15/02/2018 Winter Olympics Extra

Welcome to day six of

the Winter Olympics, where there

are nine medals on offer.

Over the next hour, we'll have

extended highlights of two events

which couldn't be more different.

But first the grace and beauty

of the pairs free skate.

Welcome to the medal day at the ice

Arena, it is the crunch day for

Welcome to the medal day at the ice

Arena, it is the crunch day for the

pairs, this competition will be

fierce today. As it stands, at the

top of the tree, less than one point

between China and the Olympic

athletes from Russia in the gold and

silver medal positions and then two

points between the pair in eighth

position and everyone else between

them and bronze. It will be a

scramble for the podium places

today, and only perfection will do!

This pair, though, are gunning for a

place on the podium, and they have

the weapons in their arsenal to

clinch a medal, if they perform

right here, right now. They came

tenth in Sochi at the last Olympics

and they are looking to improve on

that. They came through the short

programme in six, can they take a

medal home to France?

medal home to France?

Vanessa and

Morgan have a quadruple Salchow

planned, but they have combinations

to come and the twist is going to

come first.

A lovely twist there. Brilliant

control, good height and flight.

They need the same on the side by

side toe loops. They have got them.

With two double toe loops Toffolo.

-- to follow.

-- to follow. If the quadruple throw

is going to appear, it will be

here...

here...

They went for it!

And they

made the rotation.

The double Salchow from Vanessa...

The throat... And the triple Lutz.

CHEERING

It is too tight at the top for

mistakes. How much will that have

cost them? Just a double when they

were looking for a triple.

This is

the throw... One, two, three,

four... Landing on two feed and two

plans. -- two feet and two hands. He

did a triple, and she did the

double.

It is a big new season's

best. Beating their previous mark by

a couple of hundred points. That

means that Vanessa James and Morgan

Cipres are our new leaders. They are

still in the hunt for a bronze

medal...

medal... Next, looking for the state

of their lives, they are just

outside of the medal positions at

the moment by 0.23 of a point, no

mistakes, and a great performance

and it could be a third bronze medal

at the Olympics for Savchenko, and a

first for Massott, but they need to

be perfect.

They open with a triple twist...

Just watch the height that it flies

at...

The first of the throes... She has

got it on one third... And it is

clean. -- one foot.

The triple Salchow, double toe

loop... Yesterday it was just a

double for Brunei and it cost them

dearly but today, perfection.

Second am part -- second jump...

Triple toe loops, and well done.

This is looking good.

The throw triple Salchow. The big

and difficult element done for them.

Strength and control... Through the

lifts...

Perfect! The race for the bronze

medal is on!

I think the race for

the gold is an!

They were out of the

medal positions before the free

skate.

They are going to be fighting

for the bronze medal place but that

performance has not put them on a

podium. What colour it will be, we

will find out -- but that

performance has put them on the

podium, there have been some

beautiful transitions. Some of those

moves well choreographed by

Christopher Dean. He spent time with

them last year. In the autumn.

Hoping to clean and fix these

transitions between. To me, it was

the detail that will separate this

from some of the others.

from some of the others. It is going

to be big. Absolutely.

That is the

best that they have skated... 159.30

one. The season's best. Is that how

they clinch the Olympic title?

They

have broken their own world record

with the free skate score. It was

sensational skating, wasn't it?

This

is the couple with whom they were

tussling for the bronze medal

position.

position. Megan DuHamel and Eric

Radford of Canada, already the team

champions going away from the games

with a gold medal...

with a gold medal... And the

pressure is on these two now, to

hang on to a spot on the podium...

A triple twist...

He had the hardest side by side solo

jump element, and this will be the

side by side triple Lutzs.

Hands down for Norl, not sure it was

fully rotated, that would be a

review.

Now quadruple through Salchow. She

has got it.

Nine points from that one element.

Side by side triple Salchow, double

toe loop, double toe loop.

Triple Lutz.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Fighting for a medal, fighting to

hold on to a podium spot. Eric

Radford and Meagan Duhamel.

They are

thrilled with that skate, she landed

the quad.

But there was that

mistake.

Slightly on the Lutz. Their

triple twist is not the strongest or

highest, just level three. This is

the Lutz.

That is where the hands

went down.

For me, that was under

rotated, I would not have called

that. But not so there with the quad

on one foot, so good to see them

able to deliver that quad, boom.

Oh,

it is not enough to go ahead of the

Germans, they are in the silver

medal position, Meagan Duhamel and

Eric Radford. And they needed a new

world record to chase down the

Germans, in fact everyone needs a

new world record to chase down the

Germans! So the world champions

Germans! So the world champions from

China, Sui Wenjing and Han Cong. So

much of the season has been about

whether they would be here and that

their best, because when they are,

they are world beaters.

And they will open their free

programme with a quadruple twist, so

four revolutions in the air from

take-off.

Side by side triple toe loops.

Dear, dear! The triples were fine,

but not the combinations they wanted

afterwards, just to singles from

him.

Off the triple Salchow for her, that

was a problem in the warm up as

well, two falls.

Beautiful lift.

Triple flip. Absolutely glorious!

CHEERING

Triple Salchow.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

It is rousing stuff, but is it

enough to hold onto their lead? The

Germans were sublime.

The second

half was absolutely superb, but a

couple of very, very costly errors

on those side by side triple jumps.

It was the quad, one, two, three,

four. She had fallen on the Salchow

in the warm up.

There is that hand.

No-one can touch them for the

throes, though.

Right, is the work

they did in the short programme

going to be enough? No, it is not,

153.08, it is not enough for them to

hang onto that gold medal. So Aliona

Savchenko and Bruno Massot of

Germany out in front. So our final

skaters, then, of this free skate

competition, and these two will be

looking to push up into the medals

as well.

as well. Team silver winners

already, the Olympic Athletes from

Russia, and they were in the silver

medal position after the short

programme, they are relying on

Christian ideal error for an Olympic

medal. -- Christina Aguilera.

Our final team will open their bid

for gold with a quadruple twist.

That was lovely!

Now, side by side triples, first

triple Salchow.

triple Salchow. He did, she didn't.

Triple Salchow now. Oh, that has

gone as well!

Needs to get the composure back now

for the side by side triple toe

loops.

With the two double toe loops to

follow.

Triple loop... Beautiful!

It isn't going to be good enough for

a gold medal... And it isn't going

to be good enough for silver. Is it

good enough for a medal at all?

I

think they may struggle to be on the

podium, to be honest. It certainly

did not have their normal pizzazz or

champion feel about it... Tentative,

the double

the double Salchow there, always

strong with the throes but it was

overcooked on that one. Way too far

forward on the toe pick landing...

Is it a medal for the Olympic

Athletes from Russia? No, it is not.

143.2 five. No medal for the Olympic

Athletes from Russia. It means

Athletes from Russia. It means that

the German pair learned that they

are the Olympic champions, Savchenko

and Massott. What fight to jump from

fourth position to the top of the

podium. They are the worthy winners.

What a performance out there. In a

battle with Meagan Duhamel and Eric

Radford for a bronze medal but they

came onto the ice and they were foot

perfect!

Absolutely glorious, she

has been fighting for this moment

for a few years now, it didn't

happen as they would have liked it.

Two Olympic bronze medal is in the

past that now she is the Olympic

champion, at the age of 34 years

old.

So, we have our Olympic champions.

What a ride it was in the free

skate,

skate, Lutz and Bruno Massott

defying the world champions of

China, by less than half a point.

Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford

adding the individual bronze to 13

gold.

Congratulations, first of all,

Aliona

gold.

Congratulations, first of all,

Aliona, your fifth Olympics, 34 with

your first gold medal, how does it

feel?

Amazing! I don't know. It is

just amazing. A dream come true.

We

can be proud today, of what we did.

Now, we can just enjoy. It is

exactly what we wanted for this

Olympics. It is hard to speak,

sorry! I did not want to stay in

fourth place. I wanted to reach the

medals. On the ice today, we wanted

the gold. We would do everything for

it. And, we did it.

And Christopher

Dean has been helping you?

He built

the programme. Christopher, thank

you. He did such an amazing job with

us. We are so glad to do his

programme today and do it well.

And

it's an amazing story.

Many

congratulations, you finally got the

individual medal you were looking

for?

It's what has been missing from

our careers, and that great

performance at the Olympics. I fell

in the solo triple Salchow four

years ago and I was determined not

to miss one. I used it as my driving

force.

I'm amazed that we are able

to be this much better when we are

this much older. I've never felt so

prepare for a competition. To lay

down four, really good skates at the

Olympics, I'm proud of that.

Celebrations continue on the ice

below us. The Germans are wrapped in

the flag of their country, the

Chinese have stepped off. Eric

Radford and Meagan Duhamel are

putting their coats on. Who called

the final? We know the Germans have

what it takes but to lay down a new

world record and win the gold,

nobody saw that coming?

It was their

own record to beat and they did it

in supreme style. We saw in the warm

up from all of the teams that there

was some tension. You would hold it

together? The Germans were flawless.

They were out of the medals, I was

watching the fight for the bronze

medal, and when they laid down that

performance, I was convinced the

Chinese would come through. They

skates so supremely that they would

hang onto the gold medal. I was

convinced!

The Chinese have the

ability, they have been world

champions. The athletes from Russia

performed exquisitely in the sure

programmes, they were ready for the

gold but you can never discount the

Germans because they can deliver

phenomenal performances and at the

top, that tight, there's no room for

error. Meagan Duhamel said that if

that would be the fourth place

performance, that is amazing. It

ended up being bronze medal

performance, and it is that they are

all brilliant. Down to the wire. It

was who held it together and doesn't

make the mistakes. Today, it was

Aliona Savchenko and Bruno Massott.

Those tears from Meagan Duhamel at

the end, I couldn't tell whether she

thought she had thrown away the

bronze medal, whether they went yes,

it!

You have two wonder if they knew

what Aliona Savchenko and Bruno

Massott had done. You have to do

your in thing, they knew they

couldn't have done better. The quad

throw was glorious. There may have

been minute mistakes that make the

difference and they were sat in the

backstage area of the couch. We

think, maybe they are therefore now?

They got to stand on the podium and

it was brilliant.

Aliona Savchenko

and Bruno Massott are the Olympic

champions. They said at the start

that they could be the best Olympic

free skating competition that the

games has ever seen. I don't think

it disappointed!

And tomorrow we'll have extended

highlights here on BBC Four,

as the men take to the ice

in the short programme.

To the mountains now,

and one of the highlights

of any Winter Olympics.

The men's snowboard cross always

provides plenty of drama.

Ed Leigh and Tim Warwood

are in the commentary box.

Pierre Vaultier red and green. Jerry

Hughes is closest to the camera.

Keep your eye on the Australian

closest to the camera.

closest to the camera.

It was a long

one. It is between one and four

second is that they can leave the

gate. It is a random opening. Jarryd

Hughes, what a start by the White

Paper of the Austrian, Alessandro

Haemmerle.

He was in 20 Fourth Place

but he is blisteringly quick.

Vaultier is on his tail.

The first

of the sweeping left... Jostling for

position and trying to close the

door. Through the sweeping right.

Nothing too tight yet. They've been

coming into this huge boot up.

Vaultier goes long and low. It was a

beautiful jump, to move ahead of

Alessandro Haemmerle. Vaultier on

the inside, jostling for third

place. He desperately wants it.

The

Austrian in the yellow bib isn't

going to let that go.

Hughes

knuckled it. Vaultier has enough

distance to ensure he isn't being

dragged by the others. A brilliant

race... Ooh! That was huge! An

enormous crash there. Vaultier in

first, Hughes in second and

Haemmerle in third. But the blue bib

has pulled up straightaway. Vaultier

looking majestic. He has been the

boss of this heat.

The back

protector would have done its job,

that is for sure. Let's hope so...

Let's go back to the top... The

precocious young Frenchman, Merlin

Surget, living up to the hype

bestowed on him by some of the

greats of the snowboard cross.

Alton. The two Australians in blue

and yellow.

Does ready? Attention!

That is the

gate. They are in!

gate. They are in!

Alex Pullin on

the very outside... Merlin Surget

just behind Bolton, as they power

into the first jump.

A tiny bit of daylight for Alex

Pullin. Merlin Surget low on his

heels.

He isn't going to let this

slip, is he? I don't think... Lovely

work by Alex Pullin squashing the

jump. Nikolay Olyunin, into a tight

left-hander. More than 90 degrees

around the corner as they come

through this section.

Bolton has

gone from second to fifth place in a

heartbeat. Keep your eye on the blue

bib of Bolton. He needs to claw in

the Italian. Can he make it stick?

The battle for third place... And he

has gone!

He has gone down hard!

Really hard.

It is the two

Australians making it through behind

the Russian. Nikolay Olyunin in

first, Alex Pullin and then Cameron

Bolton. Michele Godino went down

very, very hard. In exactly the same

place we just saw them go down

previously.

We saw a lot of people

struggling in the seedings. At this

point in the race your adrenaline is

peaking. You are on the limiter. You

are so buzzed up you want to get in

the top three.

the top three.

Bolton, Alex Pullin

and Nikolay Olyunin advancing to the

semifinals.

semifinals. I do like his style in

the white closest to us...

He flew

out of this gate. In the black, he

was gifted a place in this

quarterfinal. He needs to seize this

opportunity, Loan Bozzolo.

I will go

for the green and the yellow bib, of

Paul Berg.

This is going to be good. I am

pinning my tail on Mick Dierdorff's

donkey... That doesn't even make

sense!

They are gone, Mick Dierdorff

is closest to the camera and he goes

out well. The Canadian is out in

front, in the red, Christopher

Robanske. Look at that.

Robanske. Look at that.

Flying out

in front. Dierdorff, followed by

Christopher Robanske. Paul Berg is

in second or third... Four of them

have gone down! There will be an

incredible race for third position.

Hopefully the director Lex

Hopefully the director Lex go of

Regino Hernandez and Dierdorff in

front. The drama is unfolding behind

in the battle for third place.

It is

all about qualifying in the top

three positions. Advancing through,

getting into the top three to get

into the next round.

At some point,

Dierdorff will see that there is

nothing there, and take his foot off

the gas, hopefully. If they start to

push, they are in danger of knocking

themselves out.

themselves out.

Regino Hernandez...

He popped off that... Really

composed.

In third, I think it is

the blue bib of Christopher

rebounds. -- Christopher Robanske. I

would like to see that again.

There

was a crash at the back. I think

that Hagen Kearney fell of his own

accord, catching his heel edge?

Spots in the finals for these three,

who will they be joined by? Let's go

back up to the top...

I think it is Nick Baumgartner for

me, the blue and yellow. He has done

the classic tactic that you want in

the boardercross, the Grey man.

Sneak through, don't get in anyone's

way. On the keep your eye on the

green bib, he looked tidy throughout

the first heat. A great start from

windfalls, closest to the camera in

that bib.

Let's kick things off...

Nick Baumgartner in second place,

with orange goggles.

with orange goggles. That was

brilliantly squashed! Going to the

second knuckle. Making a move, very

tight in the first three here... In

the lead, Martin Noerl. Coming up

the inside, Emanuel Perathoner.

Inches apart. Nick Baumgartner in

third.

In the blue, he has all of

the work to do! Brilliant speed...

Keep your eye on the white bib. Look

at the

at the finish Anton Lindfors! Nick

Baumgartner has managed to get into

second place. Powering down the

finishing straight. The boards have

come together between Emanuel

Perathoner and Nick Baumgartner. On

the outside, Lindfors of Finland.

They will be so close coming over

the final jump... Three men, two

spots Alex Mack and Lindfors gets

in, and I think it was Baumgardner.

It was very close.

That was amazing.

The goose bumps are up.

The last

four jobs were all we hoped they

would be.

Brilliant racing. Martin

Noerl lead for so long. Controlling

the race. So close.

Lindfors jumped

over the front of the Italian there.

Emanuel Perathoner couldn't do

anything about it. Clean racing from

all of them. Brilliant racing. This

is why we love boardercross. Nick

Baumgartner, Lindfors and Martin

Noerl joining the rest of them. Give

Ottio, the defending Olympic

champion, the five-time overall

World Cup winner and reigning world

champion is in there. The Russian

steel has looked invincible.

Two Australians, Cameron

Bolton, Alex Pullin.

The Austrian Alessandro Hammerle,

and then Jarryd Hughes

closest to us.

Vaultier was like lightning out

of the gates as they freefall

into the first feature,

the birdbath.

So Vaultier out in the lead,

and look how he is extending it.

So is Alessandro Hammerle

in the white bib, then

it is Jarryd Hughes in third.

But it is about to start moving,

making a move from the outside,

Vaultier looking very comfortable,

Hughes moves into his slipstream.

The two Australians coming together.

We have got Pullin and Bolton,

Jarryd Hughes in second position.

Keep an eye on Alessandro Hammerle,

good outside line.

I think Bolton has gone!

Pullin looking to go long.

And what a fantastic race,

Jarryd Hughes leads,

Pierre Vaultier tries to...

Oh, Vaultier is down!

And Alessandro Hammerle.

The two Australians.

Alex Pullin and Jarryd Hughes

are going to make it through,

it is a yard sale for third place,

everyone else went down.

I think the Olympic champion

went down of his own accord,

I don't think there was

any coming together.

But I can't see from here,

I think it is Vaultier who is up.

Yes, the Olympic champion plays

his "Get out of jail free" card.

It is Hammerle on the outside,

over jumped by Olyunin.

Vaultier, 20 seconds behind,

but it is not against the clock,

just the first three over.

Vaultier has lost the lead to Jarryd

Hughes, Hammerle on the outside,

over jumped by Olyunin.

Olyunin

tries to go around the top, and

Pierre Vaultier took out the front

of his board.

Did UCI Alex Pullin

had to ride through Pierre

Vaultier?! That was like NASCAR

racing! He was holding his line

while the nose of DRS's board was

spinning around his leg. And look,

he has had to hop up and strap back

in.

in. No photo finish for his finals

qualification, but it doesn't

matter, these three will have the

opportunity to battle it out for

medals here at the men's snowboard

cross finals.

Now, game time, the adrenaline

starts to kick in.

Hernandez in red,

Martin Noerl in green...

Riders ready!

Lindfors drops out of the sky

closest to us,

but in front it is Hernandez

in the red bib.

He has gone, Robanske in the blue.

Baumgartner!

So the two North Americans

chasing down the Spaniard,

but look how wide Robanske has gone,

trying to get a good highlight,

great move from Baumgartner

underneath Hernandez.

As they go down that enormous

step down and into

the big sweeping right-hander.

The world champion from

Sierra Nevada, Baumgartner,

now leading from the front,

Hernandez slipping back,

the blue bib of Robanske,

we have lost someone!

Right at the back.

I think it was Lindfors.

Oh, no, the blue...

Oh, Lindfors!

That was phenomenal, like dominoes,

taking each other out.

No sign of anyone behind Hernandez,

more drama for second and third.

What on earth happened there?!

Let's take a look.

I have just seen Baumgartner rises

hands into the air for second place.

What on earth happened there?!

Goodness only knows, the director

has lost everyone, they are so

spaced out! But I can see third

place out of the window.

It is the

black bib of Dierdorff.

My goodness!

Dierdorff, who played no part

in that, after he crashed out

at the top, 30 seconds

between first and third.

But as we have said so many times

before, it doesn't matter,

third place is third place.

Well, that race will also be under

review from the jury to find out

what went on. We lost it in the

commentary box.

He takes out Martin Norl, the

German. He has gone out the side of

the course. And here we get the

helicopter shot of the same

incident, Robanske takes him out,

and it was Baumgartner's own

mistake.

They were carrying way too

much speed and all land and

compressed and bounced into that

turn.

A proper case of lemmings,

they all went at it so fast.

Baumgartner crossing the line for

second.

Hernandez makes the final,

Baumgartner makes the final,

Dierdorff makes the final. Fantastic

view from the helicopter up here of

this spectacular course. But back up

to the top.

Six men, three medals,

who will take it?

I am looking forward to this, this

will have plenty of action, like a

half-price clothing sale at Primark!

Jarryd Hughes in the white.

Mick Dierdorff in the black.

The Olympic champion

in the red, Pierre Vaultier.

So slick, so fast, so quick on the

start, so is this man, Regino

Hernandez. He has been breathtaking

out of the gate.

And he is making

all the noise there. He is ready for

this, it is Nick Baumgartner.

Then,

on the outside, the man who was

raised so well this season, Alex

Pullin,

Pullin, AKA Chump! Listen to the

noise.

Really long wait, but Jarryd Hughes

is away in the closest lane to us.

So Hernandez, again,

getting out very well,

Pullin getting out very well.

The Australians either

side of the Spaniard,

Pierre Vaultier bolts into the lead,

daylight between him

and Jarryd Hughes.

Look at Baumgartner on the outside,

making up some room,

making up some places.

Vaultier looks so fast

at this stage, though,

Jarryd Hughes tucking in behind,

trying to get some drag,

slipstream the Frenchman.

Pullin has gone from third,

finds himself in fourth.

Hernandez goes massive!

Three men down, who is taking

which colour medal?

Hernandez dives inside

Jarryd Hughes,

Pierre Vaultier is out in front.

Jarryd Hughes goes high,

Hernandez looking low

underneath them as they come

onto the home straight,

through the whale

tail, dropping down.

No way that Jarryd Hughes

can reel in Vaultier,

but can he defend

the silver medal position?

This will go to a photo finish,

they hit the jump at the same

time at the bottom.

It is a flyby, formation flying,

Pierre Vaultier makes it

two gold medals in a row,

back-to-back, Sochi and Korea.

He was breathtaking!

No-one could hold a candle

to the Frenchman.

Let's take a look back at the

action.

What a great race,

Vaultier led from the start,

that was the big slopestyle

kicker, so much wang

we have seen a lot of people

come down there.

The two Americans got up so quick!

Great race down and finish straight

between Hernandez and Hughes.

Ultimately, the Australian

prevailed.

Oh, what a race! There is

your double Olympic champion, Pierre

Vaultier.

So the official results are in, and

they look like that. Alex Pullin did

not finish. The two Americans could

not make it stick. Hernandez in

bronze, Jarryd Hughes silver, and

the gold medal, Pierre Vaultier.

And tomorrow we'll see

how the women get on -

and if Lyndsey Jacobelis can

finally win that elusive gold.

I'll be back at ten past midnight,

as Lizzy Yarnold and Laura Deas

begin their Olympic campaigns

in the women's skeleton.

It promises to be another great day.

See you then.

Drama, Jack Abella says down! --

Jacobellis.

Talk about saving the

best to last!

The gamble may have

paid off for Aksel Lund Svindal Al

vice lightning quick from Mikaela

Shiffrin!

This was sensational

skating!

Musgrave announces his

arrival at the top of the sport!

What a finish that was!

Come on,

Dom!