Day 15: The Final Countdown

The last US Hockey Gold medal - 1980

The biggest hockey game in our lifetimes is tomorrow - against our biggest rival. We're getting old, but this is still older.

 The Fantasy Olympics are fun - but this is the big one...the world stage...the border war...the bragging rights.  Can the US conquer the giant?

GO USA

Around the Games:

• Cross-Country Skiing - 50km race - KLAEBO - his 6th gold! Schrimscetti Skis relishes landing this pick.  Nyenget of TASMWTAM takes silver.
  
  
• Freestyle Skiing - Team USA Scored a dramatic and exciting unexpected gold medal in the mixed team aerials event! China, the overhwelming favorites, missed too many landings and settled for Bronze. Im-Pasta-Bowl Odds and My Verona get the meager points.
  
  
• SkiMo - Mixed Relay - GOLD to Harrop/Anselmelt (FRA) of Blades of Glory/Im-Pasta-Bowl Odds; SILVER to Fatton/Kistler (SUI) of Jamaican Bobsled/TASMWTAM; BRONZE to Cardona (SPA) of John the Baptist
  
  
• Curling -
  BRONZE to Canada Women of Blades of Glory-ish.  Team USA finishes short in 4th. The interview after was incredibly sad, with even the reporter crying through it.  Cory Theisse, who did win a medal in the mixed-doubles, set a record for the most ends played in an Olympics - 192!
  GOLD to the cheaters, the pokers, the touchers, the Canadians. Ultimately, they poked their way to the championship, giving the gold to Im-Pasta-Bowl Odds. Silver goes to team GB, and It's Jamaican Bobsled Time!
  
  
• Biathlon - Julia Simon may be a thief, but she's quite an athlete, securing her 4th medal with a silver in the 12.5km mass start for Schrimscetti Skis
  
  
• Long-Track Speed Skating - The Men's and Women's Mass Start is one of the most bizarre events...I don't know who thought it up.  All skaters start at the gun basically walking, and then there is a point system that barely seems to matter over 15 laps.  Then, you get mega points for finishing first overall, or you can lap people to eliminate them?  Anyway, Jordan Stolz got left behind and ended up 4th. No medals in the men's event for us because 2 guys decided to sort of race the thing like normal and hey, who would have thought trying to race would lead to having a lead and a win?  The women's race was very competitive right to the end, with Groenewoud of Ice Ice Penne taking GOLD, and Blondin of TASMWTAM taking Silver.  Mia Manganello, a former cyclist who picked this up recently, ended up in Bronze for Team USA!
  
  
• Ice Hockey - Finland men's team shut the door on Slovakia 6-1 to secure the Bronze for My Verona!
  
  
• Bobsleigh - 2-woman finals - An incredibly important race for our teams - Kaysha Love of the US and Ice Ice Penne had high hopes but finished in 5th. Kailie Humphries of the US was leading with a track record after the first run, but couldn't hang on, finishing in Bronze position for It's Jamaican Bobsled Time! Finally, the sliding Schrimscetti's get the GOLD as Laura Nolte of Germany put together 4 consistent runs.
  

SO going into the final day of the Games, here we stand:

Schrimscetti Skis have quite a lead - much like their main man Klaebo - doesn't look like drama at the top as they cruise to the finish line.

But suddenly, there's a surge.  The battle for Silver and Bronze is very much in play!

Here's what to watch for tomorrow:

• Cross-Country Skiing - Women's 50km Mass Start - Can Jessie Diggins dig out an upset for Jamaican Bobsled? Will the Swedes reign supreme? Half of us are rooting for the fightin' IKEAs. THIS could decide the podium tomorrow.
  
  
  
  
• Freestyle Skiing - the Halfpipe has been delayed a lot of time, so they still have two runs to go - Eileen Gu still in play for Jamaican Bobsled
  
  
• Curling - Scrimscetti Skis guaranteed a medal with Switzerland women in the gold medal match - can they take down the Swedes?
  
  
• Bobsleigh - the 4-man bobsled will close out the sliding events.  Right now after the second run, Lochner (John the Baptist) is in the lead, with Freidrich (Im-Pasta-Bowl Odds) right behind in second.  Cool Runnings, Jamaica's real team, sits in 22nd.
  
  
• Ice Hockey - of course the premiere closing event - live at 7am central time - US VS CANADA - MOLASSES VS MAPLE SYRUP - EAGLES VS MOOSE - COWBOYS VS MOUNTIES - TONIGHT, WE RIDE! The US has not won the gold medal since the Miracle on Ice in 1980.  It's time!!!!!!!!1
  It's Jamaican Bobsled Time has the US, John the Baptist has Canada.  Who will win?

From doing some analysis - Jamaican Bobsled needs it all to fall his way, but there's still a shot at 2nd place. Im-Pasta-Bowl also has a shot at 2nd or 3rd.

TASMWTAM unfortunately is maxed on points- she has to sit in the kiss and cry and watch what plays out in front of her. 

Blades of Glory-ish need an Olympic Record in Cross-Country.

John the Baptist could shoot up as high as 4th - but it may be just too little too late.

My Verona....my condolences.