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Winter Olympics 2018 Day 13: Lindsey Vonn falters at final hurdle, Aussie skier Dominic Demschar’s campaign ends in seconds, China’s Wu Daijing breaks world record twice to win speed-skating gold

Two of South Korea’s brightest medal hopes have taken each other out in the final of the women’s 1000m short-track | WATCH

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11:59PMFebruary 22, 2018.
Updated 7:36AMFebruary 23, 2018
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Lindsey Vonn is unable to complete her run

Welcome to live coverage of Day 13 of the 2018 Winter Olympics from PyeongChang. Greta Small (alpine combined) and Dominic Demschar (slalom) are back on the slopes for Australia, while Sami Kennedy-Sim has competed in the women’s ski cross.

11.05pm: Shaolin’s masterful skate leads Hungary to first Olympic gold

More pain for the host nation on a shocking night for them in PyeongChang.

In the men’s 5000m relay the Koreans crashed out again and skated in vain in an effort to catch up to Canada, China and Hungary and it was the unlikely Hungarians whio claimed their first Olympic gold when all was said and done.

22-year-old young gun Shaolin Sandor Liu took over for the final leg and got past the Chinese (silver) and Canadians (bronze)at the finish line to record a famous victory.

He also did what his girlfriend, Britain’s Elise Christie could not - win a medal. The unlucky Scot embraced him wildly, while wearing a moonboot, after he skated to the bannister in emotional scenes.

10.35pm: Dutch gold, Korean disaster

It was a Korean disaster in the women’s short track final as Dutchwoman Suzanne Schulting claimed gold.

But the real story was the two South Koreans in the final. Skating at the tail Minjeong Choi went to make the move on the final lap of the race around the field and as all the skaters tried to advance they flushed wide, Minjeong then clipped skates with countrywoman and world record-holder Shim Sukhee and the Koreans tumbled out of the race, into the wall and out of the medals on a dark night for the host nation.

You could hear a pin drop inside the stadium as their coaches shook their heads in collective disbelief.

Schulting then skated to gold arms aloft as Canada’s Kim Boutin took silver and Italy’s Arianna Fontana bronze.

Rubbing salt into an open wound it was Sukhee who was deemed at fault for the crash by the judges and disqualified.

10.22pm: Daijing upsets Korean party in men’s 500m with new WR

China's Wu Dajing has broken his own world record to win the men’s 500m short track gold. Picture: AFP
China's Wu Dajing has broken his own world record to win the men’s 500m short track gold. Picture: AFP

Wu Daijing has produced a gold-medal-winning world record in the men’s 500m short-track to upset Korean dreams of gold.

It was his second world record in less than two hours after breaking it earlier on in the night with a time of 39.8. This time the Chinese star managed a time of 39.584 to beat Korea’s Daehon Hwang, who himself was just .004 off the previous new mark, Hyojun Lim took bronze for Korea and Canada’s Samuel Girard was fourth.

10.04pm: Koreans get rub of green

One of South Korea’s great medal hopes Minjeong Choi almost missed the women’s 1000m short-track final but survived on an advancement.

With two laps to go she was shoved off line by Chinese skater Chunyu Qu and finished third as Dutchwoman Suzanne Schulting took the race from Korean world record-holder Sukhee Shim but Chio made it through after the jugdges advanced her to a five-woman final where they will also face Canada’s kim Boutin and Italy’s Arianna Fontana in a race for gold.

Suzanne Schulting of the Netherlands reacts as she crosses the finish line ahead of Choi Minjeong of South Korea. Picture: AP
Suzanne Schulting of the Netherlands reacts as she crosses the finish line ahead of Choi Minjeong of South Korea. Picture: AP

9.35pm: Oh Canada!

As a tearful Canadian women’s hockey team accepted silver medals after a 3-2 shootout loss to arch-rival United States in the Olympic final, Jocelyne Larocque yanked hers off immediately.

“It just hurt,” she said. “We wanted gold and didn’t get it.” The most painful medal of all came after the Americans snapped Canada’s 24-game Olympic win streak one shy of a fifth consecutive gold.

“This medal really hurts. We’re going to have to move forward now. It’s painful,” said Canada’s Melodie Daoust. “I’m really sad for our team.” And part of the misery for the Canadians was having their fate come down to a penalty shootout after regulation time and a 20-minute over-time period ended deadlocked at 2-2.

“It sucks,” said Canada goaltender Shannon Szabados, who surrendered the deciding US goal after 39 stops over 80 minutes. “It’s more an individual thing than a team thing. Hard to swallow.” Three-time Olympic champion Meghan Agosta, whose final shot was blocked by US goalie Maddie Rooney to clinch the American triumph, wants to see the final decided on a “golden goal” — no matter how many overtimes it takes to achieve it.

“I believe it should be like that,” Agosta said. “When it comes to a shootout, it becomes more individual. It’s unfortunate this had to come down to a shootout.

“When it comes down to a shootout it can be anybody’s game. We hold our heads high, as much as it hurts. We have to be proud of ourselves.” Canada captain Marie-Philip Poulin wasn’t thrilled about being on the short end of the most thrilling women’s Olympic hockey final and first shootout decider for gold.

“I don’t think an Olympic final should come down to a shootout, but that’s part of it,” Poulin said. “Obviously it’s a tough one to swallow.” Canada’s Blayre Turnbull agreed.

“Upset, disappointed. We did not come here for a silver medal and everyone can imagine what losing feels like. It is not a great feeling at all,” she said.

“A game like that should never be decided by a shootout.”

AFP

9.17pm: Dejing sets world record

Daijing Wu set a new world record of 39.800 seconds in the quarter of the men’s 500m speed skating, after Chinese compatriot Ziwei Ren set an Olympic record in the opening quarter of the men’s 500m short track speed-skating as the Chinese star looks for an Olympic gold, beating Hungary’s Shaolin Liu - who if his name means anything should be a force to be reckoned with after also advancing to the semis.

They are joined there by Canadian Samuel Girard and Ryosuke Sakazume, who both advanced thanks to a huge crash in their race, as Yira Seo and Tianyu Han took each other out.

Korea got local hopes through in the form of Hyojun Klim, who led the fourth QF from start to finish ahead of Dutch skater Daan Breeuwsma and Daehoen Hwang, who finished second to Wu in QF 2 but recorded the slowest time of the eight to make the semis.

7.02pm: What a dope

Curling. It’s not a sport one would associate with doping but Russian curler Alexander Krushelnitsky was stripped of his Pyeongchang bronze medal Thursday after being found guilty of doping, the Court of Arbitration for Sport said.

The result means he and his wife have been disqualified.

Krushelnitsky tested positive for meldonium, the drug that famously also got tennis star Maria Sharapova a lengthy ban from the WTA Tour.

“The athlete has admitted the anti-doping rule violation; he is disqualified from the mixed doubles curling event,” the court said in a statement

5.40pm: No fairytale for Vonn

Lindsey Vonn’s hopes of gold in the women’s alpine combined ended in disappointment when she was unable to complete her run in the slalom category.

Vonn led going into the slalom and she was the last skier to go down but ultimately her lack of slalom training cost her dearly.

The American hadn’t contested a slalom event since 2013 and at the 10th gate her hopes of a final Olympic medal were dashed when she missed the gate.

Switzerland’s Michelle Gisin took gold, from Mikaela Shiffrin and compatriot Wendy Holdener.

Still when she got down the mountain Vonnn took the time to wave to the crowd and hug the medallists.

Vonn also led after the downhill leg at the 2010 Vancouver Games. She didn’t finish the slalom that time.

Asked before the slalom race exactly how much slalom training she’s done lately, Vonn smiled, curling her index finger and thumb to make a “0”. “I took one warm-up run going to the slalom inspection in Lenzerheide,” Vonn said, alluding to her fourth-placed finish at last month’s World Cup stop in Switzerland in the combined.

“So those are my last two slalom runs. And before that, I did one day of slalom training before Christmas. So that’s the extent my slalom training this year.”

5.20pm: Swede in a boilover

Andre Myhrer of Sweden has won the men’s slalom, taking advantage of big favourites Marcel Hirscher and Henrik Kristoffersen failing to finish the race. Myhrer watched as first-run leader Kristoffersen skied out early in the second run today.

The 35-year-old Myhrer finished 0.34 seconds ahead of Switzerland’s Ramon Zenhaeusern, who took an unexpected silver medal.

Bronze medallist Michael Matt of Austria was 0.67 behind Myhrer’s two-run time of 1 minute, 38.99 seconds. Matt’s brother Mario won gold four years ago. Myhrer added gold to his bronze medal in the 2010 Vancouver Olympic slalom. He is the second 35-year-old man to take Alpine gold here after Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway won the downhill.

Hirscher went out midway through the first run seeking a third gold medal at these Olympics.

5pm: Not-so-cool runnings

The Australian four-man bobsleigh team have crashed in training. The team of Lucas Mata, David Mari, Lachlan Reidy and Hayden Smith made a mistake entering corner 12 of the track, according to the Australian Olympic Committee, and subsequently tipped their sled over into corner 15.

Ice burns and scrapes were initially thought to be the only injuries, with the team apparently keen to get back on the track tomorrow.

Australia’s four-man bobsled during a training run at the Winter Olympics. Picture: AP
Australia’s four-man bobsled during a training run at the Winter Olympics. Picture: AP

4.30pm: Wise move pays off

David Wise of the US has retained his ski halfpipe Olympic title with a scintillating final run.

After two mediocre efforts, Wise got it right at the third time of asking, scoring 97.20 in the final round to push compatriot Alex Ferreira (96.40) into second place.

Sixteen-year-old New Zealander Nico Porteous claimed the bronze medal with a score of 94.80.

Ferreira, who scored more than 90 points in all three runs, led going into the final round but Wise, who had failed to go clean on his first two attempts, delivered four double corks to match the gold he won when the event made its debut in Sochi.

With six of the top 10 skiers in the World Cup rankings hailing from the United States, many had predicted an All-American podium sweep.

However, Porteous had other ideas as he produced a stunning second run that belied his age to secure New Zealand’s second bronze medal of the day, after fellow 16-year-old Zoi Sadowski-Synnott in the women’s snowboard big air.

4pm: Big-time achievement

Anna Gasser edged two-time gold medallist Jamie Anderson to win gold in the Olympic debut of women’s Big Air snowboarding.

Gasser, the reigning world champion, stomped the last of her three jumps, a double cork 1080 that saw the Austrian flip twice while spinning three times. Her score of 96 was the highest of the day and gave her a total of 185.00. Anderson, who last week captured her second Olympic gold in women’s slopestyle, led going into the final round but sat down while trying to land her last jump. Gasser took full advantage. The 26-year-old raised her arms in triumph and embraced Anderson after the score flashed.

Zoi Sadowski Synnott earned bronze to give New Zealand its first Winter Olympic medal in 26 years.

3.30pm: ‘I’m the underdog here’

More from Lindsey Vonn, who unexpectedly leads the women’s combined after the downhill leg. She has an edge of 0.74sec over closest rival, Norway’s Ragnhild Mowinckel.

Vonn (bronze) and Mowinckel (silver) both made the podium in the women’s downhill on Wednesday behind gold-medal winner Sofia Goggia, who did not take part in the combined.

While the 33-year-old Vonn rarely competes in slalom events these days, Mowinckel already has a silver from the giant slalom and will fancy her chances of gold in the combined as she targets a third medal of the Games. “I’m the underdog here, I think Mikaela is the favourite and I’m just the old lady trying to hang on for a medal,” Vonn told reporters.

“I’m not expecting anything and I think that’s what gives me an outside chance. “I’m going to absolutely give it all I have, I’m going to fight from start to finish and maybe just maybe I can hang on to a medal.”

Mikaela Shiffrin came into the event as America’s main hope for gold and despite finishing 1.98 seconds behind Vonn, she will still feel she can make up the time in the slalom leg given her prowess in the technical events. Shiffrin won gold in giant slalom here to add to her slalom gold from Sochi four years ago.

Lindsey Vonn looks on during the women's alpine combined downhill. Picture: AFP
Lindsey Vonn looks on during the women's alpine combined downhill. Picture: AFP

3pm: Vonn sizzles

Lindsey Vonn has produced a stunning performance in the downhill section of the ladies combined downhill, clocking the fastest time and leading her nearest rival by three-quarters of a second.

As the name implies, the combined is two races in one: downhill and slalom. The downhill is mostly a speed event and the slalom is more technical because it requires several sharp turns around single poles.

Competitors will take on the slalom category about 5pm AEDT. Australia’s Greta Small did not finish her run in the downhill.

2.30pm: Aussie’s shocking exit

Slalom skier Dominic Demschar’s Games campaign lasted just a few seconds after he was disqualified at the first gate.

Demschar appeared stunned after he failed to go around the gate correctly. “Let’s see, he pushes off, just catches the inside ski, catches the gate and the tip gets dragged inside the gate,” one of the commentators said as he was tangled up. “That’s an automatic disqualification.”

Another commentator replied: “(Demschar’s) hand goes to the head — what was I thinking?”

Jacquelin Magnay 2pm: Flagbearer is no chump

Olympic silver medallist Jarryd Hughes has been named the Australian flag bearer for the closing ceremony.

Hughes, who won the silver medal in the snowboard cross, said he was honoured and proud to be leading the Australian team, after staying throughout the Games to watch and support his team mates.

Australian chef de mission Ian Chesterman chose Hughes ahead of Australia’s other medallists: moguls silver medallist Matt Graham and bronze-medal-winning snowboard halfpipe competitor Scotty James.

Hughes’ arch rival Alex Pullin, who created waves when failing to congratulate his team mate at the end of the snowboard cross final, has already returned to Australia.

About 32 Australian athletes will march in the closing, Chesterman revealed.

Hughes said Chesterman called him into the office and he felt he must have done something wrong.

“I thought might be in trouble, it felt like going into principals office. He offered, like very casually, I’ve got his form to fill out do you want me to put your name on it?,’’ said Hughes, 22.

The Sydneysider said of his Olympics experience: “It’s been awesome. It has been quite a ride, I have been hanging with the team and supporting the other Aussies. It’s a great honour to be part of the team and Chesty (Chesterman) has set up a great environment around the Olympics.’’

Olympic Winter Institute boss Geoff Lipshut revealed the frosty relationship between Hughes and Pullin after the snowboard cross final.

Snowboard cross silver medallist Jarryd Hughes. Picture: Getty
Snowboard cross silver medallist Jarryd Hughes. Picture: Getty

Pullin, a two-time world-champion, crashed out in the decider to finish sixth. He left the course without speaking to or congratulating Hughes and Lipshut later confirmed there are long-standing issues between the pair. “Those are personal issues they have,” Lipshut said.

“What we have done is put a process in place where they all respect each other as athletes.

“We’ve set up a process where they are happy to be on the same team here and they all get on well enough to do their sport - and that’s all we ask of them.”

Hughes has his own coach and largely trains separately to Pullin and a number of other riders in the Australian snowboard cross team.

Matters came to a head at the Sochi Winter Olympics over funding issues in the team, Hughes part of a group using the hashtag ‘team outcast’ on social media to express displeasure at the situation.

But Lipshut said those matters had been resolved and the team functioned well despite the divisions.

“No one crossed each other and the lead-up here has been respectful,” Lipshut said.

“We actually rehearsed the lead-in (to PyeongChang) for years. We said ‘you’re all going to be in the same team, you better get used to it’. He added with a chuckle: “I’m actually not going to say what my worst fear was.” “It think this sport, you need to be a very strong personality because it’s just dog eat dog out there. That’s the type of sport it is. If you want dog eat dog you need some big dogs.” Hughes said he was extremely grateful to the Olympic Winter Institute for the new program developed since Sochi.

He said he wouldn’t be in PyeongChang if things had continued down the same path.

Asked whether he was unhappy that his teammates hadn’t hung around to congratulate him he said: “We’re an individual sport, we all want to beat each other. It is what it is.”

Alex ‘Chumpy’ Pullin during competiton in the snowboard cross event last week. Picture: AFP
Alex ‘Chumpy’ Pullin during competiton in the snowboard cross event last week. Picture: AFP

1.15pm: ‘I’ve got a bad feeling about this ...’

In an Olympic stunner, Marcel Hirscher’s quest for a third gold medal at these Games ended quickly today. The 28-year-old Austrian star was the big favourite in slalom, his specialty, but he skied out early in the opening run.

Hirscher looked uneasy on a course where the gates were set by an Austrian team coach. He already lost speed at one combination of gates and trailed by more than a half-second at the midway time split before going off the course. “I had already really a bad feeling about the whole situation,” Hirscher said, acknowledging he had some “really bad training days here.” Still, he smiled for the television cameras as he dressed in the finish area before talking to reporters.

“Hopefully there are still tickets available for a plane right now,” Hirscher said, describing his Olympics as “amazing and really perfect.” Hirscher already won the giant slalom and Alpine combined titles, and a slalom duel with Henrik Kristoffersen of Norway was one of the most anticipated events on the Olympic Alpine program.

Hirscher was seeking to become just the fourth Alpine skier to win three golds at a single Winter Games, and the first man since Jean-Claude Killy 50 years ago.

It has been more than two years since Hirscher last failed to finish a slalom — a span of 21 races, including his victory at the 2017 world championships.

1pm: Russian kisses medal goodbye

Russian curler Alexander Krushelnitsky will give back his Olympic bronze medal after failing a drug test, a spokeswoman for the Russian Curling Federation has old state TV.

Krushelnitsky tested positive for the banned substance meldonium, which is believed to help blood circulation, after winning bronze in mixed doubles with his wife, Anastasia Bryzgalova.

“We have signed a statement that indeed he did have (meldonium in the sample) and as a result we will give the medal back,” Russian Curling Federation spokeswoman Valentina Parinova told state TV channel Russia 1. Word comes as the International Olympic Committee is due to decide on Saturday whether to formally reinstate the Russian team for the closing ceremony. Russia was banned from the Pyeongchang Olympics over widespread doping at the Sochi Games four years ago, but 168 Russians including Krushelnitsky were allowed by the IOC to compete as “Olympic Athletes from Russia” under the Olympic flag.

A statement in Krushelnitsky’s name published by state news agency Tass said he accepted the substance had been found in his sample but that he had not doped intentionally.

Aleksandr Krushelnitckii says he will return the bronze medal he won with wife Anastasia Bryzgalova in the curling mixed doubles. Picture: AFP
Aleksandr Krushelnitckii says he will return the bronze medal he won with wife Anastasia Bryzgalova in the curling mixed doubles. Picture: AFP

12.45pm: Gold and flu medication

Newly-crowned downhill champion Sofia Goggia, after losing her voice and complaining of fatigue, has withdrawn from the Olympic alpine combined today, the Italian team says.

“Sofia wasn’t able to sleep and has lost her voice,” the team says. Goggia’s teammate Federica Brignone, bronze medallist in the giant slalom, is uncertain to make the start after bruising her left knee in a crash during the downhill yesterday.

Sofia Goggia is out of the alpine combined event after feeling the effects of her gold-medal win in the downhill yesterday. Picture: AFP
Sofia Goggia is out of the alpine combined event after feeling the effects of her gold-medal win in the downhill yesterday. Picture: AFP

12.30pm: Safely down

Australia’s Sami Kennedy-Sim has completed her seeding run in the women’s ski cross. The round of 32 and following rounds will be run tomorrow. The event was brought forward due to the prospect of bad weather tomorrow afternoon.

“I was trying to use today’s training run this morning and this as another training opportunity,” Kennedy-Slim told Channel Seven.

“I’m still pretty devo, made a couple of big mistakes, but if I didn’t have anything to work on it would be pretty boring. There is some really good elements there, so you know, the real race is tomorrow.”

12pm: Big gun misfires

Austrian Marcel Hirscher’s quest for a third gold medal at the PyeongChang Games has come to an abrupt end when he bombed out of the first leg of the Olympic slalom today. Hirscher failed to find his rhythm on a course set by his own coach, Michael Pircher, and eventually missed a gate.

Austria’s Marcel Hirscher has trouble with a gate during the first run of the men's slalom. Picture: AP
Austria’s Marcel Hirscher has trouble with a gate during the first run of the men's slalom. Picture: AP

11.30am: Women shade the men

Broadcaster NBC is on the brink of a historic accomplishment: These games will mark the first time female athletes have been featured more than men on a US network’s prime-time Olympic coverage.

That’s the prediction from three professors who have been tracking the gender breakdown of coverage for each Olympics since 1994. It’s a turnaround not just from tradition but from the first 10 nights of PyeongChang telecasts, when men had a clear edge.

That was erased with the focus on American skiers Lindsey Vonn and Mikaela Shiffrin, and the trend is likely to continue with women’s figure skating a big feature of the second week. Women have won a majority of Team USA’s medals so far.

While not perfect, “it’s clear that NBC’s Olympic coverage is leading any advancement for women athletes,” said Andrew Billings, a University of Alabama professor who conducts the study with James Angelini of the University of Delaware and Paul MacArthur of Utica College.

11am: IOC ‘old farts’ under fire

The spokesman for the International Olympic Committee is hinting that its longest-serving member should think about stepping down for criticising fellow members and calling some of them “old farts.”

Canadian Dick Pound has harshly criticised the IOC for not banning Russian athletes from the PyeongChang Olympics despite a massive doping scandal. Pound referred to some fellow members as “old farts” in a British newspaper interview. Pound suggested athletes could stay away from the Olympics if the IOC didn’t get tougher on doping.

IOC spokesman Mark Adams says, “In the end, if you don’t like the coffee that’s served at a coffee shop, if you don’t like the decor, if you don’t like the prices, then you maybe go to another coffee shop.” Pound couldn’t be immediately reached for comment Wednesday.

IOC member Dick Pound has taken aim at his colleagues in a stinging spray. Picture: AFP
IOC member Dick Pound has taken aim at his colleagues in a stinging spray. Picture: AFP

10.30am: Shock win for ‘Berlin Bob’

There were hopes of a German win in the women’s bobsleigh final but not necessarily from the hands of former hammer thrower and Berlin-resident Mariama Jamanka.

However, the 27-year-old led a steering masterclass at the Olympic Sliding Centre to bag her country’s first gold in the event since 2006 and her first notable triumph in bobsleigh.

Even Jamanka looked surprised as she crossed the line with brakewoman Lisa Buckwitz, who sat crying tears of joy into her helmet.

“I’m from Berlin and Lisa is also from Berlin so we are a purely ‘Berlin Bob’,” said Jamanka. “This composition has never happened before. I’m very proud of it, we’ve shown that we can really do it.

“It shows that you can come from other parts of Germany and be good in winter sports.” It was their team mates, Stephanie Schneider and Annika Drazek, who had been expected to lead the German field, but it was the bond between Jamanka and Buckwitz which helped catapult them across the finish line to gold. “From the beginning we got along very well with each other and we really wanted to show what we could do,” said Jamanka.

“I still can’t believe that we won. It is our first victory,” she added. World champion Elana Meyers Taylor and Lauren Gibbs of the United States, had to settle for silver with Canada’s Kaillie Humphries and Phylicia George claiming bronze.

10am: Conditions in PyeongChang drop

Sure, you always expect the weather at the Winter Olympics to be a little fresh. But with highs of two degrees and a low of -11, things have hit a new level.

9.40am: Small responds to positive finish

While 20th might not sound like a result to celebrate, Greta Small produced the best finish by an Australian woman in the ladies’ downhill in the history of the games. Fair play!

Speaking after the result, Small said she was proud of the result after battling illness.

“To come 20th I’m really happy, I’ve got a bit of the flu so I’m down on energy, I was really just trying to save on energy and get myself up for the run today.”

9.20am: Ivanka Trump heading to Games

Ivanka Trump is set to attend the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics in South Korea on Sunday in the latest high-profile visit to Games which have been dominated by the North Korea crisis.

Advisor to US President Donald Trump, Ivanka Trump. Photo: AFP
Advisor to US President Donald Trump, Ivanka Trump. Photo: AFP

The trip by US President Donald Trump’s eldest daughter — who is also one of his advisers — comes in the wake of a visit to the PyeongChang Games by North Korea’s ceremonial head of state Kim Yong-nam and Kim Yo-jong, sister of leader Kim Jong-un.

“The upcoming visit by adviser Ivanka is intended to celebrate the successful hosting of the PyeongChang Olympics and highlight the mutual understanding of the South Korea-US alliance,” said Noh Kyu-duk, spokesman for the foreign ministry in Seoul, according to the Yonhap news agency.

Trump is expected to arrive in South Korea on Friday, the agency added, quoting Noh as saying her detailed itinerary will be released by the United States.

When asked if North Korea would be on the agenda for any potential talks during Ivanka Trump’s visit, Noh said, according to Yonhap: “Issues of mutual interest could naturally be on the table during the process of the visit.”

8.45am: Grimus falls, Kennedy-Sim up next

After a heavy fall in his seeding run yesterday, Australia’s Anton Grimus was unable to make an impact in one of the Winter Olympics’ rough and tumble events, the men’s ski cross.

Grimus finished 30th overall after finishing fourth in his heat, failing to progress through to the quarter-finals.

Australia’s Sami Kennedy-Sim is scheduled to do her seeding run in the women’s ski cross today, while the rest of the competition will be completed tomorrow.

Ranked 12th on the current World Cup leaderboard, Kennedy-Sim will certainly be aiming to improve on her 28th place finish at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

8.07am: Russian ‘stupid to deny’ positive test

The Russian curler who failed a doping test at the Winter Olympics has pulled out of a hearing about his case at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the RIA Novosti state news agency reported.

It quoted the head of the Russian delegation at the Games, Stanislav Pozdnyakov, as saying that Alexander Krushelnitsky had withdrawn from the CAS hearing.

Krushelnitsky, who failed two tests after winning a bronze medal with his wife Anastasia Bryzgalova in the mixed doubles curling, sent a message to RIA Novosti saying “I confirm this.” The CAS hearing is set for 4pm AEDT today.

Russian athletes Anastasia Bryzgalova, left, and Alexander Krushelnitsky smile as they win accept their bronze medals for mixed doubles curling. Photo: AP
Russian athletes Anastasia Bryzgalova, left, and Alexander Krushelnitsky smile as they win accept their bronze medals for mixed doubles curling. Photo: AP

RIA Novosti also published a statement from Krushelnitsky in which he said that it was “stupid to deny” the fact of doping when the A and B tests had shown the presence of a banned substance, meldonium.

“I am ready for the appropriate verdict, which in such cases is predictably identical,” he said.

“Due to this, having weighed all the pros and cons, I decided to pull out of the holding of the CAS hearing over my situation. I consider that under the current rules it is useless and pointless,” he said.

The athlete has said that the positive tests were a shock, while Russia’s sports minister Pavel Kolobkov said that there was no point for him in taking the endurance-boosting drug as it was “pointless” for curling.

Krushelnitsky was one of 168 athletes passed as “clean” and allowed to compete as neutrals after a targeted testing program stretching back over several months.

— AFP

7.20pm: Worst, or craftiest, Olympian ever?

Freestyle skier Elizabeth Swaney was compared to Eddie the Eagle yesterday as an Olympics official defended her trickless performance in the halfpipe at the PyeongChang Winter Games.

American-born Swaney, representing Hungary via her mother, turned heads when she performed only basic turns without attempting any tricks in qualifying runs on Monday, when she finished dead last.

Swaney’s showing raised questions about her qualification for the Olympics via a loophole. But International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams said the 33-year-old deserved her place at the top table of winter sports.

“If you’re British you’ll know the story of Eddie the Eagle, who soared into everyone’s hearts,” said Adams. “Not making the best sporting performance but he took part in an elite competition.

Worst, or craftiest, Olympian ever?
Worst, or craftiest, Olympian ever?

“There is a proper system for qualification and we’ll continue to keep that, but we also need to leave the door open for universality because that’s what separates this event from a normal sporting event.”

In 1988, Eddie “the Eagle” Edwards became Britain’s first Olympic ski jump competitor in 60 years, finishing last in both his events.

“The Olympic Games are about universality, about reaching out around the world. They are also about elite sport,” Adams said.

Elizabeth Swaney competes for Hungary during the women’s ski halfpipe qualifiers, in which she finished dead last. Photo: Getty Images
Elizabeth Swaney competes for Hungary during the women’s ski halfpipe qualifiers, in which she finished dead last. Photo: Getty Images

“The two can go together and we saw a really good case there (Swaney). It’s a great story, she has a great story to tell, I think, which everyone really, really appreciates.”

According to reports, Swaney turned up at several World Cup events where there were fewer than 30 competitors, helping her reach the Olympic qualifying standard by finishing among the top 30.

Cassie Sharpe, gold medal winner in the freestyle halfpipe, defended Swaney. “I mean, we all know Elizabeth. We’ve seen her at every World Cup, she’s come to do her qualification process for her country,” Sharpe said.

“She’s put in the time to be at these events. I think, just with the process of her country, she made the cut, she deserves to be here as much as anybody else.

“I feel like she put in the time to do what she wanted to do to be an Olympian.”

— AFP

7.15am: Small’s big hopes for new PB

Greta Small will be eyeing off another best Games performance when she competes in the alpine combined at the Winter Olympics today (5pm AEDT).

The Australian was a competitive 20th in the downhill yesterday — a result that on the surface may not seem like much but in the ultra-competitive world of ski racing should be well-regarded.

Australia's Greta Small competes in the women's downhill. Photo: AFP
Australia's Greta Small competes in the women's downhill. Photo: AFP

It was the best result by an Australian woman in the downhill at the Winter Olympics and the best alpine result for her country since 2002. The effort was made more noteworthy given she was battling the flu in the lead- up.

‘Really happy’ with 20th ... Australia's Greta Small. Photo: AFP
‘Really happy’ with 20th ... Australia's Greta Small. Photo: AFP

“I think in downhill it’s not necessarily good to be panelling (hitting) each gate but I just really tried to go for it — 2.8 (seconds) behind’s my best ever result at this level of racing,” she told Channel 7.

“I was 3.4 out in Sochi, 29th so to come 20th, I’m really happy — especially (because) I’ve got a bit of a flu.”

Small is supported by her father and Australian coach Mick Branch in PyeongChang, a far cry from the multi-coach and support-team setups the larger alpine teams such as Austria and the United States have.

She had been out of action for two years in between the Sochi Games and this event because of knee injuries but wants to give the sport a major tilt in the lead-up to Beijing in four years’ time.

The alpine combined features one downhill run and a slalom run with the skier claiming the best combined time the winner.

It is expected to be American great Lindsey Vonn’s last event in Olympic competition.

— AAP

7.10am: Bjoergen sets new records

Marit Bjoergen is now the most decorated Winter Olympian of all time after her Norwegian team took bronze in the women’s cross-country skiing sprint relay, increasing her career tally to 14 Olympic medals.

Jessica Diggins and Kikkan Randall won the gold, the first ever for the United States in an Olympic cross-country skiing in one of the highlights on Day 12 at the PyeongChang Winter Games.

US alpine star Lindsey Vonn turned in a bronze-medal performance in the last Olympic downhill of her career.

In figure skating, Russian Alina Zagitova performed a flawless “Black Swan” routine for a world-record score in the short program and a shot at gold after Friday’s free dance.

In the speed skating team pursuit event, Norway won for the men while Japan took gold for the women.

Germany’s Mariama Jamanka, with brakewoman Lisa Buckwitz, took the gold in women’s bobsledding despite never having won a World Cup race.

— AP

7am: Day 13 — Aussies to watch

FREESTYLE SKIING
• 12pm: Sami Kennedy-Sim (women’s ski cross)

ALPINE SKIING
• 12pm: Dominic Demschar (men’s slalom run 1)
• 5pm: Greta Small (women’s alpine combined, slalom)

6.45am: How the Aussies fared on Day 12

ALPINE SKIING
• Women’s downhill: Greta Small 20th

FIGURE SKATING
• Women’s short program: Kailani Craine 16th (qualified)

FREESTYLE SKIING
• Men’s ski cross: Anton Grimus 30th

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING
• Women’s team sprint free: Barbara Jezersek, Jessica Yeaton sixth, semi-final (eliminated)
• Men’s team sprint free: Callum Watson, Phillip Bellingham 13th, semi-final (eliminated)

— AAP

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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/winter-olympics-2018/winter-olympics-2018-day-13-sami-kennedysim-greta-small-dominic-demschar-in-action/news-story/8318305fee0933a061523310747c6b9e