Olympics Day 6: Finally, Russia Begins to Make its Mark

First, the women’s ice hockey team was beaten by Finland 5-1 on Day Three. Yesterday, Day Five, the same team crashed 13-0 to the United States of America. With just one bronze medal on the board, what was going wrong with Russia’s Olympic Games Squad? However, a Gold and Silver on Day 6 calls for more optimism and better days ahead.

Photo: Olympics Day 6: Finally, Russia Begins to Make its Mark

On Day 5, apart from the women’s ice hockey team disaster, a national humiliation, the women’s curling team lost 5-9 to Germany and not a single medal came from the five medals events. However, there were finally two positive notes: after the first session, Evgeni Plushenko leads in the Men’s Figure Skating and the Men’s ice hockey team beat Latvia 8-2.

On Day 5, in the Women’s Luge Singles, once again Russia lost out on the medals with yet another fourth place, this time Tatiana Ivanova fishing eight tenths of a second off the bronze. Aleksandra Rodionova finished in sixth, Natalia Khoreva in tenth behind the medallists: Tatjana Hueffner (Germany) Gold; Nina Reithmayer (Austria) Silver; Natalie Geisenberger (Germany) Bronze.

Not a single Russian made it to the Women’s snowboard cross finals, where the medals went to Maelle Ricker (Canada) Gold; Deborah Anthonioz (France) Silver and Olivia Nobs (Switzerland) Bronze.

In the Women’s 500m speed skating, the best result for Russia was 20th place (Olga Fatkulina), while Ekaterina Malysheva came in 24th and Yulia Nemaya did not finish. The medals went to: Sang-Hwa Lee (Republic of Korea) Gold; Jenny Wolf (Germany) Silver and Beixing Wang (PR China) Bronze.

The good news came finally in the Men’s Individual Sprint Classic in Cross-Country Skiing, where Russia took Gold and Silver. Nikita Kriukov won Gold, Aleksandr Panzhinsky, Silver and Norway’s Petter Northug, Bronze.

Earlier, in the Women’s downhill Alpine skiing, Lindsey Vonn (USA) won Gold, Julia Mancuso (USA) took Silver and Elisabeth Goergl (Austria), Bronze.

In the Women’s Individual Sprint Classic in Cross-Country Skiing, Norway’s Marit Bjoergen won Gold; Justyna Kowalczyk (Poland) Silver; Petra Majdic (Slovenia) Bronze.

All results so far

Saturday February 13

Men’s Ski Jumping Individual finals

Simon Ammann (Switzerland) Gold; Adam Malysz (Poland) Silver; Gregor Schlierenzauer (Austria) Bronze.

Men’s 5,000 metre speed skating

Sven Kramer (Netherlands) Gold; Seung-Hoon Lee (Republic of Korea) Silver; Ivan Skobrev (Russia) Bronze.

Women’s Biathlon 7.5 km sprint

Anastazia Kusmina (Slovakia) Gold; Magdalena Neuner (Germany) Silver; Marie Dorin (France) Bronze.

Men’s Short Track 1,500 metre finals

Jung-Su Lee (Republic of Korea) Gold; Apolo Anton Ohno (USA) Silver; J.R. Celski (USA) Bronze

Women’s Freestyle Skiing (Moguls)

Hannah Kearney (USA) Gold; Jennifer Heil (Canada) Silver; Shannon Bahrke (USA) Bronze.

Sunday February 14

Men’s Biathlon 10 km Sprint

Vincent Jay, France (Gold), Emil Hegle Svendsen, Norway (Silver) Jakov Fak, Croatia (Bronze)

Women’s 3,000 m speed skating

Martina Sablikova (Czech Republic) Gold; Stephanie Beckert (Germany) Silver; Kristina Groves (Canada) Bronze.

Men’s Nordic Combined – Individual NH/10kmCC – 10 km

Jason Lamy Chappuis (France) Gold; Johnny Spillane (USA) Silver; Alessandro Pittin (Italy) Bronze

Luge – Men’s Singles Run 4

Felix Loch (Germany) Gold; David Moeller (Germany) Silver; Armin Zoeggeler (Italy) Bronze

Freestyle Skiing – Men’s Moguls Finals

Alexandre Bilodeau (Canada) Gold; Dale Begg-Smith (Australia) Silver; Bryon Wilson (USA) Bronze

Monday February 15

Women’s Cross-Country Skiing 10 km Free

Charlotte Kalla (Sweden) Gold; Kristina Smigun-Vaehi (Estonia) Silver; Marit Bjoergen (Norway) Bronze

Men’s Downhill Alpine Skiing

Didier Defago (Switzerland) Gold; Aksel Lund Svindal (Norway); Bode Miller (USA) Bronze)

Cross-Country Skiing – Men’s 15 km Free

Dário Cologna (Switzerland) Gold; Pietro Piller Cottrer (Italy) Silver; Lukas Bauer (Czech Republic) Bronze.

Snowboard – Men’s Cross Finals

Seth Wescott (USA) Gold; Mike Robertson (Canada) Silver; Tony Ramoin (France) Bronze

Figure Skating – Pairs Free Skating

Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao (PR China) Gold; Qing Pan and Jian Tong (PR China) Silver; Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy (Germany) Bronze)

Speed Skating – Men’s 500m Race 2 of 2

Tae-Bum Mo (Republic of Korea) Gold; Keiichiro Nagashima (Japan) Silver; Joji Kato (Japan) Bronze

Tuesday February 16

Women’s Biathlon 10 km pursuit

Magdalena Neuner (Germany) Gold; Anastazia Kusmina (Slovakia) Silver; Marie Laure Brunet (France) Bronze

Men’s Biathlon 12.5 km pursuit

Bjorn Ferry (Sweden) Gold ; Christoph Sumann (Austria) Silver; Vincent Jay (France) Bronze

Women’s Luge Singles

Tatjana Hueffner (Germany) Gold; Nina Reithmayer (Austria) Silver; Natalie Geisenberger (Germany) Bronze.

Women’s snowboard cross finals

Maelle Ricker (Canada) Gold; Deborah Anthonioz (France) Silver and Olivia Nobs (Switzerland) Bronze.

Women’s 500m speed skating

Sang-Hwa Lee (Republic of Korea) Gold; Jenny Wolf (Germany) Silver and Beixing Wang (PR China) Bronze.

Wednesday February 17

Men’s Individual Sprint Classic in Cross-Country Skiing, Russia took Gold and Silver. Nikita Kriukov won Gold, Aleksandr Panzhinsky, Silver and Norway’s Petter Northug, Bronze.

Women’s downhill Alpine skiing, Lindsey Vonn (USA) won Gold, Julia Mancuso (USA) took Silver and Elisabeth Goergl (Austria), Bronze.

Women’s Individual Sprint Classic in Cross-Country Skiing, Norway’s Marit Bjoergen won Gold; Justyna Kowalczyk (Poland) Silver; Petra Majdic (Slovenia) Bronze.

Standings

USA 10 medals (3 Gold, 3 Silver, 4 Bronze), Germany 9 medals (3 Gold, 4 Silver, 2 Bronze), France 7 medals (2,1,4). Russia has 3 medals (1,1,1)

Timothy BANCROFT-HINCHEY

PRAVDA.Ru