Olympics Report: US picks up Second Nordic Combined Medal

The United States Nordic combined team picked up it's second medal in the team event.  Austria laid claim to the gold medal, defending their gold from the Torino games, while Germany picked up the bronze.

Nordic Combined Team Large Hill-Cross Country Final Standings
1.  Austria (Bernard Gruber/David Kreiner/Felix Gottwald/Mario Stecher), G
2.  United States (Brett Camerota/Todd Lodwick/Johnny Spillane/Bill Demong), S
3.  Germany (Johannes Rydzek/Tino Edelmann/Eric Frenzel/Bjorn Kircheisen), B
4.  France (Maxime LaHeurte/Francois Braud/Sebastien LaCroix/Jason Lamy Chappuis)
5.  Norway (Jan Schmid/Espen Rian/Petter L. Tande/Magnus Moan)
6.  Japan (Taihei Kato/Daito Takahashi/Akito Watabe/Norihito Kobayashi)
7.  Finland (Janne Ryynaenen/Jaakko Tallus/Anssi Koivuranta/Hannu Manninen)
8.  Czech Republic (Ales Vodsedalek/Miroslav Dvorak/Tomas Slavik/Pavel Churavy)
9.  Switzerland (Seppi Hurschler/Tim Hug/Tommy Schmid/Ronny Heer)
10.  Italy (Alessandro Pittin/Giuseppe Michielli/Lukas Runggaldier/Armin Bauer)

Bode Miller, looking for his fourth Vancouver medal in the men's giant slalom, failed to finish after skiing out on the course.  Switzerland's Carlo Janka won the gold medal, with Norwegians Kjetil Jansgrud and Aksel Lund Svindal winning silver and bronze, respectively.

Men's Giant Slalom Final Standings (Top 15)
1.  Carlo Janka (SUI), G
2.  Kjetil Jansgrud (NOR), S
3.  Aksel Lund Svindal (NOR), B
4.  Marcel Hirscher (AUT)
5.  Romed Baumann (AUT)
6.  Benjamin Raich (AUT)
7.  Ivica Kostelic (CRO)
8.  Felix Neureuther (GER)
9.  Ted Ligety (USA)
10.  Ales Gorza (SLO)
11.  Massimiliano Blardonne (ITA)
12.  Philipp Schoerghoffer (AUT)
13.  Steve Missillier (FRA)
14.  Didier Cuche (SUI)
15.  Sandro Viletta (SUI)

It was the women's turn to hit the ski cross course, and the Canadians came up big, with Ashleigh McIvor winning the event's inaugural gold medal. 

Women's Ski Cross Final Standings (Top Eight)
1.  Ashleigh McIvor (CAN), G
2.  Hedda Berntsen (NOR), S
3.  Marion Jasserand (FRA), B
4.  Karin Huttary (AUT)
5.  Kelsey Surwa (CAN)
6.  Anna Holmund (SWE)
7.  Fanny Smith (SUI)
8.  Julie Brendengen Jensen (NOR)

The Dutch speed skating team suffered a heartbreak at the Richmond Oval when Sven Kramer, widely favored to win the gold medal in the men's 10,000m, made a lane change error and was disqualified.  Korean Lee Seung-Hoon ended up with the gold, while Ivan Skobrev of Russia won the silver and Kramer's teammate Bob De Jong won the bronze.

Men's Speed Skating 10,000m Final Standings (Top 8)
1.  Lee Seung-Hoon (KOR), G
2.  Ivan Skobrev (RUS), S
3.  Bob De Jong (NED), B
4.  Alexis Contin (FRA)
5.  Håvard Bøkko (NOR)
6.  Sverre Haugli (NOR)
7.  Henrik Christiansen (NOR)
8.  Jonathan Kuck (USA)

Olympics Report: US Claims Men's Figure Skating Gold, Bodie Takes Silver in Men's Super G

The United States has a new first to boast; the first gold medal in men's figure skating in 22 years.  American Evan Lysacek beat out Russian defending gold medalist Yevgeny Plushenko to claim the gold medal in men's singles figure skating, America's first gold in the event since Brian Boitano won gold at the 1988 Calgary games.  Yevgeny Plushenko won silver, while Japan's Daisuke Takahashi claimed the bronze.

Men's Singles Figure Skating Final Standings (Top 20)
1.  Evan Lysacek (USA), gold medalist
2.  Yevgeny Plushenko (RUS), silver medalist
3.  Daisuke Takahashi (JPN), bronze medalist
4.  Stephane Lambiel (SUI)
5.  Patrick Chan (CAN)
6.  Johnny Weir (USA)
7.  Nobunari Oda (JPN)
8.  Takahiko Kozuka (JPN)
9.  Jeremy Abbot (USA)
10.  Michal Brezina (CZE)
11.  Denis Ten (KAZ)
12.  Florent Amodio (FRA)
13.  Artem Borodulin (RUS)
14.  Javier Fernandez (ESP)
15.  Adrian Schultheiss (SWE)
16.  Brian Joubert (FRA)
17.  Kevin Van Der Perren (BEL)
18.  Samuel Contesti (ITA)
19.  Tomas Verner (CZE)
20.  Paolo Bacchini (ITA)

In the men's super giant slalom, Bodie Miller improved on his bronze medal win in the men's downhill by winning the silver medal.  Norwegian skier Aksel Lund Svindal took the gold medal, and American Andrew Weibrecht took the bronze.

Men's Super Giant Slalom Final Standings (Top Ten)
1.  Aksel Lund Svindal (NOR), gold medalist
2.  Bode Miller (USA), silver medalist
3.  Andrew Weibrecht (USA), bronze medalist
4.  Werner Heel (ITA)
5.  Erik Guay (CAN)
6.  Christof Innerhofer (ITA)
7.  Patrick Staudacher (ITA)
8.  Carlo Janka (SUI)
9.  Tobias Gruenenfelder (SUI)
10.  Didier Cuche (SUI)

Events were also contested in skeleton.

Women's Skeleton Final Standings (Top 15)
1.  Amy Williams (GBR), gold medalist
2.  Kerstin Szymkowiak (GER), silver medalist
3.  Anja Huber (GER), bronze medalist
4.  Noelle Pikus-Pace (USA)
5.  Mellisa Hollingsworth (CAN)
6.  Shelley Rudman (GBR)
7.  Amy Gough (CAN)
8.  Marion Trott (GER)
9.  Maya Pederson (SUI)
10.  Emma Lincoln-Smith (AUS)
11.  Katie Uhlaender (USA)
12.  Melissa Hoar (AUS)
13.  Michelle Kelly (CAN)
14.  Tionette Stoddard (NZL)
15.  Costanza Zanoletti (ITA)

Men's Skeleton Final Standings (Top 15)
1.  Jon Montgomery (CAN), gold medalist
2.  Martins Dukurs (LAT), silver medalist
3.  Aleksandr Tretiyakov (RUS), bronze medalist
4.  Tomass Dukurs (LAT)
5.  Zach Lund (USA)
6.  Kristan Bromley (GBR)
7.  Frank Rommel (GER)
8.  Matthias Guggenberger (AUT)
9.  Jeff Pain (CAN)
10.  Sandro Stielicke (GER)
11.  Ben Sandford (NZL)
12.  Sergei Chudinov
13.  Michi Halilovic (GER)
14.  Eric Bernotas (USA)
15.  Gregory Saint-Genies (FRA)