So that’s us done for another day. Join us again tomorrow!
Updated
Sweden look absolutely shocked! Chin up lads, desolation will soon take over.
Germany beat Sweden 4-3! They meet Canada in the semi-finals!
Well who expected that?
It was as far as I can see, easily. But the decision is referred ... did the Swedish goalie have the puck under control?
Updated
And Germany have poked one home from close range! Their players are all over the ice, but was the puck over the line?
Updated
Our ten minutes of overtime are away.
Germany-Sweden has finished 3-3, and we’ll now have a period of overtime.
Canada reach the semi-final of the hockey. They will play Sweden or Germany.
Finland have binned their keeper as they search for an equaliser, but they can’t find one!
Just 59 seconds to go in the Canada-Finland match. Canada are nearly there.
All Sweden now – they’ve just over five minutes to find a winner.
And Fransson has equalised for Sweden with a drive from range! What a match this is! 8.20 to go!
Updated
7.40 to go on the other rink, where Canada lead Finland 1-0.
I should note that a Germany win would represent a huge upset; they’re the rank outsiders of the countries left, while SWeden are second-favourites after OAR.
Or not! A booming slap-shot from Hersley and with 10.25 left we have ourselves a ball game!
Or not! Germany now lead 3-1! Dominic Kahun scores, and surely that’s enough to see them into the semis?
Canada are seeing this out without undue alarm. But Sweden have pulled one back against Germany, so that is now getting fraught.
So all we’ve got left today is hockey, and in our remaining men’s quarters, Germany still lead Sweden 2-0. Canada v Finland, meanwhile, is 0-0 ... no it isn’t! A face-off falls kindly for Maxim Noreau, and he absolutely punishes home an opener! 19.05 of the final period to go!
Buckwitz is crying and shouting, while Jamanka looks absolutely stunned. No one expected them to win, probably not even them, but here we are!
Mariama Jamanka and Lisa Buckwitz of Germany win gold in the women's bob!
But she puts it in, and finishes -0.07! Meyers Taylor applauds, and has another silver for her draw. Humphries of Canada takes bronze.
Updated
Jamanka is +0.08! She needs to get on with this!
50.73, Meyers Taylor’s third fastest time of the competition. She’s got silver, but what will Mairama Jamanka of Germany do now?
She’s 0.41 inside Humphries, but the silver was always happening; she’s going for gold, as Rick Witter once said.
Off goes Meyers Taylor of USA! She’s won everything but this, can she do enough for gold?
Humphries of Canada, one of the greats of the sport, hurtles down in 50.77 and guarantees herself a bronze medal.
Anyway, for more on Mica McNeill, check out Don McRae’s interview...
Greubel Poser doesn’t quite nail it, clattering the side wall at the start, and it looks like she’ll have to content herself with fourth.
Schneider of Germany lays down the first sub-51s run; will it be enough to sneak a medal? Probably not, and Jamie Greubel Poser of USA is now in position...
Rissling of Canada has a fine run, and with it goes McNeill’s last chance of improving her position. But the top five will now contest the medals...
In the ice hockey, Canada-Finland is still 0-0 and Sweden-Germany is still 0-2. Both are playing the second period.
De Bruin of Canada’s run is scrappy, but she hangs on to stay seventh. McNeill, who’ll be happy with eighth, will wonder about that third run and what might otherwise have been.
Well in Mica McNeill! Only in the Games thanks to crowd funding, she has secured eighth place - at least. She finished 0.23s inside Hafner, and at just 24 has lots of room and time for improvement before Beijing in four years.
Updated
McNeill hits an edge, but is 0.15 inside the time of Switzerland’s Hafner, and this is a really good run!
At the sliding centre, GB’s Mica McNeill is ready to go, and should be able to consolidate eighth - at least.
But quickly back to the speedskating for this.
Right, let’s get on with the women’s bob. Nine competitors left in that, and the battles are for bronze, then silver and gold.
That really was a phenomenal performance from Norway, upsetting Netherlands, Sven Kramer and all, then the hosts. In fairness, it’s about time they dominated this event as well.
Norway win gold in the men's speedskating team pursuit
Korea have to make do with second.
Updated
Korea made up this kind of deficit against New Zealand but Norway are kicking it! At the bell they lead by 1.02s, and this is O-V-E-R!
Norway lead by 0.10s with three laps remaining, and extend to 0.42s!
But Korea reel them in, and over the course of 400m, take the lead! Norway respond, and now lead by 0.19!
Wow, Norway are going away!
Korea took the Olympic record in the semis, and are strong favourites for this race. But Norway started brilliantly and are 0.47s ahead at the first check.
So here it comes: Norway v Korea for the gold!
And they do – by 5.14s, noch.
New Zealand must’ve spent themselves in the semis because they’re nearly four seconds down. Netherlands are going to take the bronze.
Netherlands and New Zealand are on the ice, both of whom fancied themselves finalists.
In the meantime, we’ll enjoy the medal races in the men’s team pursuit.
The final run of the women’s bob is underway, but this time they go in reverse order so it won’t get exciting for a bit.
Japan win gold in the women's team pursuit, breaking the Olympic record in the process!
What a win that is! They came from behind to win by over a second, and Netherlands must be make do with bronze.
Updated
And Japan lead with 200m to go!
The lead is 0.45s, but then Japan narrow to 0.05s at the bell!
Netherlands, though, are having no such thing and quickly overturn the deficit, easing away.
But it’s Japan who lead early, 0.15 ahead at halfway!
Off we go with the final, Netherlands hot favourites to beat Japan...
Suddenly USA lose it, as Canada push on the final lap. But they hold it together sufficiently, and celebrate their bronze medal.
But USA keep piling it on, 3.15 ahead. Canada are in trouble...
USA lead early, but Canada have looked the more cohesive team...
And away they go!
Canada and USA are on the ice and almost ready...
The women’s B final, for the bronze medal, in the speedskating team pursuit, is nearly upon us.
A minor shock is brewing in the ice hockey: Germany lead Sweden 2-0, playing the first period.
Updated
If you’ve not seen this, I recommend it highly. If you’ve seen this, you’ll want to see it again.
Incredible drama 😲
— Eurosport UK (@Eurosport_UK) February 21, 2018
You need to watch the finish of Women's Cross-Country Team Sprint 💪⛷ #PyeongChang2018 pic.twitter.com/MP5oDmExRW
Talking of which, did you know that Great Britain won ice hockey gold at Hitler’s 1936 Olympics? It’s quite a yarn, and, er, I wrote about it. You can read the piece here.
The women’s B final in the speedskating is in 20 minutes or so. Hopefully we’ll get some live ice hockey in a minute.
Both our men’s hockey quarters are scoreless. We’ll focus on them once we’re done with the speedskating team pursuit, in which medals will shortly be decided.
I think this is one from yesterday, but in response to the skating of skates off...
"You don't need to be a Rocket Surgeon to do the maths on that one" - commentator on the #WinterOlympics highlights just now.
— Billy Bell (@Billy_Bell99) February 20, 2018
I went to Jamaica a couple of years ago. Among other things, I discovered Chronixx.
Jamaica are now away - and it’s been an interesting little spell for them...
Summary
Back at the bobsleigh, McNeill is 11th on this run, eighth overall. That’s where she’ll finish this run.
Updated
Just underway are the final two quarters in the men’s ice hockey: Canada v Finland and Sweden v Germany. Already through are Czech Republic and OAR.
I erred. Please forgive me. We have men’s pursuit finals D and C prior to the women’s B.
McNeill has stabilised in 11th. She’ll need a jazzer of a final run to redeem herself, but her medal prospects are already did.
Here’s Bryan Armen Graham’s report of that brilliant cross-country team race, in which USA won gold and Marit Bjørgen became the most decorated Winter Olympian of all-time.
That’s Canada v USA, by the way.
In the speedskating, the women’s C final is underway; the B final, for the bronze, is coming next.
McNeill and GB are now down to ninth, with everyone who’s gone since them above them.
There are some rrrridiculous photos here.
Rissling of Canada moves ahead of McNeill, and three or four others could well do the same.
Oh dear; GB were less than a second behind, but now they’re 1.13s behind. They’ll drop down the leaderboard for that, I’m afraid
Here they come!
Humphries of Canada delivers a fine run, lifting herself into third; GB run next...
And she does, now sitting third. Gold and silver is basically decided, reckon BBC, though the order is TBC, while the battle for bronze is between the next three or four teams.
Schneider of Germany doesn’t run so well, so Greubel Poser of USA will fancy herself to move up.
Brilliant run from Meyers Taylor of USA, 0.03s seconds faster than Jamanka and breaking her record immediately. It’s going to be tough for Mica McNeill to force herself into the medal unless this next run is less superb.
Updated
Jamanka sets a track record, 50.49! It’ll take something nifty to better that and relieve her of gold.
Updated
So we have the best-placed team starting, taking advantage of clean ice. Jamanka of Germany is nearly ready.
So it’ll be Korea v Norway for gold, and Netherlands v New Zealand for bronze. I don’t think it’s possible to predict either of those, so we’re in for a treat.
Assuming Norway haven’t shot their bolt, this final will be excellent. “Norway have skated out of their skates,” says Wilf O’Reilly.
Norway do it easily, setting a new Olympic record of 3:37.08 and winning by 1.38s! Netherlands have gone, and who expected that?!
The gap is growing, Netherlands down by 0.63 at the bell! Kramer isn’t at the front and they’ll need to do something special!
The Dutch aren’t loving this, Kramer moving back to the front to try and resolve a deficit of 0.49s.
Norway and Netherlands are away, Norway with the better start.
Wow, what a last lap from Korea! They lead New Zealand home by 0.72 and are through to the final.
Updated
New Zealand lead by 0.25 at the bell, and they’re streaking away! What do Korea have left?
Halfway and New Zealand lead by 0.27! The gap is growing!
But now New Zealand lead ... can they hang on?
New Zealand are away well, only 0.06s behind, up to 0.15 after three laps.
Away we go, eight laps of the track, and very quickly both teams are bousting.
Korea were quickest in qualifying, and will doubtless get some heavy support. The skaters are on the track...
We’ve got Korea v New Zealand and Norway v Netherlands - who have the wonderful Sven Kramer.
Updated
That’s five minutes from now, by the way.
Shortly to follow: the men’s version of the same.
Japan are cruising, and will meet Netherlands in the final. Canada and USA will match-up for bronze.
Updated
Japan and Canada go in the second semi, Japan 0.94s ahead.
That Alcott/Vonn interview I mentioned earlier? You can watch it here.
It was an emotional day for downhill bronze medallist Lindsey Vonn.#Pyeongchang2018 #bbcolympics pic.twitter.com/2Aij8MROvn
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) February 21, 2018
Netherlands lead USA home by 6.87s. They’re into the final, which presumably they’ll win.
The ladies’ team pursuit semis are underway, Netherlands currently wiping the flo with USA. The final of that is 12.58pm GMT.
#throwback to when it all began! 😂
— Eve Muirhead (@evemuirhead) January 31, 2018
Can’t believe I’m off to my 3 #olympics @TeamGB 🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/DJH9p1TgG8
Our next highlight is in 50 minutes: heat 3 of the women’s bob, which is not to be missed - all the more so with the two Micas of GB close to a medal.
Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, remember the name.
Don’t miss a thing! Sign up to this!
Norway win the men's cross-country team sprint! Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo has his third gold medal of the Games!
Here comes Klaebo, laughing away in his pink shades, spreading his arms, and he takes the line! Aged just 21, he is already a national hero, and you can see why: not only is he brilliant but he knows it and milks it, Usain Bolt-style. He’s barely even tired!
OAR win silver, France bronze.
Russia lead France up the final hill, moving away from Sweden who look like they’re being forced into fourth.
Klaebo is so good, says Sundbt his team-mate, that it’s embarrassing being in the same race as him. And that break he made on circuit four looks certain to be enough for gold - the others are scrabbling for minor medals.
Norway are powering away now, and look unstoppable. Behind, Sweden, OAR and France fight among themselves as we reach the end of the penultimate circuit.
Incidentally, this is the photo from the women’s race. Sport is hard.
The lunge for 🥇
— Eurosport UK (@Eurosport_UK) February 21, 2018
Incredible drama at #PyeongChang2018 pic.twitter.com/Bc3imXah8n
Then, out of naewhere, Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo - just 21-years old and already a double gold medalist - streaks clear! Norway lead with two circuits to go.
But now it’s stretched out a little, OAR in front, Norway second, Sweden third.
We’re at the halfway stage, and Sweden lead from Norway.
On the track at the moment, Sweden lead from Norway from OAR as they slog up the hill. We’re on the second leg.
Jessie Diggins led USA home in that women’s team sprint; read about what a character she is, here.
Right, the men’s cross-country team sprint is underway...
Updated
Meanwhile, BBC are talking about the women’s bob, which begins in an hour or so. GB lie sixth in that, but are within striking distance of a medal - all the more so given a sporting track.
Coming up next: we’ve got the men’s team sprint.
Netherlands Ireen Wust, incidentally, has 10 medals, and we’ll see her in the speedskating presently.
Updated
As for Marit Bjorgen, she now has three bronze, four silver and seven gold – a total of 14 which is one more than the King of Biathlon, Ole Einar Bjørndalen, also of Norway.
What a great race that was! The racers are absolutely bushed, but what a triumph for USA! To beat the superpowers of the sport for the first time is incredible.
Updated
Marit Bjorgen becomes the most decorated Winter Olympian of all-time! USA win gold!
Norway are beaten! USA power down the home straight, their first ever medal in this discipline! Sweden win silver and Norway bronze!
Updated
Norway and Sweden tussle as they come down the hill, Norway in the lead until Sweden pull away and Norway are third!
0.7km to go as Sweden close and they struggle uphill
USA lead from Norway, Sweden slightly behind now...
Bjorgen powers through the end of her leg to hand over in front, but Sweden have previously reckoned that if they’re level beginning the final leg, they’re going to win...
Well it looks a lot like Bjorgen’s medal is sorted! The front three are miles in front! But can Norway make it a gold?
2.1km to go as they punish themselves up that hill. Is anyone going to break, or will we be left with a sprint finish?
USA in front as the fifth leg begins, Bjorgen starting 0.71s behind. What has she got left?
They move to the fourth leg, and the racers are staggering up a punishing hill. Norway and USA are now in front, Sweden left slightly...
Norway, Sweden and USA have opened a lead now, Switzerland on the chase.
Bjorgen isn’t wasting any time, and she now leads from Kalle of Sweden, another all-time great.
Completing the second circuit, Sweden lead from Norway, from USA.
So far this Olympics, Bjorgen has a gold from the relay, a silver form the pursuit and a bronze from the 10km individual.
Bjorgen is second at the moment, behind USA. OAR are third.
Two athletes per nation, six circuits each team, alternated between the pair.
Updated
Right then, the women’s team sprint is away!
Marit Bjorgen is about to start, going for her 14th Olympic medal. 14!
We’re now watching Chemmy Alcott interviewing her pal Lindsey Vonn, and she totally Hazel Irvines her by reminding her how proud her grandfather would be. They exchange hugs and tears.
Elise Christie has been speaking again – here she is...
Starting in ten minutes, we’ve got Marit Bjørgen bidding to become the most decorated Winter Olympian ever. She goes for Norway in the cross-country sprint, and it should be excellent.
Finland beat OAR 3-2 to win bronze in the women's ice hockey!
This has pleased them greatly.
Updated
With 9.2 seconds left in the ice hockey and trailing 2-3, OAR call a timeout. That should help.
“The Americans look pretty cool in their kit,” says Clare Balding of the men’s curlers. Er, you decide.
OAR are forcing the issue, and have just under eight minutes to force extra-time.
In the women’s ice hockey bronze match, OAR have pulled a goal back and now trail Finland 2-3; they’re playing the third period.
Should you have missed the curling from earlier, GB’s women beat and eliminated Canada to reach the semi-finals, in which they’ll meet Sweden; GB’s men lost to USA and must now face Switzerland in a playoff for a last-four spot.
Updated
Rhona Martin is in the BBC studio, being introduced by Clare Balding.
“Olympic champion, how many times world champion...”
“None.”
Lovely stuff.
So the main thing we’ve got coming up is the women’s bob; GB have a medal chance in that. And Marit Bjorgen goes for Norway in the women’s cross-country sprint free; any medal and she becomes the most decorated Winter Olympian ever.
Updated
My word, these guys really love each other. That’s brightened up my morning.
Penny Coomes and Nick Buckland, GB’s ice skaters, are on BBC. They fought back from serious injury to finish 11th; “it’s literally been a roller coaster,” says Buckland.
Earlier today, Sofia Goggia won Italy’s first winner of the women’s downhill. Winning the bronze was Lindsey Vonn, who became the oldest women to win an Alpine Olympic medal. Here she is...
She's the oldest woman to win an Alpine medal at a Winter Olympics 🙌
— Eurosport UK (@Eurosport_UK) February 21, 2018
So how's @lindseyvonn planning to celebrate?! pic.twitter.com/oueyi4sTIj
The second period in the mens’s quarter is done, and OAR lead Norway 5-1.
In the women’s ice hockey bronze medal match, Finland have scored again and now lead OAR 3-1.
Updated
Did you see Elise Christie yesterday? Or any day? We’ve been told repeatedly that she was “unlucky”, which is hard to fathom if, like me, you don’t really believe in luck in sport. Happily for us all, Sean Ingle has investigated that precise point in here regard, and you can read what he concluded right here.
This hockey is properly building up. OAR look formidable – they’ve just scored again for 5-1 – but Sweden and Canada will take some beating too, and Czech Republic have been impressive so far.
Couple of goals in the ice hockey, one for OAR and one for Norway; it’s 4-1 to the former. Over the PA, we’re hearing this, which is nice.
Schedule behaviour:
- 10.00am GMT women cross-country team sprint free
- 10.30am GMT men’s cross-country team sprint free
- 11.40am GMT and 1.00pm GMT women bobsleigh heats 3 and 4 (feat. GB’s Mica McNeill and Mica Moore)
- 11.54am GMT women’s team pursuit final speedskating
- 12.10pm GMT men’s ice hockey quarter-final Canada v Finland and Sweden v Germany
- 12.15pm GMT men’s team pursuit final speedskating
Updated
In the women’s bronze medal match, Finland lead OAR 2-1 playing the second period.
Later on today, we have Canada v Finland and Sweden v Germany; Czech Republic have already seen off USA on penalties.
So BBC are about to take us back to the ice hockey where, in a men’s quarter-final match, OAR lead Norway 3-0 in the second period. And they’re good value for that 3-0 too.
Updated
Morning all, Daniel Harris here – you can send me your wisdom via the details that are shortly to be found at the top of the page.
Alright, well since I’m shortly about to hand over to London, here’s a summary of what’s happened so far.
- Brady Leman of Canada won gold in the men’s ski cross
- Sofia Goggia of Italy won gold in the women’s downhill
- Alina Zagitova broke the world record in women’s singles figure skating
- Team GB will have to navigate their way through the men’s curling tiebreaker after Canada, US and Sweden advanced to the semi-finals
- Czech Republic defeated USA in a penalty shoot-out in the men’s ice hockey quarter-final
Still to come is:
19:00: cross-country skiing – women’s team sprint final
19:30: cross-country skiing – men’s team sprint final
21:58: speed skating – women’s team pursuit
22:00: women’s bobsleigh
22:17: speed skating – men’s team pursuit
(In brief, and with apologies to the rest of the globe, Pyeongchang is GMT +9, EST +14, AEDT -2.)
Of course, you could just check out our fancy schedule, which also helpfully shows start times, customised to wherever you are in the world.
Updated
Things aren’t looking good for Norway in the men’s ice hockey semi-final playoffs. OAR are now up 3-0, and have had a massive 19 shots on goal to two at the end of the first period.
This is what the cross-country looks like live, Australia currently in fifth. The top two will automatically go through to the final, while the next six best times across the two semi finals will advance also.
Ladies' cross country team sprint is live!
— 7Olympics (@7olympics) February 21, 2018
Australia 4.69 behind first, good for 5th position.
Watch 👉 https://t.co/5HDGT7gk34 #Olympics pic.twitter.com/rywMUkPpGI
The women’s cross country team semi-final sprint event is underway, and believe it or not there are some Australians in action in Jess Yeaton and Barbara Jezersek. They’ll be up against a number of competitors from more traditionally strong skiing nations!
We’ve had a score in the men’s quater-final playoffs, with OAR up 1-0 against Norway. That score went to Mikhail Grigorenko.
The men’s big air qualification was on earlier today, and it was New Zealand’s Carlos Garcia Knight who topped the table with a score of 97.50. He was followed by Jonas Boesiger of Switzerland (with 96.00) and Mark McMorris of Canada (with 95.75).
Olympic slopestyle champion Redmond Gerard just qualified with 85.00.
Finland and OAR are competing currently in the bronze medal ice hockey match. Finland have hit the lead early, with Petra Nieminen scoring in just two and a half minutes.
#FIN strike first in the battle for #Bronze
— 7Olympics (@7olympics) February 21, 2018
Women's #IceHockey is live now: https://t.co/5HDGT7xVrE pic.twitter.com/D8Js21omFQ
OAR are also competing in the men’s play-offs quarter-finals against Norway. That score is still deadlocked at 0-0.
Updated
Alina Zagitova breaks world record in women's singles figure skating
Incredibly, two Olympic athletes from Russia broke the world record consecutively (within 15 minutes) today. They were Alina Zagitova (who is just 15-years-old), with a score of 82.92 to “Black Swan”, and Evgenia Medvedeva with 81.61. If either woman can triumph, they will win the first gold for OAR at this Olympics. The two are apparently friends, who practise together.
Coming in third was Canada’s Kaetlyn Osmond, followed by Japan’s Satoko Miyahara and Kaori Sakamoto.
All isn’t well with the South Korean speed-skating team, with two of their skaters facing growing public calls for them to be banned from the national team.
Kim Bo-reum and Park Ji-woo crossed the line almost four seconds ahead of the third Korean skater, Noh Seon-yeong, in the quarter-finals on Monday, and appeared to blame Noh for their failure to reach the semi-finals of the women’s team pursuit at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
In the pursuit, the clock only stops when the final skater has crossed the line and teams typically finish with all three skaters bunched together. Television clips showed Noh in tears on the bench after the race while Kim and Park appeared to ignore her and walk away with only their Dutch coach, Bob de Jong, offering Noh comfort.
Noh had been hoping to win gold to honour her late brother, former short track world champion Jing-kyu, who died of bone cancer in 2016. While Kim and Park were being interviewed after the race, Noh walked out of the arena and declined to answer questions.
“Team pursuit results are decided when the last skater reaches the finish line, and that’s the part where we didn’t do well,” Kim said in the interview. Park said in the interview that she “didn’t know Noh was left behind because it was too loud”.
As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 500,000 people had signed a petition lodged with the presidential Blue House, calling for Kim and Park to be ousted from the national team. If a demand receives over 200,000 signatures within 30 days, the Blue House must address the issue. It has yet to give an answer.
“A sportsman who isn’t a team player doesn’t deserve to be part of the national team”, one petitioner wrote. “It’s truly a shame to see the athletes bully one another, and they represent the Republic of Korea”, another said. Public anger has yet to subside despite Kim apologising for her remarks at a tearful news conference on Tuesday. At the same news conference, coach Baek Cheol-gi said it was Noh’s choice to skate third on the final lap. However, Noh said in an interview with local broadcaster SBS that she had never volunteered to be the third skater and had prepared to be in the middle.
“(The three of us) practiced in different places and didn’t really have a chance to see each other, let alone talk about the race”, she said according to interview footage. The South Korean team are scheduled to race in the seventh-place match later on Wednesday. - Reuters
Updated
Here’s what the men’s curling results mean for tomorrow’s schedule:
9:05 KST: Men’s tie-breaker (Great Britain v Switzerland)
20:05 KST: Men’s semi-final (Sweden v TBD)
20:05 KST: Men’s semi-final (Canada v USA)
Great Britain forced into men's curling tiebreaker, Canada, USA and Sweden into semi-finals
Curling men’s round robin results are in! Canada 8-3 def. Denmark; USA 10-4 def. Great Britain; Norway 7-2 def. Sweden and Republic of Korea 10-4 def. Japan.
I for one am pleased we will be seeing more of Norway’s trousers. Great Britain fans, don’t despair: you’ll be playing Switzerland in a tie-breaker tomorrow morning at 09:05 KST.
Updated
In case you haven’t checked it out already, Nick Evershed wrote an article today (with datablog) about just how dangerous Winter Olympic sports are. He’s combined figures from both the 2010 and 2014 Games to figure out a combined injury rate per 100 athletes for each event. The top five, are, unsurprisingly: snowboard (slopestyle), snowboard (cross), freestyle skiing (aerials), skiing (slopestyle) and skiing (halfpipe). Basically high speeds + high jumps = trouble.
The injury rate for aerial skiing at the Sochi games was an incredible 48.4 per 100 athletes!
And in case you’re wondering which result in the most severe injuries, the moguls, slopestyle (snowboard) and cross (ski and snowboard) had higher rates of more severe injuries.
There’s even some figures on how dangerous curling is, and what the most common curling injuries are.
Updated
Bad news for Canada’s Christopher Delbosco, who has suffered a broken pelvis after crashing out in the men’s ski cross final. He wasn’t alone, with Terence Tchiknavorian of France also taken to hospital with a suspected fractured shin. Likewise, Christoph Wahrstoetter suffered a concussion after colliding with Sweden’s Erik Mobaerg in heat six.
Ragnhild Mowinckel’s silver in the women’s downhill is another victory for Norway at this games, delivering their record sixth Apline skiing medal. Norway are currently heading the medal table, with 11 gold, 11 silver and eight bronze, with Germany in second (11 gold, seven silver and five bronze) and Canada third (nine gold, five silver, six bronze).
Sofia Goggia of Italy wins gold in women's downhill
We had a big upset in the women’s downhill final earlier today, with Sofia Goggia of Italy winning with a time 1:39.22, followed by Ragnhild Mowinckel of Norway (who takes silver with 1:39.31) and Lindsey Vonn of the USA (who takes bronze with 1:39.69).
Vonn had been favourite to win, and was 2010 champion, but Goggia finally won a major title – on the biggest stage of all – that had thus far deserted her despite being one of the world’s best.
This from Bryan Graham’s report:
“I moved like a Samurai,” the gregarious 25-year-old said afterward. “Usually I’m really chaotic. I just used my brain, because I have one, sometimes.”
Vonn, racing out of the seventh position, made no major errors but fell off the pace in the middle section after hitting a gate and finished 0.38 seconds behind her Italian rival.
The bronze makes Vonn, 33, the oldest female alpine skier to win a medal in Winter Games history, but this will be her last downhill. “I wish I could keep going, I’m having so much fun and I love what I do, but my body just can’t take another four years. But I’m proud to be competing for my country, giving it all and proud to come away with a medal.”
Read more: ‘I worked my butt off’: Lindsey Vonn emotional after winning downhill bronze
I should say, British readers, your men’s round robin match against Team USA is important stuff. If you win you’re into the semis, if you lose, it’ll be into the play-offs. Currently, the score is 5-3 to the USA in the sixth.
Updated
OK now, on a very serious note, did you know that the South Korean women’s curling team are going by the names Yogurt, Pancake, Steak, Cookie and Sunny, and call themselves the Garlic Girls? According to Benjamin Haas, who wrote this wonderful story, the name is because they all come from a garlic-producing hometown, (don’t ask me about Steak or Pancake), and they’re an internet sensation in South Korea. Captain Kim Eun-jung is well known for her “singular focus and stern demenaour” and has quickly become a crowd (and meme) favourite.
Curling, as you might imagine, is an obscure sport in South Korea, but these women benefited from their hometown Uiseong building a curling centre in 2006 with funding from the local government. I love this story.
Read more: Garlic Girls: South Korean curling team ward off more seasoned rivals
Updated
As for actual curling results, here’s what happened this morning in the women’s round robin session 11.
Republic of Korea 11-2 def OAR; Sweden 8-4 def China; Switzerland 6-4 def Denmark; Great Britain 6-5 def Canada.
We also have a range of men’s round robin matches happening, which is where the Team Shuster quote derived from. These are the current scores (in the fifth):
Canda 5-2 Denmark; Great Britain 3-2 USA; Norway 4-2 Sweden and Republic of Korea 3-3 Japan.
Meanwhile there is plenty of curling action happening, again, and Mr T would like you all to know that it’s a cool sport.
Curling is cool, I Pity The Fool who don’t like Curling! Grrr #curlingiscoolfool
— Mr. T (@MrT) February 20, 2018
And then you get serious posts like this:
What a fantastic sweep by @jlandsteiner and @MattJamilton. Damn boys way to stay on it and get it to the 12 foot. #TeamShuster
— Team Shuster (@TeamShuster) February 21, 2018
— Martin van Vuuren (@Nokterian) February 20, 2018
Updated
Brady Leman of Canada wins gold in the men's ski cross
Congratulations to Leman, who takes Canada’s first medal (none other than gold) in ski cross. Kevin Drury, the fellow Canadian, crashes out, and could not finish after he caught the skis of Sergey Ridzik (Olympic athlete from Russia), while Bischofberger comes in second. Both looked very happy with their medals. Bischofberger was the current World Cup overall leader, with three straight victories, but finishes with a silver behind Leman.
Czech Republic defeat USA in penalty shoot-out in ice hockey quarter-final
None of the nominated US team could score in the penalty shoot-out thanks to the excellent defence of Francouz. Petr Koukal of the Czech Republic, in fact, was the only player to score. The shoot-out was necessary after the teams were tied at 2-2 after extra time.
And the winner of the penalty shoot-out is... Francouz of the Czech republic who saves ALL FIVE attempts! Zapolski of the USA also saves four of five, but it’s the Czech republic who are through for a chance at a medal!
Here’s what it looked like (x5):
Denied! 🙅♂️
— 7Olympics (@7olympics) February 21, 2018
Czechs leads 1-0 in the penalty shoot out...#Olympics pic.twitter.com/xhkgjgn9sC
Updated
It’s a very close ice hockey match, still tied up at 2-2 in overtime in the quarter-final between Czech republic and USA! We are now going to a penalty shoot out!
Now for the second semi-final, and for those who aren’t watching there is a LOT of yelling that happens before they start their run (and as they do). It’s a bit like grunting in tennis, I guess. Drury from Canada has an excellent run to overtake two competitors in his courtryman Dave Duncan and Ridzik, and Ridzik holds on in second (the Olympic athlete from Russia).
Brady Leman (Canada) and Marc Bischofberger (Switzerland) go through to the medal final! Great stuff rom Lehman who got to the front and held his position to progress to the “big” final. Bischofberger held his form to make his way through.
Canada have never won a medal in this event (in its third edition), and Leman came in fourth at Sochi.
So, our first semi-final will feature: Niederer (Switzerland), Flisar (Slovenia) Leman (Canada) and Bischofberger (Switzerland). Second semi-final will be contested between Ridzik, Drury, Bovolenta and Duncan. That’s followed by the “small” (lowest four competitors) and then “big” final (top four).
Apparently we have had a few bad crashes today in the ski cross. Del Bosco of Canada was taken away on a stretcher - and apparently has had a broken neck in the past. Let’s cross fingers for him, I’ll bring an update once I have one.
Big news! Defending Olympic champion Jean Frederic Chapuis of France is out of the men’s ski cross! He had slipped to 25th in 2017, but had also won gold in the 2013 World Championships and silver in 2015. Beating him to qualification was Sergey Ridzik (Olympic Athlete from Russia) and Dave Duncan of Canada.
Live action at the moment includes the men’s ski cross (freestyle skiing) which has been ongoing from 11:30 local time. Quarter-finals are happening currently, with the top two competitors progressing to the semi-finals.
Here are those who have progressed so far: Brady Leman (Canada), Marc Bischofberger (Switzerland), Armin Niederer (Switzerland), Filip Flisar (Slovenia), Kevin Drury (Canada) and Arnaud Bovolenta (France).
Quarter-final four is still to come.
Welcome to day 12
A dozen days into the Games in Pyeongchang and they are still delivering stories. The big one already today is that Lindsey Vonn, one of the great downhill skiers of all time, was unable to repeat her victory in the 2010 Olympics. The American finished third behind Norway’s Ragnhild Mowinckel and gold medal winner Sofia Goggia of Italy. There was an air of disappointment in the Vonn camp, and the American was emotional when speaking afterwards about her grandfather, who passed away in November 2017:
I worked my butt off ... I’m really proud of my medal and I know he is too
There has been a whiff of something else in the Pyeongchang air of late – it must be the Garlic Girls, five women named Yogurt, Pancake, Steak, Cookie and Sunny who make up the South Korean women’s curling team. Hailing from a garlic-producing town, they have become internet sensations – and are within striking distance of a medal.
Curling, as usual, is also up and running today, with four matches done and dusted so far; Great Britain’s women managed to beat Canada 6-5 in their crunch match meaning they go through to the semis but, shockingly, Canada are not in the medal round for the first time ever. This news is likely to prompt a national day of mourning in Canada.
#putyourstonesout
Otherwise, at Gangneung Ice Arena, the women’s single skating short program is under way – Olympic Athlete of Russia Evgenia Medvedeva leads – the Czech Republic and US are locked at 2-2 in the men’s ice hockey quarter-final, and we’ve had some snowboard big air qualifiers and the men’s ski cross finals are ongoing.
Other medals to be won today:
16:40: women’s ice hockey bronze medal match between Finland and OAR
19:00: cross-country skiing – women’s team sprint final
19:30: cross-country skiing – men’s team sprint final
21:58: speed skating – women’s team pursuit
22:00: women’s bobsleigh
22:17: speed skating – men’s team pursuit
(In brief, and with apologies to the rest of the globe, Pyeongchang is GMT +9, EST +14, AEDT -2.)
Of course, you could just check out our fancy schedule, which also helpfully shows start times, customised to wherever you are in the world.
Updated
