The first medal awarded at the Olympics also served as the first gold for the U.S., when Sage Kotsenburg upset Canadian favorites (and Shaun White haters) Mark McMorris and Sebastian Toutant in men's snowboarding slopestyle. McMorris had to settle for bronze, while Toutant went empty-handed. Kotsenburg, a 20-year-old from Idaho, is about as snowboardy as it gets, winning with a trick he named the "Holy Crail" and giving such astute analysis as, "I kind of do random stuff all the time." Even more adorably, his parents used the NBC tape delay in their favor, taking the time between his win overnight and the 8 p.m. broadcast to rent out a place and have a party watching him.
Hannah Kearney also gave the U.S. a bronze in women's moguls, falling victim to the Dufour-Lapointe sisters Justine and Chloe of Canada.
Otherwise, the status quo remained safe, as Norway dominated both the biathlon and cross country events and the Netherlands swept speedskating. Although you could count bronze medalist Jorrit Bergsma as an honorary American since he IS engaged to U.S. speedskating medal hopeful Heather Richardson.
Finally, the U.S. women's hockey team got off to a strong start by beating Finland, 3-1.
Medals Awarded Yesterday
Biathlon - Men's 10km Sprint
Gold: Ole Einar Bjoerndalen (Norway)
Silver: Dominik Landertinger (Austria)
Bronze: Jaroslav Soukop (Czech Republic)
Cross Country - Women's Skiathlon
Gold: Marit Bjoergen (Norway)
Silver: Charlotte Kalla (Sweden)
Bronze: Heidi Weng (Norway)
Skiing - Women's Freestyle Moguls
Gold: Justine Dufour-Lapointe (Canada)
Silver: Chloe Dufour-Lapointe (Canada)
Bronze: Hannah Kearney
Silver: Chloe Dufour-Lapointe (Canada)
Bronze: Hannah Kearney
Snowboarding - Men's Slopestyle
Gold: Sage Kotsenburg (U.S.)
Silver: Staale Sandbech (Norway)
Bronze: Mark McMorris (Canada)
Silver: Staale Sandbech (Norway)
Bronze: Mark McMorris (Canada)
Speedskating - Men's 5000m
Gold: Sven Kramer (Netherlands)
Silver: Jan Blokhuijsen (Netherlands)
Bronze: Jorrit Bergsma (Netherlands)
Medal Count
Gold Silver Bronze Total
Norway 2 1 1 4
Canada 1 1 1 3
Netherlands 1 1 1 3
U.S. 1 0 1 2
Austria 0 1 0 1
Sweden 0 1 0 1
Czech Republic 0 0 1 1
Medals To Be Awarded Today
Biathlon - Women's 7.5km Sprint
Cross Country - Men's Skiathlon
Figure Skating - Team
Luge - Men's Singles
Skiing - Men's Alpine Downhill
Ski Jumping - Men's Individual Normal Hill
Snowboarding - Women's Slopestyle
Speedskating - Women's 3000m
U.S.'s Best Chance to Medal
Jamie Anderson has a very good chance to allow the U.S. to sweep snowboarding slopestyle in its inaugural Olympics and is the one to beat for the women.
The U.S. figure skating team goes into the final day of competition in third place thanks to a stellar performance by Charlie White and Meryl Davis in the dancing short program. So they could medal so long as nobody has a meltdown today.
The wild card in men's alpine downhill is Bode Miller, who came into the Games as almost an afterthought after missing last season with a knee injury but who dominated qualifying. If the course, another Sochi danger trap that took out a few of Miller's opponents, continues to agree with him, he could continue his reign as the golden boy of U.S. skiing.
Televised Coverage
12 a.m. - Luge: men's singles
Figure Skating: team event (NBC)
3 a.m. - Women's Hockey: Sweden vs. Japan (NBC Sports)
5:30 a.m. - Cross Country: men's skiathlon
Speedskating: women's 3000m (NBC Sports)
8 a.m. - Women's Hockey: Russia vs. Germany (MSNBC)
8:30 a.m. - Luge: men's singles (NBC Sports)
10 a.m. - Figure Skating: team event (NBC Sports)
1 p.m. - Ski Jumping: men's normal hill (NBC Sports)
2 p.m. - Figure Skating: team event
Biathlon: women's 7.5km sprint
Speedskating: women's 3000m
Cross Country: men's skiathlon (NBC)
7 p.m. - Skiing: men's alpine downhill
Snowboarding: women's slopestyle
Figure Skating: team event
Ski Jumping: men's normal hill (NBC)
11:45 p.m. - Luge: men's singles
Figure Skating: team event (NBC)
Interesting Reads
It wouldn't be Sochi without controversy and it wouldn't be figure skating with a judging scandal. This time, it's allegations that the U.S. and Russian judges are in collusion, trading a gold in pairs and the team event for Russia for a win in ice dancing for American darlings Charlie White and Meryl Davis.
More disastrous Sochi hotel rooms!
NBC is getting flak for some of the stuff it edited out of the Opening Ceremony, primarily the statement of anti-discrimination by the IOC president and the introduction of the scariest mascots ever created. Here are some of the highlights you missed.
Silver: Jan Blokhuijsen (Netherlands)
Bronze: Jorrit Bergsma (Netherlands)
Medal Count
Gold Silver Bronze Total
Norway 2 1 1 4
Canada 1 1 1 3
Netherlands 1 1 1 3
U.S. 1 0 1 2
Austria 0 1 0 1
Sweden 0 1 0 1
Czech Republic 0 0 1 1
Medals To Be Awarded Today
Biathlon - Women's 7.5km Sprint
Cross Country - Men's Skiathlon
Figure Skating - Team
Luge - Men's Singles
Skiing - Men's Alpine Downhill
Ski Jumping - Men's Individual Normal Hill
Snowboarding - Women's Slopestyle
Speedskating - Women's 3000m
U.S.'s Best Chance to Medal
Jamie Anderson has a very good chance to allow the U.S. to sweep snowboarding slopestyle in its inaugural Olympics and is the one to beat for the women.
The U.S. figure skating team goes into the final day of competition in third place thanks to a stellar performance by Charlie White and Meryl Davis in the dancing short program. So they could medal so long as nobody has a meltdown today.
The wild card in men's alpine downhill is Bode Miller, who came into the Games as almost an afterthought after missing last season with a knee injury but who dominated qualifying. If the course, another Sochi danger trap that took out a few of Miller's opponents, continues to agree with him, he could continue his reign as the golden boy of U.S. skiing.
Televised Coverage
12 a.m. - Luge: men's singles
Figure Skating: team event (NBC)
3 a.m. - Women's Hockey: Sweden vs. Japan (NBC Sports)
5:30 a.m. - Cross Country: men's skiathlon
Speedskating: women's 3000m (NBC Sports)
8 a.m. - Women's Hockey: Russia vs. Germany (MSNBC)
8:30 a.m. - Luge: men's singles (NBC Sports)
10 a.m. - Figure Skating: team event (NBC Sports)
1 p.m. - Ski Jumping: men's normal hill (NBC Sports)
2 p.m. - Figure Skating: team event
Biathlon: women's 7.5km sprint
Speedskating: women's 3000m
Cross Country: men's skiathlon (NBC)
7 p.m. - Skiing: men's alpine downhill
Snowboarding: women's slopestyle
Figure Skating: team event
Ski Jumping: men's normal hill (NBC)
11:45 p.m. - Luge: men's singles
Figure Skating: team event (NBC)
Interesting Reads
It wouldn't be Sochi without controversy and it wouldn't be figure skating with a judging scandal. This time, it's allegations that the U.S. and Russian judges are in collusion, trading a gold in pairs and the team event for Russia for a win in ice dancing for American darlings Charlie White and Meryl Davis.
More disastrous Sochi hotel rooms!
NBC is getting flak for some of the stuff it edited out of the Opening Ceremony, primarily the statement of anti-discrimination by the IOC president and the introduction of the scariest mascots ever created. Here are some of the highlights you missed.
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