Olympic Highlights, Part 4

From the fast, rough action of hockey and cross to the grace of ice dancing and ski jumping, the second week of the Olympics opened with something for everyone. Thankfully, Sparkler equestrienne10 is back to fill you in on what you may have missed. —SparkNotes editors

Icy reception

The US men’s hockey team advanced to the quarterfinals after Shocking Canada in a 5-3 upset. Ryan Miller made 42 saves in the fast-paced game, which earned the US a bye but does not eliminate Canada from competition. The young team’s win came just a day before the 30-year anniversary of the “Miracle On Ice,” the 1980 Olympic game in which the US hockey team defeated the Soviet Union. This was the first victory for the US men’s team over Canada since 1960.

The biggest play on “Super Sunday,” though, came from Alex Ovechkin of Russia, who blasted through Jaromir Jagr of the Czech Republic in a football-style hit. It led to a goal by Evgeni Malkin in what became a 4-2 victory for Russia, who also gained a bye and will advance to the quarterfinals.

Coming of age

The sport of ski cross made its Olympic debut on Sunday, with the first-ever gold medal going to Michael Schmid of Switzerland. Schmid won all his heats, skiing cleanly in the fast, rough event. For those unfamiliar with ski cross, imagine snowboard cross, but on skis. Many of the racers are former downhill skiers in their mid-30s. I want to see Bode Miller give it a go.

Kühl runnings

André Lange of Germany added another gold medal to his collection when he and his sliding partner, Kevin Kuske, won the two-man bobsled event. Lange, who has never lost an Olympic race, became the first man to win four gold medals in bobsledding. Nicknamed “Bärchen” (little bear), Lange had no problems with the technically difficult track, equaling the record time. The 36-year-old will compete in the four-man bobsled but says he may retire after these Olympics.

Oh Canada

It may not have made up for the hockey loss, but Canadians had something to be proud of when Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue became the first North Americans to win ice dancing gold. At 22 and 20, they were also the youngest pair ever to win. Their graceful program was criticized by several other pairs, including the Italians and Russians, who pointed to the subjective nature of ice-dance judging and the home-ice advantage. Still, Moir and Virtue’s historic victory, along with a silver medal for American pair Meryl Davis and Charlie White, has brought legitimacy to the North American ice dancing program.

Soaring to gold

The Austrian ski jumping team took gold on Monday, led by 20-year-old Gregor Schlierenzauer, who capped the win with a 146.5 meter jump.“Schlieri,” who has achieved rock-star status in Austria, enjoys photography and designs his own clothing line. This is the second Olympics in a row in which Austrians have conquered the team ski jump.

Sweet victory

For Hannah Kearney, winning a gold medal is pretty sweet— literally. The American moguls champion and Vermont native will be getting her own Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor. The combination of coffee ice cream and chocolate cookies will be available soon after the end of the Olympics. Ben & Jerry’s already make one athlete-inspired flavor, Hannah Teter's Maple Blondie.

What's your favorite event in the winter Olympics so far?

Related Post: A Guide to the Winter Olympics

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