was not invited to the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics! Come on International Olympics Committee! Chill out! He wasn't using any performance enhancing drugs!


Women's Sprint Classic

Sweden's Stina Nilsson won the women's cross-country sprint. She adds PyeongChang 2018 gold to a Sochi 2014 bronze in this event.

Stina Nilsson of Sweden celebrates winning gold during the Cross-Country Ladies' Sprint Classic PyeongChang 2018 February 13, 2018, South Korea. Feb. 12, 2018 - Source: Adam Pretty/Getty Images AsiaPac

Defending Sochi 2014 champion Maiken Caspersen Falla of Norway settles for silver, narrowly holding off Yulia Belorukova, Olympic Athlete from Russia, who claims bronze.


Men's Sprint Classic

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo of Norway has won the gold medal in the classic sprint at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics. Kalebo, the world's No. 1-ranked cross-country sprinter, pulled away midway through the race and won by 1.34 seconds, easily coasting to the finish line

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo of Norway celebrates winning gold during the Cross-Country Men's Sprint Classic PyeongChang 2018 February 13, 2018, South Korea. Feb. 12, 2018 - Source: Adam Pretty/Getty Images AsiaPac

In a furious battle for podium position, a foto finish was needed to determine that Frederico Pellegrino of Italy edged out Alexander Bolshunov to win silver. Bolshunov, Olympic athlete from Russia, got the bronze.


Women's Singles Luge

Germany's Natalie Geisenberger has successfully defended her Sochi 2014 title, winning PyeongChang 2018 gold in Women's Singles Luge. She now joins fellow Germans Steffi Martin Walter and Sylke Otto who successfully defended their titles.

Natalie Geisenberger of Germany celebrates winning the gold medal at Luge Women's Singles PyeongChang 2018 February 13, 2018, South Korea. Feb. 12, 2018 - Source: Matthias Hangst/Getty Images AsiaPac

Another German, Dajana Eitberger, takes silver. And Alex Gough earned bronze, giving Canada its first Olympic luge medal.

Natalie Geisenberger is now the first woman to win three Olympic luge golds, the two singles races added to the team relay victory at Sochi in 2014. That ties her with Georg Hackl and Felix Loch--also fellow Germans--for the most in Olympic history. She'll go for a fourth gold later this week in the Pyeongchang team relay.


And so ends an exciting Day 4 of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics. Drama is sure to continue as weather and luck play havoc with skills as the athletes pursue their Olympic dreams.