US hockey team to play for gold; Lindsey Vonn gets DNF; US locks up tie of most Winter medals

US hockey going for gold; Vonn bails on final race

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — So these won’t be remembered as the Vonn-couver Olympics after all. For Americans, top billing may go to Ryan Miller and the men’s hockey team.

The team scored six times in the first period of its semifinal against Finland, then cruised to a 6-1 victory that sends them into the gold-medal game against either Canada or Slovakia. They are guaranteed to go home with at least silver, which most U.S. fans would’ve gladly taken coming into a tournament that was supposed to be dominated by Canada and Russia.

Vonn was supposed to win all sorts of Alpine medals. Although she is going home with a gold and a bronze, she also had three DNFs for failing to finish her other events, including the slalom on Friday.

Injuries certainly took a toll, from a broken right pinkie to a collection of bruises from chin to shin. But she refused to give up, which may be the bottom line on her performance at these games.

“I’m totally satisfied with everything I have done here,” Vonn said. “I went out there fighting — it just wasn’t my day. I didn’t want to give up, that’s my personality.”

Vonn’s close friend Maria Riesch won the event for her second gold in Vancouver and the ninth for Germany, taking over the lead in that category.

The U.S. leads the overall medal race with 32 — but actually is already guaranteed 34, matching the country’s record set at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. Americans have clinched silver or gold in men’s hockey and the men’s speedskating team pursuit.

Also Friday, Ole Einar Bjoerndalen of Norway added to his tremendous Olympics resume by anchoring Norway’s victory in the men’s biathlon relay. This was his first gold medal since sweeping all four events in 2002, and the 11th medal of his career. That leaves him one behind Bjorn Daehlie’s Winter Games record of 12.

Other medals still to be decided Friday included Apolo Anton Ohno going for a pair in short-track speedskating.

MEN’S HOCKEY

Ryan Malone, Zach Parise, Erik Johnson and Patrick Kane all scored in the first 10:08, sending Finland goalie Miikka Kiprusoff to the bench and pretty much sealing any doubt who’d win this.

Just to make sure, Kane and Paul Stastny greeted his replacement with goals 15 seconds apart just a few minutes later, and the only question left was who the Americans will play.

When they play is significant, too: Sunday is the 50th anniversary of the U.S. winning gold at the 1960 Olympics, beating Canada.

Miller stopped all 18 shots he faced, then headed to the bench with 11:31 left. Tim Thomas allowed a deflected goal with 5:14 left in the game to spoil the bid for consecutive shutouts.

WOMEN’S HOCKEY FALLOUT

The Canadian Olympic Committee better check its mail. A letter is coming from the International Olympic Committee seeking details about the gold-winning women’s hockey team having celebrated its victory by swigging champagne and beer, and lighting cigars, on the ice.

While one IOC official called the behavior inappropriate, committee spokesman Mark Adams said the letter does not qualify as the start of an investigation.

“To be honest, I think people are in search of a story that doesn’t exist,” Adams said.

Hockey Canada apologized in a statement late Thursday, saying it regrets any embarrassment caused by taking their party beyond “the confines of our dressing room.”

The women said Friday they were just having fun and didn’t realize anyone could see them. Fans were out of the building, but media were still around.

“It was just us savoring the moment,” tournament MVP Meghan Agosta said. “We were not thinking about what we were doing, but we are responsible for what we did.”

SLALOM

Riesch’s victory made the German women 3-of-5 in Alpine events. Vonn was waiting for her at the finish.

“Awesome,” she said. “I’m so proud of you.”

Riesch is competing at her first Olympics at age 25 after being sidelined by a season-ending injury four years ago.

Sarah Schleper was the top American, finishing 16th.

SPEEDSKATING

More agony for Sven Kramer, lots of joy for the United States.

The American men upset Kramer and the powerful Dutch team in one team pursuit semifinal, and the U.S. women knocked off Canada in their quarterfinal.

The men will face Canada in the gold-medal race Saturday. The women will face defending Olympic champion Germany in a semifinal Saturday.

BIATHLON

The 36-year-old Bjoerndalen nailed all 10 of his targets, then skied across the finish waving a flag and flashing a big smile.

“I’m really satisfied with my race,” he said. “It was perfect.”

The Americans were 13th out of 19 countries.

CURLING

There’s a new international power in curling: China, which is going home from its first Olympic curling competition with a bronze medal.

The Chinese beat Switzerland, bringing joy to their Canadian-bred coach and disappointment to the Swiss skip who’d brought home back-to-back silver medals from the last two Olympics.

SNOWBOARDING

With rain turning the event into hydroplaning, Nicolien Sauerbreij of the Netherlands won the women’s parallel giant slalom race.

Rider after top rider kept going out, unable to handle the strange conditions. About the only one who handled them consistently was Sauerbreij, who was her country’s flagbearer in 2002, but finished 24th.