Sochi Winter Olympics Medals;Eva Samkova;Weibrecht and Miller

Total medals as of Sunday night:
1.Netherlands 17
2.USA 16
2.Russia 16
3.Canada 14
3.Norway 14
4.Germany 12
5.Switzerland 7
6.People's Republic of China 5
7.Poland 4
7.Belarus 4
Germany had the most gold medals(7).*
In women's snowboard cross racing,the Czech Republic's Eva Samkova powered to the gold medal.Quebec,Canada firefighter Dominique Maltais took the silver,and Chloe Trespeuch of France won the bronze.America's Lindsay Jacobellis,the world's top-rated snowboard cross racer,failed to complete her race at the Olympics for the third time,seemingly unable to concentrate adequately under the extreme stress.She was poised and well-spoken in the face of the disappointment.*
Fortunately for Team USA,Andrew Weibrecht and Bode Miller were not disappointing in the Super G ski race,winning the silver and the bronze,respectively.Weibrecht had failed to medal on the World Cup circuit since his Vancouver 2010 bronze in the same event.Miller's bronze is his sixth Olympic medal in alpine ski racing,solidifying his position as the best alpine ski racer in US history.
The normally stoical Miller,36,got very emotional after the race,thinking of his late brother Shilly,who died last year from a seizure related to a dirt bike accident.Me and my brother talked about coming here,Miller explained.It was a tough race.I was overwhelmed a bit about getting some help from my brother.
I feel good.If my body holds up,you never know.I feel pretty happy with the bronze.I've had a long career,but you never know until you're there,the veteran of five Olympics said.Miller has two more races left at Sochi,the Giant Slalom and the Slalom.

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.