American shockers: Hedrick assures himself 5th Olympic medal on day of upsets at the oval

Americans pull a couple of shockers in pursuit

RICHMOND, British Columbia — The Americans pulled one stunner in team pursuit, then another.

When it was done, Chad Hedrick had assured himself a fifth Olympic medal entering retirement, and Jennifer Rodriguez had a shot at one more before she hangs up her clapskates.

The 33-year-old Hedrick teamed with three teenagers to lead the U.S. to two victories in the team event Friday, including a major upset of Sven Kramer and the Dutch in the semifinals. The Americans advanced to face Canada in Saturday’s final, meaning Hedrick will capture gold or silver in the final race of his career.

Rodriguez and the unheralded American women were an either bigger surprise, defeating a Canadian team featuring two individual medalists in the quarterfinals.