Journalism of Courage
Attention at the Winter Olympics turned on Tuesday to the eagerly awaited men’s ice hockey competition even before a puck had been shot in anger, as host team Russia, and heavyweights Canada and the United States paraded before the world’s media. For many fans, the Winter Games do not properly begin until the puck drops on the men’s ice hockey rink, and that happens on Wednesday at the gleaming new Bolshoy Ice Dome and Shayba Arena on Russia’s Black Sea Coast.
On day four of the Feb. 7-23 Olympics, most of the action was up in the nearby Caucasus Mountains, where mild temperatures were causing increasing concern about poor snow conditions. The final training session for Wednesday’s women’s downhill was cancelled due to the conditions, and ahead of the Nordic Combined competition on the same day American Bill Demong said of the snow: “It’s not even slushy, it’s just mushy.
“No matter how many chemicals they use I anticipate the snow will get beaten down during the course of the race and I think it will be very tough,” he told reporters.
Temperatures are expected to rise to at least 15C later this week.
US skier Bode Miller has blamed the weather for wrecking his hopes of glory in Sunday’s downhill and he fears the mild conditions may scupper his bid to successfully defend his super combined title.
Despite the gripes, competition went ahead on Tuesday and American snowboarder Shaun White, one of the best-known faces in winter sport, will be vying to retain his halfpipe title. The women ski jumpers compete in the Olympics for the first time after a long campaign to be included.
Howell makes history
The first of eight medals to be decided on Tuesday went to Dara Howell of Canada in the inaugural women’s freestyle skiing slopestyle. Several skiers crashed out spectacularly, including Howell’s compatriot and favourite Kaya Turski, who did not qualify, and fellow Canadian Yuki Tsubota, who appeared to suffer a serious injury on her second run of the final.
The result strengthened Canada’s place at the top of the overall medals’ table with four golds, while Russia linger in sixth position with one gold, two silver and three bronze medals.
The hosts are desperate to improve on their woeful performance at the last Winter Olympics in Vancouver four years ago, when just three gold medals left them 11th in the table.
When the figure-skating team won gold in Sochi on Sunday there was a surge of excitement across the country and internationally. That would be nothing compared to the euphoria a men’s ice hockey gold would bring.
If there is one country where the sport matters as much as in Canada, it is Russia, and more than 100 journalists and 40 television cameras were there for the men’s media conference.
“I participated in four Olympic Games and I don’t remember such an interest in ice hockey players,” former goaltending great Vladislav Tretyak, now president of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation, told reporters.
Life’s a blur for Brown
U.S. figure skater Jason Brown, everything on the ice is a blur. He prefers it that way. Brown wears eyeglasses, though he says his prescription is not that strong. He eschews them when skating, however, and it works. “It really helps me block things out,” he says. “I see the audience and the rink as a whole.” Brown had tried skating with glasses and contacts but soon realized that wouldn’t work because it made things too vivid. Coach Kori Ade also sees that as an advantage. “We’ve termed it calculated oblivion,” Ade says. “If he could see someone in the crowd with a sour face, he would take it personally.”
— AP
