Lindsey Vonn of the United States reacts in the finish area during the women’s downhill training at the 2017 Alpine Skiing World Championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland, Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2017. By GRAHAM DUNBAR, AP Sports Writer ST.
Category: Olympic Winter Games
Political scandal overshadows South Korea 2018 Olympic prep
In this Friday, Feb. 3, 2017 photo, a man walks by the Olympic rings with a sign of 2018 Pyeongchang Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. One year before the Olympics, the country is in political disarray, and winter sports are the last thing on many people’s minds.
Political scandal overshadows South Korea 2018 Olympic prep
When Pyeongchang was awarded the 2018 Olympics six years ago, many South Koreans felt that the first Winter Games on home snow would herald their entry into the top tier of rich nations. One year before the Olympics, however, the country is in political disarray, and winter sports are the last thing on many people’s minds.
Countdown to PyeongChang: 2018 Winter Olympics a Year Away
… will fight for their first-ever Olympic medals, and veterans will try to add to their medal hauls. In fan-favorite sports like figure skating, the world’s best will try to land their quadruple jumps, while four new Olympic sports, including …
Pyeongchang will be the smallest city to host an Olympics
With one year to Winter Olympics, small city thinking big Pyeongchang will be smallest city to host Games since Lillehammer in 1994 Check out this story on mynorthwestnow.com: http://usat.ly/2k07jpj There is something about a secluded Olympic Games in a relatively small mountain town that sounds especially delightful in today’s bigger-must-be-better sports world. The Winter Olympics always sneak up on us, coming so soon after the previous Summer Games.
Vonn skis out, Schmidhofer wins super-G at ski worlds
Austria’s Nicole Schmidhofer reacts in the finish area during the women’s Super-G at the 2017 Alpine Skiing World Championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland, Tuesday, Febr. 7, 2017.
Marianne St-Gelais wins 2nd short-track gold in as many days
Marianne St-Gelais, right, added another gold to her World Cup haul from Dresden on Sunday. Marianne St-Gelais claimed her second gold medal in as many days at the ISU World Cup short track speed skating event in Dresden, Germany on Sunday.
Cyril ready to take to slopes
Markethill skier Cyril Walker is set for the Austrian slopes as he prepares to travel to the Special Olympics Winter Games next month. Cyril is one of three Ulster athletes competing as part of a 26-strong Team Ireland squad in Graz and Schladming.
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The four top stakeholders in the discussion over whether NHL players will participate in the Winter Olympics in South Korea next year met without resolution Friday, with one warning that time is running short to make a decision. Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee, for the first time joined International Ice Hockey Federation President Rene Fasel, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHL Players’ Association Executive Director Don Fehr at a meeting in New York.
Brighouse’s Katie Ormerod has made major progress this winter in both the World Cup and X Games
Katie, who missed the last Winter Olympics at Sochi in 2014 due to a knee injury, is too busy trying to ensure that she doesn’t miss out on next year’s jamboree in South Korea by globetrotting in pursuit of World Cup points. “The top 30 from the World Cup qualify for Pyeongchang and I am currently second,” said the former Hipperholme Grammar School pupil, whose cousin Jamie Nicholls was sixth in the men’s slopestyle final at Sochi.
Skiing aims to catch up fast with new TV graphics at worlds
When Lindsey Vonn competes in the opening event at next week’s world skiing championships, television viewers will get their first look at some new on-screen technology. Graphics will include dynamic speed checks throughout a skier’s run, they will show acceleration out of the toughest corners, and they will count air time, plus launch and landing speeds, on big jumps.
Russian champion from Sochi Olympics banned for doping
A Russian athlete who won a bobsled gold medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics has been banned for four years after failing a drug test. The Russian anti-doping agency says Dmitry Trunenkov, who won the four-man bobsled race at the Sochi Games, tested positive last year and has since been banned by the Russian Bobsled Federation.
Kindl wins 2nd gold at home worlds; Germany takes team relay
Austrian luger Wolfgang Kindl won the men’s singles race for his second gold medal at his home world championships on Sunday, while Germany continued its dominance in the team relay. Two days after taking gold in the sprint event, Kindl set a track record of 49.823 seconds in Sunday’s opening run and extended his lead by also posting the fastest second-run time run on the 1976 Olympic track.
Hirscher displays class to beat Pinturault in giant slalom
Marcel Hirscher displayed all his class to beat Alexis Pinturault and claim his 20th World Cup giant slalom victory on Sunday, avenging his narrow defeat to the French skier in Adelboden. Trailing Pinturault by 0.09 seconds after the first run, the five-time defending overall champion charged hard in the second, clocking 1 minute, 20.10 seconds.
Gut crashes; Shiffrin ecstatic in 4th; Vonn content in 12th
Switzerland’s Lara Gut lies in the snow after completing an alpine ski, women’s World Cup super-G, in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017. United States’s Mikaela Shiffrin gets to the finish area after completing an alpine ski, women’s World Cup super-G, in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017.
Ganong wins downhill race overshadowed by crashes, injuries
Travis Ganong won a men’s World Cup downhill race Friday, with American teammate Steven Nyman and French skier Valentin Giraud Moine both airlifted to the hospital with serious injuries. World Cup men’s race director Markus Waldner says Giraud Moine is likely to have broken calf and shin bones in both legs.
Ganong wins downhill race overshadowed by crashes, injuries
Travis Ganong won a men’s World Cup downhill race Friday, with American teammate Steven Nyman and French skier Valentin Giraud Moine both airlifted to the hospital with serious injuries. World Cup men’s race director Markus Waldner says Giraud Moine is likely to have broken calf and shin bones in both legs.
Seeking title, Shiffrin makes rare super-G start in Cortina
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy – Mikaela Shiffrin is making a rare start in a speed race this weekend to protect her overall World Cup lead. A specialist in slalom and giant slalom, the American will enter Sunday’s super-G on the Olympia delle Tofane course in Cortina, Italy – marking only the fourth super-G race of her career.
Norwegian cross-country skier Johaug appears before hearing
… silver medal at the 2014 Sochi Games. She has also won seven world championship and two overall World Cup titles. As sports columnist, Paul Woody offers an array of commentary on the sports scene in columns and World of Woody videos.
Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi says city’s study of Olympic bid on track
… meeting break. “They bring a whole variety of perspectives, hard-nosed financial analysis, along with hard-nosed sports analysis and venue analysis and it seems like they’re really on the right path here, but let’s let them do their work.” Watch …
Canada wins second cross-country medal of the weekend, bronze in relay
Canada earned a bronze medal in the men’s 4×7.5 kilometre relay on Sunday, the first time in the history of the program that Canada has reached the podium in a men’s World Cup cross-country ski relay. Devon Kershaw of Sudbury, Ont., Alex Harvey of Saint Ferreol-les-Neiges, Que., Toronto’s Len Valjas and 24-year-old World Cup rookie, Knute Johnsgaard of Whitehorse to clocked a bronze-medal time of one hour six minutes 48 seconds to take third.
Gut remains perfect in super-G; Vonn struggles in 9th
United States’ Lindsey Vonn gets to the finish area after completing an alpine ski, women’s World Cup super-G, in Garmisch-Panterkirchen, Germany, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2017. Switzerland’s Lara Gut competes during an alpine ski, women’s World Cup super-G, in Garmisch-Panterkirchen, Germany, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2017.
Chen holds off 3-time champ to be U.S. champion
Karen Chen performs during the ladies free skate competition at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017, in Kansas City, Mo. Karen Chen performs during the ladies free skate competition at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017, in Kansas City, Mo.
Quick Hits: Henrik Sedin’s 1000th Point, Mrazek’s Return to Form
A big congratulations to Henrik Sedin, who became the first player to reach 1000 points solely in a Canucks jersey Friday night. It couldn’t have been more perfect of a play, either.
Gut remains perfect in super-G; Vonn struggles in 9th
United States’ Lindsey Vonn gets to the finish area after completing an alpine ski, women’s World Cup super-G, in Garmisch-Panterkirchen, Germany, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2017. United States’ Lindsey Vonn gets to the finish area after completing an alpine ski, women’s World Cup super-G, in Garmisch-Panterkirchen, Germany, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2017.
Canadaa s Humphries, Lotholz, just miss out on gold in two-man bobsled
ST. MORITZ, Switzerland – Canada’s Kaillie Humphries and Melissa Lotholz put down their best performance ever as a team in St. Moritz, Switzerland, on Saturday but only earned a silver medal after finishing one-hundredth of a second behind the gold-medal time in two minutes 16.15 seconds. “I don’t think I have actually ever lost a race by one-hundredth of a second before.
Canada’s Humphries, Lotholz, just miss out on gold in two-man bobsled
Johannes Lochner and Christian Rasp of Germany speed down the course during the men’s two-men bobsled World Cup in St. Moritz, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017. ST. MORITZ, Switzerland – Canada’s Kaillie Humphries and Melissa Lotholz put down their best performance ever as a team in St. Moritz, Switzerland, on Saturday but only earned a silver medal after finishing one-hundredth of a second behind the gold-medal time in two minutes 16.15 seconds.
Henrik Sedin beats Roberto Luongo for 1,000th NHL point as Canucks down Panthers
Henrik Sedin recorded the 1,000th point of his NHL career before Luca Sbisa scored the winner in the third period as the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Florida Panthers 2-1 on Friday night. Ryan Miller stopped 34 shots for Vancouver , which improved to 8-1-3 over its last 12. Sedin came in with a goal and two assists over his last three games to get to 999 points after going scoreless in the four previous contests, and reached the milestone in style in the second period.
Spotlight: Xi steps up sport diplomacy with historic visit to IOC
Chinese President Xi Jinping , an avid football fan who is not shy from showing off his skills, has added an important chapter to his sports diplomacy. Xi paid a visit on Wednesday to the headquarters of the International Olympic Committe e in the Swiss city of Lausanne and toured the Olympic Museum.
After conquering hockey, Hayley Wickenheiser is focused on mastering med school
Canada forward Hayley Wickenheiser watches teammates during a women’s ice hockey team practice at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics February 19, 2014. Canada forward Hayley Wickenheiser watches teammates during a women’s ice hockey team practice at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics February 19, 2014.
Canada’s Hayley Wickenheiser honoured as giant of women’s hockey retires
Hayley Wickenheiser, who led Canada to four Winter Olympic gold medals and a silver during her distinguished career, was honoured during a special pre-game ceremony prior to puck drop between the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers at Roger Place on Saturday. The 38-year-old from Shaunavon, Sask., who announced her retirement from hockey on Friday, has lived in Calgary since she was 12 but has been a life-long Oilers fan, making the game between the two Alberta-based rivals the ideal place for a tribute in her eyes.
US skier Lindsey Vonn to take ‘lot of risk’ with broken arm
United States’ Lindsey Vonn holds her dog Lucy during a news conference in Altenmarkt-Zauchensee, Austria, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017. United States’ Lindsey Vonn holds her dog Lucy during a news conference in Altenmarkt-Zauchensee, Austria, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017.
With Vonn set to return, Shiffrin happy to leave limelight
… training runs in Austria before deciding about racing over the weekend. “They both have been amazing athletes in the sports. For ski racing in the U.S. they have been huge,” Shiffrin said. “I am crossing my fingers that they can get back in the …
Apology accepted: John Furlong to speak again at University of B.C. fundraiser
Former Vancouver Olympic CEO John Furlong will be back at the podium for a University of British Columbia fundraising event after the abrupt cancellation of his speech and subsequent apology from the university. University president Santa Ono announced Monday in a statement that after apologizing to Furlong he wanted to correct the fundamental wrong at the heart of the issue – the cancellation of the speaking engagement.
UBC reinstates John Furlong as keynote speaker at athletics banquet
The University of British Columbia has reinstated former Vancouver 2010 Olympic Committee’s CEO John Furlong as this year’s keynote speaker at the university’s 18th Annual ZLC Millennium Scholarship Breakfast in February. The university previously removed Furlong as keynote speaker from a February fundraising event for student athletes last month, after UBC graduate Glynnis Kirchmeier circulated an open letter critical of him.
Shiffrin wins WCup slalom, skis over broken gate
Not even a broken gate rolling down the course could stop Olympic slalom champion Mikaela Shiffrin from returning to the top of the podium in her favorite discipline. The American won a women’s World Cup race Sunday, five days after she had failed to finish a slalom run for the first time in four years.
Suspensions lifted for 4 Russians in skeleton
The International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation has allowed four Russians to resume competing even though they are under investigation for alleged doping rule breaches at the 2014 Winter Olympics. The IBSF had issued provisional suspensions to the four, including Olympic gold medalist Alexander Tretyakov, on Dec. 30 after the International Olympic Committee opened an investigation into apparent tampering with drug test samples.
Henrik Kristoffersen leads foggy 1st run of World Cup slalom
” Henrik Kristoffersen was helped by early sunshine to lead a foggy first run of a World Cup slalom on Sunday. Three days after strong winds ended Kristoffersen’s victory chance in Zagreb, the Olympic bronze medalist from Norway got the best conditions and used them well.
Henrik Kristoffersen leads foggy 1st run of World Cup slalom
” Henrik Kristoffersen was helped by early sunshine to lead a foggy first run of a World Cup slalom on Sunday. Three days after strong winds ended Kristoffersen’s victory chance in Zagreb, the Olympic bronze medalist from Norway got the best conditions and used them well.
US skier Mikaela Shiffrin leads WCup slalom after 1st run
Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin led a women’s World Cup slalom after the opening leg Sunday, five days after the American had failed to a finish a slalom run for the first time in four years. Shiffrin built a 0.17-second lead over Wendy Holdener of Switzerland, with Frida Hansdotter of Sweden 0.38 back in third.