Of course, the rivalry was renewed in the rink, with Canada vs. USA being the premiere women's hockey matchup everyone expected for the Gold Medal.
The Bronze medal game between Sweden and Switzerland went to overtime, continuing the trend of craaazy playoff hockey from yesterday. Switzerland (who none of us drafted!) beat the Swedes to take the Bronze.
The Bronze medal game between Sweden and Switzerland went to overtime, continuing the trend of craaazy playoff hockey from yesterday. Switzerland (who none of us drafted!) beat the Swedes to take the Bronze.
That set up the big game - which was a rematch from earlier in the games. The US won that game 5-0 over Canada...but this is for the GOLD. High stress, high intensity, gotta lay it all on the line. Both teams certainly delivered, providing a super tight game throughout.
Canada finally scored their goal in the most improbable way - US was on a power play, and Canada happened to get a fortunate deflection that led to a 2 v 1 breakaway and a short-handed goal.
It took until the last two minutes of the game - US pulls their goalie to put in an extra skater and boom - the breakthrough goal - game is tied, headed to overtime.
Then, in overtime, another American hero, Megan Keller, pulls a triple deek sliding the puck through her defender and blasting it under the Canadian goalie. Cue Freebird. Cue pandemonium. TASMWTAM takes home the 20 points, Ice Ice Penne left with 10.
Canada finally scored their goal in the most improbable way - US was on a power play, and Canada happened to get a fortunate deflection that led to a 2 v 1 breakaway and a short-handed goal.
It took until the last two minutes of the game - US pulls their goalie to put in an extra skater and boom - the breakthrough goal - game is tied, headed to overtime.
Then, in overtime, another American hero, Megan Keller, pulls a triple deek sliding the puck through her defender and blasting it under the Canadian goalie. Cue Freebird. Cue pandemonium. TASMWTAM takes home the 20 points, Ice Ice Penne left with 10.
No Canadian curler is going to touch that puck.
Speaking of curling, the US women's team faced a win-or-go-home situation today, knowing they must beat the strong Swiss team to make it into the semi-finals and have a chance at a medal. It came down to the final stone - the US holding the hammer.
It almost didn't come to this - the US were up by 3 points in the 10th end, with the Swiss needing a rare, but not impossible, 3-point end to tie and force extras. A miscue by the US opened the door, and the Swiss did not miss. They cleared the stone needed and landed a 3 point end.
Tabitha Peterson was not deterred, and stepped up to deliver the last rock - one which slid a bit farther than the US hoped, but it stopped with about a half inch closer to the button than the Swiss stone, securing the one point needed to close the game out.
The US will face Switzerland AGAIN in the semis - the US women's team has never won a medal.
And of course, the princess of skating was crowned today, in a free skate round full of incredible performances putting very high scores on the board. In the end, it was the funky Alysa Liu of the USA shocking many and coming away with the Gold medal - the first for the US since 2002.
It almost didn't come to this - the US were up by 3 points in the 10th end, with the Swiss needing a rare, but not impossible, 3-point end to tie and force extras. A miscue by the US opened the door, and the Swiss did not miss. They cleared the stone needed and landed a 3 point end.
Tabitha Peterson was not deterred, and stepped up to deliver the last rock - one which slid a bit farther than the US hoped, but it stopped with about a half inch closer to the button than the Swiss stone, securing the one point needed to close the game out.
The US will face Switzerland AGAIN in the semis - the US women's team has never won a medal.
And of course, the princess of skating was crowned today, in a free skate round full of incredible performances putting very high scores on the board. In the end, it was the funky Alysa Liu of the USA shocking many and coming away with the Gold medal - the first for the US since 2002.
Here's to all the American heroes who conquered the Olympic gauntlet today!
Around the Games:
- Ski Mountaineering debuted as an Olympic Sport. It's a bizarre mashup - athletes start on short skis, climbing a mountain, then have to navigate a kind of ski maze on the hill. Next, they reach a staircase for some reason? They have to whip the skis off, throw in a backpack, and run up the stairs, to then throw the skis back on and complete a downhill slalom course back to the start. Oriol Cardona Coll secured the first gold medal for Spain in forever in dominating fashion, John the Baptist brings home the Gold. Ansemelt takes the Bronze for Im-Pasta-Bowl Odds. The women's race also occurred, with Marianne Fatton getting the GOLD for Jamaican Bobsled, and Harrop the Silver for Blades of Glory-ish.
- Nordic Combined - Team Sprint - Norway takes the Gold for Blades of Glory-ish and John the Baptist, Finland silver for Ice Ice Penne, Bronze to Austria of Schrimscetti Skis and TASMWTAM.
- Long Track Speed Skating - 1500m men's final - Jordan Stolz of USA and My Verona fell just short of his potential Gold sweep, ending in Silver behind an amazing performance from Zhongyan Ning of China. The top four finishers all posted times faster than the previous Olympic Record. Joep Wennemars of the Netherlands set the Olympic record, which was then blown away by Ning and Kjeld Nuis in the next race. Jordan Stolz gave a valiant effort, but without the push from another competitior he finished about a second back from Ning. Because of the order, only Wennemars and Ning will go into the record books with ORs, but what an amazing athletic display. Wennemars doesn't get to go home with a medal, though, finishing 4th.
Here's the scoreboard after Day 13:
Don't forget that Bobsled is a "team" medal too - My Verona is only 25 points from 3rd place right now.
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