Olympic roundup

Compiled from Times wires
© St. Petersburg Times
published February 21, 2002

Croat keeps shot at history alive

PARK CITY, Utah -- The snow was coming down in clumps the size of corn flakes. The course had more potholes than a New York highway.

No big deal for Janica Kostelic, the Alpine star of the Games who stands on the brink of history.

On a choppy course that wiped out nearly half of the competitors, the 20-year-old Croat won the slalom Wednesday, giving her two golds and a silver.

That's three more medals than the entire U.S. women's Alpine team, which is virtually assured of its first medal shutout since the 1988 Games.

Kostelic, who won the combined event and captured silver in the super giant slalom last week, has a chance in Friday's giant slalom to become the first athlete to win four Alpine medals in one Olympics.

There were only three Alpine events until 1988, when the Super G made its debut and the combined event was reintroduced to the Olympics.

"After my combined medal, I got extra power," Kostelic said. "It was kind of easy going after (winning) my first medal. My job was done. I'm just enjoying myself and skiing."

France's Laure Pequegnot was second, .07 seconds behind Kostelic. Sweden's Anja Paerson won the bronze. Only 38 of the 68 skiers completed both runs.

Kristina Koznick, the last real U.S. chance for a women's Alpine medal, crashed on the first run. She came into the race as the second-best slalomer on the World Cup circuit this season but slipped with five gates left.

After coming to a stop, she slumped in the snow in disappointment for several seconds before skiing to the bottom of the course.

"My coach told me I'd be crying today either way, whether I did good or I did bad," she said through tears. "Unfortunately, these aren't the kind of tears I wanted."

The United States' Sarah Schleper, who has had several top-10 finishes on the World Cup circuit this season, lost a ski about two-thirds of the way down the first run.

The only American to complete both runs was 17-year-old Lindsey Kildow, who was 32nd -- 14.63 seconds behind Kostelic.

WOMEN'S SPEED SKATING: Germany's Anni Friesinger broke her own world record in the 1,500 meters to win her first gold while the United States' Jennifer Rodriguez took the bronze.

Germany's Sabine Voelker became the first skater to win three medals at the Games. She won the silver (.95 seconds behind Friesinger) after finishing second in the 1,000 and third in the 500.

Friesinger, whose mother skated for Poland in the 1976 Games, erupted in a huge smile when her time of 1:54.02 flashed on the scoreboard. The previous record was 1:54.38.

Rodriguez joined Derek Parra as a double-medalist for the Americans, (finishing .35 seconds behind Voelker) adding to the bronze she won in the 1,000.

"I couldn't really enjoy the 1,000 bronze because I still had the 1,500," she said. "Now that it's over, I can look back and be very satisfied with my Olympics."

The Americans have won eight medals in eight events, equaling the 1980 team as the most prolific in U.S. history. That squad was dominated by Eric Heiden's five gold medals.

FIGURE SKATING: Two figures in the judging scandal testified before investigators, and the head of the French delegation said the probe would go beyond vote-swapping allegations.

International Skating Union officials heard from Didier Gailhaguet, also the French figure skating president, and Marie-Reine Le Gougne, the French judge he allegedly pressured into throwing her vote to the Russians in last week's pairs competition.

Their testimony was not released.

Meanwhile, the International Skating Union rejected a protest filed by Margarita Drobiazko and Povilas Vanagas of Lithuania over what they believed was unfair judging.

The fifth-place duo contended judges didn't follow the rules in scoring the performances of the third-place Italian duo and the fourth-place Canadian duo.

WOMEN'S CURLING: The United States will play Canada for the bronze today after losing 9-4 to Switzerland in the semifinals. Canada lost 6-5 to Britain in the other semifinal.

The Americans, winners of four in a row after starting 2-3 in round-robin play, conceded after nine ends -- or innings -- when Switzerland scored three in the ninth on a shot by skip Luzia Ebnoether.

Switzerland and Britain play today for the gold.

MEN'S CURLING: Canada advanced to Friday's gold medal game with a 6-4 victory over world champion Sweden. It will play Norway, a 7-6 winner in extra time over defending Olympic champion Switzerland.