Category: Winter Sports

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.

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.

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.

NHL brass still leaning against Olympic shutdown in 2018

The league’s owners are still leaning against allowing the world’s top hockey players to participate in the Olympics next year, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said Saturday. In the league’s most strident comments yet on this quadrennial issue, Daly flatly said the NHL’s Board of Governors doesn’t want to shut down the league to allow its players to participate in South Korea.

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.

SoCal punctuates its hockey renaissance with All-Star Game

Anaheim Ducks’ Logan Shaw celebrates after scoring against the Winnipeg Jets during first period NHL hockey action in Winnipeg, Monday, Jan. 23, 2017. LOS ANGELES — Jari Kurri arrived in Los Angeles 26 years ago, just in time to join Wayne Gretzky and Luc Robitaille in propelling hockey to a new level of prominence in Southern California.

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.

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.

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.

Willie Desjardins explains Canucks’ short defence, Rodin benching

One of Canucks head coach Willie Desjardins’ longest chats with the media this season was mostly spent talking about what didn’t happen over the weekend. Like, why did Vancouver not recall a defenceman from the minors for insurance heading into Saturday’s second game of a back-to-back against the Flames in Calgary, forcing the team to ultimately go with a skeleton crew of five blue liners? And how was it that Anton Rodin – dressed as the 13th forward – stayed stapled to the bench the whole night, not seeing a single second of ice time? “It was unusual,” Desjardins said Monday of his short-handed defence in that 3-1 loss to Calgary.

Spirit trade Stephens for draft picks

SAGINAW, Mich. General Manager of the Saginaw Spirit Dave Drinkill announced Tuesday a trade that sends Saginaw Spirit captain Mitchell Stephens to the London Knights for a laundry list of high draft picks, including four second-round picks between the 2018 and 2020 OHL Priority Selection Drafts.

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.

Printed Letters: January 8, 2017

To the elected officials of Grand Junction: Do you honestly think that the voters of Grand Junction are going to approve a quarter-cent sales tax to fund a sports arena? Get real! The people of Grand Junction don’t want a sports arena that is only going to be used maybe four to six months a year the rest of the time sit idle and be considered a “white elephant” while costing the taxpayers money for the time it is not being used.

Printed Letters: January 8, 2017

To the elected officials of Grand Junction: Do you honestly think that the voters of Grand Junction are going to approve a quarter-cent sales tax to fund a sports arena? Get real! The people of Grand Junction don’t want a sports arena that is only going to be used maybe four to six months a year the rest of the time sit idle and be considered a “white elephant” while costing the taxpayers money for the time it is not being used.

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.

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.

Sound Tigers coach Thompson proud as son Tage becomes – part of

United States’ Tage Thompson hoists the trophy after winning the gold medal over Canada after the final of the world junior hockey championship in Montreal on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017. less United States’ Tage Thompson hoists the trophy after winning the gold medal over Canada after the final of the world junior hockey championship in Montreal on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017.

Denis Guryanov lifts Russia past Sweden in OT

Denis Guryanov scored at 33 seconds of overtime to give Russia a 2-1 victory over Sweden on Thursday in the world junior hockey bronze-medal game. Swedish defenceman Rasmus Dahlin attempted to feed the puck back to Alexander Nylander, but the scoring leader couldn’t control it.

Denis Guryanov lifts Russia past Sweden in OT

Denis Guryanov scored at 33 seconds of overtime to give Russia a 2-1 victory over Sweden on Thursday in the world junior hockey bronze-medal game. Swedish defenceman Rasmus Dahlin attempted to feed the puck back to Alexander Nylander, but the scoring leader couldn’t control it.