Friday, February 14, 2014

Sochi Winter Olympics Medals;Noelle Pikus-Pace

Total medals count as of Thursday night:
1.Norway 13
2.Netherlands 12
2.USA 12
3.Russia 11
4.Canada 10
4.Germany 10
5.Sweden 5
5.Austria 5
6.Switzerland 4
6.Slovenia 4
Germany had the most gold medals(7).*
The USA continued its success in freestyle skiing and snowboarding as the US men swept the slopestyle skiing medals,led by Joss Christensen.Most of the American medals so far were from these freestyle disciplines.This fact may put extra pressure on alpine skiers and gold medalists Ted Ligety and Bode Miller as they compete for the USA in Friday's men's Super Combined event,which couples a downhill race with a slalom.*
Another chance for a USA traditional discipline medal is in the final heats of the women's skeleton Friday,where Noelle Pikus-Pace,31,was in second place behind Great Britain's Lizzy Yarnold,one of the few medal contenders for her country,after the first two heats.Russia's Yelena Nikitina was in third and American Katie Uhlaender
close behind her in fourth.
Pikus-Pace,a mother with a cheerful demeanor,has had a frustrtating Olympics career.In 2006,she had to withdraw when she was sruck by a bobsled during a training run,which broke her leg.At Vancouver 2010,she missed a bronze medal by 0.10 of a second.She says she intends to retire regardless of the results this time.*
Also of note on Thursday,Italy's Arianna Fontana won the silver medal in the women's 500 meter short track speedskating event when Great Britain's Elise Christie was disqualified for an illegal pass that caused a crash.

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