Sochi 2014, Day 7
Sochi Olympics 2014
Day seven kicks off at Rosa Khutor with the men’s super combined. From there it’s on to the Laura Cross-Country Ski & Biathlon Centre for cross-country skiing and the men’s 15km classic, to be followed by the women’s 15km individual biathlon event. The spotlight then falls on the Sanki Sliding Centre, where the medals will be decided in the women’s skeleton. The free skate brings the men’s individual figure skating competition to a close at the Iceberg Skating Palace, with the women’s freestyle skiing aerials also taking place in the evening.
Flashback to Vancouver 2010:
Berger (NOR), Lassila (AUS) and Williams (GBR) all strike gold
Alpine skiing, men’s super combined: A star of the global Alpine skiing scene since his debut in the early 2000s, the USA’s Bode Miller dominated the event to land a long-awaited maiden Olympic title. After finishing an excellent seventh in the downhill, just 0.76 seconds behind the leader, Norway’s Aksel Lund Svindal, Miller produced a flying slalom leg to take gold. Croatia’s Ivica Kostelic, the brother of six-time Olympic medallist Janica, came second to take his family’s overall medal haul to eight, with Silvan Zurbriggen of Switzerland completing the podium. Svindal failed to finish the slalom after missing a gate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrX_DBYI_N4
Biathlon, women’s 15km individual: In storming home a full 20 seconds ahead of Kazakhstan’s Elena Khrustaleva, Norway’s Tora Berger won her country’s first women’s Olympic biathlon title since 1924 and its 100th Winter Games gold medal overall. Dary Domracheva of Belarus came in 28 seconds later to claim the bronze.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czgipwcotFY
Cross-country skiing, men’s 15km classic: The men’s 15km was skied in the freestyle at Vancouver 2010, with Switzerland’s Dario Cologna turning in a masterful performance to secure his country’s first ever Olympic cross-country skiing gold. Italy’s Pietro Piller Cottrer crossed the line 24 seconds later to win the fifth Olympic medal of his career, with Lukas Bauer of Czech Republic completing the podium.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77OVxb2WliA
Women’s skeleton: Great Britain’s Amy Williams broke the track record twice at the Whistler Sliding Centre to win the nation’s only gold medal of Vancouver 2010 and its first individual Olympic title in 30 years. Completing the podium were the German duo of Kerstin Szymkowiak and Anja Huber.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwOTbxO44j8
Freestyle skiing, women’s aerials: Lydia Lassila nailed her second jump on Cypress Mountain to clinch Australia’s second Olympic title in the event, matching Alisa Camplin’s achievement at Salt Lake 2002. Lassila had to fight off a strong Chinese challenge to top the podium, with Li Nina taking the runners-up spot and Guo Xinxin third. Having led the competition after the first round, China’s Xu Mengtao fell on landing her second jump to finish six overall. Wiser for the experience, she is a clear favourite to take gold in Sochi.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVHUh7qhCSM
Figure skating, men’s individual: Evan Lysacek of the USA did not put a foot wrong on the ice at Vancouver’s Pacific Coliseum, consigning defending champion Evgeni Plushenko of Russia to his second silver in the event, the first coming at Salt Lake City 2002. Japan’s Daisuke Takahashi won the bronze. Plushenko, Russia’s only representative in the men’s individual event at Sochi 2014, will attempt to win a record-breaking fifth Olympic medal – more than any other men’s figure skater in history – having already captured gold in the inaugural team event.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN_Mq8uIoA0