Svindal, Bjoergen hike Norway haul
Source: Agencies |
February 21, 2010, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
Amy Williams claimed an extremely rare metal for Britain on Friday -- gold at the Winter Olympics -- on a day when the Norwegians shone even brighter but many other nations seemed to be at each others' throats.
Britain's overdue medal find was Canada's jarring loss and the host nation lodged an appeal over Williams' aerodynamic helmet.
The sport's governing body rejected the appeal as it had done with a similar US complaint.
It was one more protest in a spate of challenges among rival nations who could ruin organizers' new upbeat mood, now that initial glitches and weather woes are clearing.
In the past two days, Austria has complained about ski jumping champion Simon Ammann's boot bindings and Russia and the United States are bitching at each other over men's skating gold denied to Yevgeny Plushenko by Evan Lysacek.
Canada had reason to be disappointed. Home favorite Mellisa Hollingsworth clocked a terrible fourth run and finished fifth with tears running down her face.
Canada did, however, get more than a consolation prize in the men's race when Jon Montgomery upset frontrunner Martins Dukurs in his bid for Latvia's first ever Winter Olympics gold.
Montgomery won by seven one hundredths of a second, less time than a human being takes to blink.
Winter Games stalwart Norway made more headlines for the right reasons on day seven of competition, winning two more golds after becoming on Thursday the first nation to rack up 100 gold medals in the history of the Winter Olympics.
In contrast, Britain's medal is its first individual gold medal at a Winter Games in 30 years, the last one earned in 1980 by skater Robin Cousins.
To get there, 27-year-old Williams whizzed face down and head first inches above the ice at 120 kilometers per hour -- nearly 40 kph faster than the speed limit on a British motorway -- smashing the women's course record at the Whistler Sliding Center.
While Britain may garner only one gold at these Games, Norway continued to storm up the medals table.
Norway's Aksel Lund Svindal flashed down Whistler mountain to win the men's super-G Alpine ski race and deny American Bode Miller an elusive gold medal.
Svindal's countrywoman Marit Bjoergen then became the first competitor to win two gold medals in Vancouver when she won the lung-bursting 15-kilometer cross-country pursuit after taking the sprint classic two days ago.
Svindal added a gold to the silver medal he won in the downhill earlier in the week with a breathtaking run inspired by Norwegian skiing greats who have made Norway the ruler in super-G.
The United States remains at the top of the Games' gold tally with six medals to Norway's five, while Germany and Canada follow with four.
Britain's overdue medal find was Canada's jarring loss and the host nation lodged an appeal over Williams' aerodynamic helmet.
The sport's governing body rejected the appeal as it had done with a similar US complaint.
It was one more protest in a spate of challenges among rival nations who could ruin organizers' new upbeat mood, now that initial glitches and weather woes are clearing.
In the past two days, Austria has complained about ski jumping champion Simon Ammann's boot bindings and Russia and the United States are bitching at each other over men's skating gold denied to Yevgeny Plushenko by Evan Lysacek.
Canada had reason to be disappointed. Home favorite Mellisa Hollingsworth clocked a terrible fourth run and finished fifth with tears running down her face.
Canada did, however, get more than a consolation prize in the men's race when Jon Montgomery upset frontrunner Martins Dukurs in his bid for Latvia's first ever Winter Olympics gold.
Montgomery won by seven one hundredths of a second, less time than a human being takes to blink.
Winter Games stalwart Norway made more headlines for the right reasons on day seven of competition, winning two more golds after becoming on Thursday the first nation to rack up 100 gold medals in the history of the Winter Olympics.
In contrast, Britain's medal is its first individual gold medal at a Winter Games in 30 years, the last one earned in 1980 by skater Robin Cousins.
To get there, 27-year-old Williams whizzed face down and head first inches above the ice at 120 kilometers per hour -- nearly 40 kph faster than the speed limit on a British motorway -- smashing the women's course record at the Whistler Sliding Center.
While Britain may garner only one gold at these Games, Norway continued to storm up the medals table.
Norway's Aksel Lund Svindal flashed down Whistler mountain to win the men's super-G Alpine ski race and deny American Bode Miller an elusive gold medal.
Svindal's countrywoman Marit Bjoergen then became the first competitor to win two gold medals in Vancouver when she won the lung-bursting 15-kilometer cross-country pursuit after taking the sprint classic two days ago.
Svindal added a gold to the silver medal he won in the downhill earlier in the week with a breathtaking run inspired by Norwegian skiing greats who have made Norway the ruler in super-G.
The United States remains at the top of the Games' gold tally with six medals to Norway's five, while Germany and Canada follow with four.
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