Day 4, Part 3 Winter Olympics

welcome back to Sochi, where we've got a little bit of everything for

you this afternoon. We have curling, some speed skating and we are going

to start with cross-country. Andrew Musgrave, many of us will not have

heard of him a month ago. Then he won the Norwegian sprint title.

Today it was the Olympic sprint championships. Qualification, Andrew

went 27 out of 30th, which pretty qualified. This is what happened.

And away they go with the slowest qualifying time... Musgrave finds

himself on the outside of the first term. I think he needs to conserve

some energy. He has pushed the pace into that first turn. They break to

the right and up the climb. No drama so far. Everyone is safely to that

initial stage. Brilliant skiing from Musgrave. He is so agile but he

needs to calm it down. The tempo drops. Good skiing now from

Musgrave. Look at this composure from Andrew

Musgrave, on the right of picture, wearing 27. He won the Norwegian

sprint championships. He has immersed himself in the light ridge

of Norway, the culture. He is studying over there and has done

something special. -- the language of Norway. He has earned the respect

of the Norwegians because they recognise he has some genuine

ability in this sport. Very surprised to see Musgrave going so

wide on that right hand turn. He gave away the first two positions

and he wanted to be first down this hill. Now he has two hope that the

two in front of them do not fall. It's getting harder and harder to

stay on your feet. Around here goes. A brilliant alpine skier as well as

a cross-country skier. He's lived in Dorset, Aberdeen and Alaska. He now

lives in Norway. He's seen it all. He's doing is proud today. They

break to the left. That aerial shot flattens that fill out. I can tell

you, this is the steepest hill I've seen on a course like this. Some 40

seconds of all-out effort starts now. Musgrave is losing -- losing a

bit of ground. Musgrave is still losing a bit of

ground but he is not out of it yet. He needs to get into the top two.

This could go any which way because the leader has not made a decisive

break. Musgrave is back in sixth at the moment but he has a huge amount

of support in the stand. Can he pull off a magician's act? Are we going

to get a lucky losers from the seat? We could well because they are two

seconds inside the first heat. Musgrave is still off the pace at

the moment. This is a really composed piece of

skating from the leader. He has the advantage and the name of the game

is to qualify. There is a semifinal and a final to come. The Norwegian

leader is first around that corner and he will open up as he comes into

the last 100 metres. The Norwegians getting their revenge

over Andrew Musgrave, who won a Norwegian championships. But not

today. A sad, sad picture. Musgrave will not go through. He dreamt of

much bigger things. Slight disappointment for Andrew

Musgrave. Also, the ladies are competing today in the sprint. We

can catch up the first of semifinals now.

The first semifinal of the women's sprint.

Only the first two are guaranteed to go through as of right.

Nielsen is targeting on the inside and she will have the advantage as

they round this corner. Jakobson is just on the inside. They must tear

has come round quickly there. -- the Icelandic skier has come around

quickly there. Fabiani is trying to continue

Slovenia's success. They are all still there. It is noticeable how

intense that first climb walls, in contrast to the men's, which was

under control. I think they have all decided you need to be in the first

two or at the very least, in the first three, at this top corner to

give yourself a chance when you come into the stadium. The first of the

two semifinals. So far, Falla has not put a foot wrong in any of the

rhymes. She is driving on towards the finish. She has got

Ingmarsdottir right behind her. Fabiani is in third place. This is

the corner that could cause problems. It was where another skier

came through on the inside. Very gingerly around that corner. Fabiani

is still in third place. At the moment, it looks as though Falla has

got his under control. She has put Ingmarsdottir under pressure. She is

coming up onto the shoulder of Falla.

Ingmarsdottir needs to keep going here.

They both crash over the line at the end. It's taken by Falla. A photo

for the second automatic qualification spot. I just wonder

whether Fabiani wasn't quite aware of the speed with which

Ingmarsdottir was coming through on the inside. Very, very tight for the

second spot but no mistake at all for Falla. She looks class. I think

Fabiani was just alert to the danger at the 11th hour.

It is heard team-mate who sets the pace up to the first corner.

Coldwell of USA, well positioned by the -- behind the Norwegian leader.

That is certainly an advantage. If you save .5% by being in the

slipstream of the athlete in front, that's an improvement on your

chances of producing a sprint finish at the end.

This is certainly not the kind of race where you can afford to sit at

the back for too long, especially not in a Winter Olympic semifinal,

with only the first to guaranteed to go through as of rights. So far,

Erstberg has taken the inside line. Remember, there is no second climb

for the women. That reduces the chances... She does have the

strength to come through in the finishing straight. It looks as

though that might be what she has to rely on. Down towards the hairpin

bend. The right-hand turn is fast but not technical. The left-hand

turn is very, very tricky indeed. The Norwegian leading.

The Olympic champion is in danger of going out, in danger of going off

the course. Very close to dropping off the side of the track but she is

still in this race. Looking for the time compared to that first

semifinal, just to see if we could get a lucky loser. They are exactly

on schedule with that first semifinal. Six are in contention for

this one. The new sermon being forced wide. -- Denise Hermann. And

the reigning champion is out! A good finish from Sophie Coldwell from the

USA to come through in second place. The Italian just 0.2 of a second

outside. Anything can happen. Nothing is

guaranteed in this game of cross-country sprinting.

What a wonderful finish from Sophie Coldwell. Absolutely superb. She

timed that to perfection. We are expecting Randall to be in a final

but she won't be. Coldwell from the United States will be. The woman who

has dominated the sprints at world championships since Vancouver 2010,

and the most elementary of mistakes and stop the poll planted inside the

ski. There is very little chance of recovery from that. We thought it

would be technical, Rob, and it is turning out exactly that way. As we

get to the latter stages, we are seeing more and more people in

contention as they come around the final corner. Actually, the course

looks wide enough but there still isn't enough room for six to race

side-by-side. There certainly is not. So many of the big names have

gone. We now turn our attention to the two

semifinals in the men's sprints. Gloeersen one of the sprint in

December. That was a good performance from him. Hattestad

Missed out on a medal, finishing the worst place of all a few years ago.

Representation from Russia, from Gafarov. Hell night came through as

a fastest loser. -- Hellner. Can he go one stage better and make the

final? The first of two semifinals in the men's sprint. Edit a bit of a

wobble at the start from Hattestad. The man who qualified quickest is

out nice and safely, Peterson of Sweden. He has taken the best inside

line. On the inside, Peterson. He has got Hattestad outside him. Such

is the dominance of the Scandinavian nations. And as we have just seen

with the second semifinal of the women's sprint, anything can happen.

So easy to run into problems in these sprints, and you have so

little time to turn it round. Peterson in second place. Hellner is

there in third. Fairly cagey at this stage. I am surprised they haven't

gone for a faster pace, because the second semifinal is worthy of any

final, the strongest field we have seen so far this year. These guys

need to go 100%. The stronger ones will try to slow it down to save

some for later on. And we have another tumble, one of the Russians

has gone down. Such a shame. The same fate befalling him as overtook

Cologne in the previous round. We do have two Russians going in that

second semifinal. But he had done really well here. This corner has

produced so many problems. Gafarov in the second semifinal will have

practised this corner on this course time and again. Back with the

leaders. Closing in on what they hope will be a place in the final.

Hattestad leads. Number six is Peterson. Number four is glorious --

Gloeersen. Hattestad leads. I don't want to put the commentators curse

on him, but he has yet to put a foot wrong. Carefully around that corner

which has caused issues for one or two of them.

Helmer is trying to come through on the outside as Gafarov cuts a

sorrowful sight there as he gets towards the finish. He will be way

off the pace. Helmer putting himself in a great position to qualify for

the final. The skiathlon silver medallist is doing well. Hattestad

leads, but coming through on the inside is Peterson. He has denied

Hellner a place in the final. Hattestad was very assured and

confident, did what he needed to do. Peterson left it late, but he has

done what he needed to do. You can see the broken ski of Gafarov there.

His Olympic dream is going down as he fell. I think that is what is

hurting more than his body. It didn't look as though he made any

impact. Hattestad won the qualification and his quarterfinal.

Is he going to be able to make it a full house? We did see it from

Simeon Hamilton of the USA. Now for the first time, you get some

impression of how steep that Hill is. There are not many men on this

planet who could double poll a bit. The front left ski has completely

snapped. But all credit to Anton Gafarov, he is determined to finish

this semifinal, and he is doing so. That ski has now completely

disintegrated. I wonder if he really is going to limp towards the finish

line. He might as well take it off, because it is no use to anyone. He

is skiing to the finish on one leg, that is how determined he is. And

now he is going to go for a replacement. He deserves to get a

massive reception when he gets to the finish line. It is a very

special event, the Winter Olympics. Completing the race is important to

many of these guys, irrespective of how far ahead the rest of the field

are. Real credit to the Russian here, showing true class after

disappointments during the race. Russia's hopes are not over, because

they're too strongest skiers are in the second semifinal. He will have

to wait until the next major before that is the case. But we still have

missed you cough and Alexey Petukhov. They would have taken the

scalp of Gafarov were he in the final as well. Just look at the

reception for the Russian. His race is over, but all credit for him for

deciding to finish, nearly three minutes adrift. Coming unstuck on

that corner where we have seen so many others have problems, but he

does finish the race. Hattestad, the world champion five years ago, is

through to the final. Peterson coming through late to deny

Gloeersen. The last race before the medals are decided. And the man who

wins this is worthy of a medal, because it is an unbelievable

line-up. Ustiugov in lane one. Federico Pellegrino is very fast in

the last hundred metres, so don't rule him out. Johnson has been one

of the top sprinters in the last five years. There is Pellegrino. He

will drop his body weight on the start and accelerate out of the

blocks. Emil Jonsson has had injuries, but will forget those if

he wins today. Bernhard Tritscher, number eight. Alexey Petukhov, I

have been watching him for five years and I have never seen him

smile. But surely if he wins today, it will be from ear to ear. And

number two, Ustiugov, tactically brilliant. He just has to contain

himself. You cannot afford to go to early. And here is Peter Noorda

junior, a multimillionaire from Norway, the maverick of

cross-country skiing. Has he got anything left to give? And away they

go. 3.36.33, the winning time of the first heat. He is biding his time in

showing in Al and have patience, which I think has to be a good

thing. The second climb is so hard. You cannot afford to build the

lactase levels on this climb. This is a powerful technique, but it

will sack -- sap them on the climb. Petukhov just going ahead of the

Norwegian now. Tritscher now starts to make a move as they come up

towards the first 180 degree turn. Now they start a fast downhill where

they will exceed speeds of 60 kilometres per hour. I think they

need to bear in mind that the first semifinal wasn't particularly fast,

so various the opportunity for four men to get through to the final from

this semi. Joensson Staying out of trouble. You can see them all waving

their arms on that corner, it is tricky and getting sleepier. They

are all safely round, and safely round the hairpin. Ustiugov is in

second for Russia, Pellegrino inferred. And here is Tritscher,

will we see an Austrian in the final? He is sitting in fourth at

the moment. Now comes Petukhov, putting his foot down and

accelerating up the climb. First little of weakness from Joensson,

who has let the Russian getaway. He has got to be within 15 or 20 metres

at the top of the climb. Pellegrino is spent, back in sixth place and

losing ground all the time. Joensson And Ustiugov, in a battle. Joensson

Hits the downhill in first place. The last semifinal were at 2.58

around this corner, and they are on the same time. Tritscher is ahead of

Petukhov, who lost a lot of early ground in the early stages and has

yet to make it up. This top corner, tighter than it looks on the screen.

Careful step from Joensson. No man can do it quite like he can.

Joensson Driving, and Ustiugov still has some strength in the upper body.

Ustiugov comes home, and the winning time, waiting for confirmation.

3:36.95 was the time they were after. So no lucky losers, I don't

think. It looks as though Glooersen and Hellner we'll go through as the

lucky losers. Both of them were looking around and

looking behind from the point at which they got to level with the

Olympic rings, very cool and calm qualification from both of those

guys. It will be a fascinating final. 3:37.37 from Ustiugov, and I

think he could take another few seconds of that. The first climb was

only at 95%. It is a brilliant sprint course. I don't think we have

ever seen one like this on the World Cup circuit. It has steep ups, fast

downs. It has all the elements that you want for a final. And we have

seen it cause issues for some of the very best technicians in the sport.

Two fascinating finals in prospect, the first will involve the winning.

There is no BO can, the defending champion. We have far -- Falla in

there, and Fabjan. Sophie Caldwell, the American. Can she get on the

podium and recreate the superb achievements. Wouldn't be fantastic

if Jacobsen could come through and win, although she is going to be on

the outside, so she will have to work hard to catch up with the

leaders on that first corner. She may feel that her best hope is to

take the start steady and progress through the ranks she goes up that

first climb. But Falla has looked invincible today. Can she upgrade

from the bronze she produced a championship last year? Ostberg, one

win and three places on the World Cup podium. Sophie Caldwell, what a

performance in the semifinal to make the showdown. She is in it and she

has got a chance. Ingemarsdottir, Silver medal last year.

What tragedy she is performing through hear, Astrid Jacobsen.

The women's final. They are underway. It is the fourth time

today they will have completed this circuit. In just a few minutes

time, we will have a new champion. Three Norwegians, a Swede, an

American and a Slovenian. Half of this six will get medals but who

will it be? Remember, if you've been with us for

the last little while, this is a shorter course for the women. Only

one are sent. -- ascent. They are bunching and this is tight.

Any of these women could still feature. Coldwell is in fourth

place, the American. She is going to have to concentrate here. She is on

the shoulder of Oestberg. This is very tight and cagey. Around the top

corner and Falla has used the same tactics in every heat so far. She is

doing the same in the final. My only concern is that she doesn't have the

sprinting speed of the last 150 metres. She needs a six metre gap

before the top of the final climb. As they descend now, she hasn't got

it so she is still in danger of being pipped on the line. Now we get

to the crucial part of the rage -- race. Watch for any slips and

slides. Very carefully around there. In third, Oestberg. Can anybody

close the gap? Falla has been brilliant today. One

more turn, one more straight. She has got to keep it going. The cut

Fabiani on the near side. The Slovenian wants to upgrade the gold

but she is not going to do it. Wearing number one, Falla. It is

glory for Norway once again. Oestberg May just have come through

for the silver. Disappointment for Jacobsen, who comes in four.

Coldwell is an isolated figure coming across the line. Falla Is the

Olympic champion. They are still looking at the photo to see it if it

will be gold and silver for Norway or gold and bronze. Falla Was

imperious today. Fabiani was unlucky on the line. There was no way you

can maintain your speed when that happens.

There is the fall from Sophie Coldwell. Nobody can be blamed too

much but it certainly involved the stick of Astrid Jacobsen. There is a

photo finish again. We need to see this slogan. That is Falla across

the line. Oh, my goodness. There is a toenail in it. On the near side,

that was Oestberg of Norway. She will take the silver and Fabiani

will have to settle for the bronze. Well done to Falla. She won her

quarterfinal and semifinal. She has sealed the gold medal as well, using

the same tactics all the way through. That's very interesting. It

shows you how tough this courses. What about a word for Jacobsen in

fourth place? Desperately disappointing. It is amazing she is

still here performing, in light of the personal tragedy which has set a

family. Two goals for Norway. The dominance

goes on with a different name today, the name of Falla.

Fabiani getting the blondes -- bronze, replicating her bronze from

four years ago. A superb set of races today and a genuine test of

speed, endurance... They get the crowd moving in a little bit of a

wave formation. Four races in one day. That is a brutal way to earn a

gold, silver and bronze. They really do deserve their moment to shine.

I think the course designers need to be applauded. That is a fantastic

sprint event for the women. Were they racing the men's course, it

would have been an endurance race. That have -- that had every element

that it should have. I hope that the FIS learned from that and we don't

see 1600 metre courses on the World Cup in future, and they stick to

1200 maximum. It is like fireworks watching them in action. The men's

is a different story. Here are the top six men lining up. We had three

Norwegians in the women's final. We have three Swedes in the men's

final. Just moments to go until they get

under way. They will be presented to the crowds once again. A good crowd

for this final. Nice to have the tracks lined all the way. That is

what the athletes like this is going to be epic, this confrontation.

Will it be a repeat of the women's event? Fastest in qualification was

Hattestad. It is a longer course for the men.

Will anybody come unstuck on that second difficult sound -- downhill

section? Who will make a bid for glory about massive incline, under

the shadow of the five Olympic rings and into the stadium, to the huge

reception and roar which will await the winner from the crowd? It could

be close and it is going to be dramatic. Let's go through the

line-up. Wearing number one, Hattestad the world champion from

2009. He is looking to add the 2014 Olympic title to his list of

honours. The Russian has looked the most convincing of all the

performers out there. Second fastest qualifier, behind Hattestad.

Petersen hasn't shown his previous form over the last 18 months but

he's done nothing wrong today. Hattestad is tall, lean, mean and

quick. He has won not only the qualifying run but his quarter and

his semifinal as well. Gloeersen, who won in Davos earlier this year.

That is a good benchmark. Don't forget this man, who has

proved that you can recover from a 30 K Skiathos in 30 hours because he

is in the final. -- skiathlon. The countdown has started. Olympic

gold is at stake. Just to add to the drama, we get yet another false

start. I've seen one or two this season. We've seen five or six in

one sprint event. He has done this already today. He looks very calm

and gives it the big yawn and pretends to be relaxed. It is a

moment to refocus and regather. This time, we get away and everyone

accelerating out of the blocks. It is Hattestad who is first into his

easy stride. He switches to skate two. A little lot of -- loss of

balance from Hattestad. It is Petersen who seizes the opportunity

and heads up the climb with no one in front of him. Now he can just ski

his own race. High speed from Hattestad.

Very very strong, Petersen. He hit the World Cup circuit with a bang in

2012. He surprised many with his printings of -- ability. Today, he

bids to beat the Norwegian and claim goals. Number four is Gloeersen.

Five are now contending for the three medal positions. Hattestad

Leads into the downhill. The speed bills. -- builds. Down goes

Gloeersen. He's out of this one. The Russian has gone as well. We have

only... What do we have left? We have Hattestad out front. It is a

two-way race for the title here. Petersen Avoided the mayhem at that

corner. What a disaster for Russia and the potential winner of this

race. It will be between Hattestad and the man in second place,

Petersen of Sweden. Unbelievable. They fell like dominoes down that

hill. We've seen so much drama and in both big races so far, it has

been Russians who have come unstuck, in a course they should be so

familiar with. What a climax in prospect? Can you believe it, the

skier who had given up the chase is now back into third place. If you

stick in there, you always have a chance. Hattestad leads into the

downhill. He can't afford to leave any space on the inside, or Peterson

will use his opportunity. And Peterson stumbles, his chance has

surely gone, but he recovers quickly. Hattestad looking tired for

the first time today, but it is no wonder. Four times round 1800 metres

course. Many saying it is harder than the 50 K. Now we see the burst

from Hattestad, and he winds up his six foot four frame. But Peterson is

closing and closing with 50 metres to go. But Hattestad is too strong

on the day, and the gold medal goes to the world champion from 2009, and

a brilliant silver medal for Teodor Peterson. And Joensson is going to

get the easiest ride to a bronze medal but we have ever seen at the

Olympic Games. What a disappointment for Russia, but what a spectacle.

That was incredible. You couldn't take your eyes off that race for a

single second. Joensson gone on the first climb, and then courtesy of

three athletes in contention with a medal tripping each other up, he is

back into the mix, and even in that final descent, a little trip by

Peterson resulted in his challenge for gold falling by the wayside.

What a sad end to the race the Ustiugov. Your heart must go out to

the Russians. They have had more chance than anyone to get familiar

with the twists and turns of this course. And just as was the case in

the women's race, the fastest qualifier has come through to win

again. Another race, and another gold medal for the cross-country.

What a race it is turning out to be for them.

And Hattestad, now 34 years old, older than some people feel is the

right age to be at the best in sprinting. Joensson cannot move,

having crossed that line. But had he stop when he was 100 metres behind

the halfway stage, he wouldn't have had a chance, but he suddenly found

himself in position to take the bronze medal. Extraordinary. He must

have been hardly able to believe his eyes, because he was miles off the

pace. We hope he is OK. We are used to seeing cross-country skiers

struggling at the end, but I wonder if he has some kind of issue. There

could be something, maybe a little virus has started to take hold. He

must have thought, I am going to come last, I will just finish the

race. Then three men take each other down, and he goes from last to

bronze in the blink of a knife. Incredible. He has not been 100%

this season. He has suffered from illness in the past. This sprint

racing is very intense. I know you don't get the micro-trauma that you

get when you run, but you are still expending an enormous amount of

energy, and for Hattestad to do it for times in the space of three and

a half hours, quite phenomenal. He deserves the gold. Peterson has

shown us what he can do. He had a poor season last year, he will have

forgotten about that now, claiming the silver medal today. And but for

that slip round the final turn, he could have got closer. I think

Hattestad had his measure, but Peterson would have been closer.

Well, here is the mayhem. That was a nasty crack on the head for

Gloeersen. I am surprised they haven't put extra barriers there.

You can see the padding on the corner. That is Ustiugov, furious

with himself, and a broken pole. He was first up onto his feet, and as

he dug his pole into the snow, it snapped. And this was the little

stumble by Peterson. Hattestad was leading, but it would have cost him

a little bit of momentum there. He sat up as he watched the Norwegian

go away from him, but he will love his moment on the podium, picking up

the silver. Hattestad the world champion five years ago. Suddenly,

the winner from back in 2009 is once again the athlete they are all

talking about. And what a week for the Norwegians, they have now taken

three of the four golds in this arena. That is why so many locals

turn up to watch this one. They saw Kriukov go earlier, and they had to

watch Ustiugov go down in the final. They have been practising on

the course more than anyone, but that shows you it is a brutal

course. And if you have one former, there is a chance that those behind

cannot get through, because the Riz and quite enough space to get

through. Delight from the silver medallist. I think they heard that

in Stockholm! Hattestad is the winter Olympic champion. Silver and

bronze for Peterson and Joensson. Nothing like a big Nordic roar.

Norwegians are flying high in the medals table. This is a long

stand-by, it would be a great tournament. In the Bolshoi, men's

ice hockey starts tomorrow. Behind me, the ice cube Stadium. Ice hockey

and curling. Next, the clue is in the chair. It is speed skating. Talk

about the Norwegian domination of cross-country. The Dutch have

dominated speed skating. They have won seven of the nine medals on

offer so far. A clean sweep in the 500 is yesterday, with the Mulder

Twins taking the gold and bronze medals. I don't think the Dutch will

win here. Let's go over and see. We could see a changing of the guard

here at the top will Jenny Wolf, winner of the silver

medal four years ago. At the moment, good skating by the

American, who has gone off the mark well. 0.42 of a second. The silver

medal last year from Vancouver. Can she backs this up? If she can, she

will become the new leader. The time to beat is 37.58. The American gets

a good bend, and maybe just a little ahead. It looks as though she is. Up

to the line, Wolf goes third and Richardson second. Jenny Wolf 37.94.

Disappointment for Wolf, a slight shake of the head. For Heather

Richardson, that is an excellent first 500 is. I would expect her to

finish in the second 500 with a much quicker start. It looks like Wolf

had a slight slip there on the start. And there you can see Heather

Richardson on the inner lane really attacking that bend and trying to

stay tight coming out. Staying low and pushing the skate forward, the

right skate will stop and there is the high five, or the low five as

you might call it, putting her into second place. There are three more

pairs to go, and the first of the three just lining up on the ice now.

From China, Wang Beijing. And her opponent, Olga Fatkulina of Russia.

Wang Beixing second in the world Championships on this rink. She was

winner of the Bronze in Vancouver. The crowd is really getting behind

Fatkulina of Russia. It is Wang Beixing who is 0.4 of a second up on

the time of her fellow countrywoman. Can she back it up? She is a

specialist when it comes to these 500 and is. Into the finishing

straight, lining up for the run to the line. The Russian is having a

really great finishing straight as well, and she could go into the lead

here. 100th of a second sliced off, Fatkulina is the new leader. The

Chinese Wang Beixing goes forth. She had a good start, and she backed it

up. That was a fantastic race, and the Russians are going crazy here in

the stadium, the Adler of, 8000 people. And Fatkulina of Russia

trying to get this crowd to remain a little bit quiet for the start of

the next race. And Wang Beixing really attacked the first 100

metres. But of course, going to the outer lane gave Fatkulina someone to

chase. She almost went over there, left arm really stretched out. The

coach there from Russia, really enjoying this competition. There is

the other Russian coach. Two heats to go. The penultimate

pair are now preparing. Kodaira from Japan. And Boer. From

the Netherlands. This Dutch skater is carrying the hopes of the

Netherlands. They have never won a medal of any colour in this contest.

Both skaters away successfully. Two hundredths of a second above that

leading time of the Russian skater. Boer is the world record-holder at

the 1000 metres. Here comes Boer lining up for the run to the line,

but not on the pace of the leader. But remember it is the two times

added together. Fourth! She is always forth. The time is 37.77, and

Kodaira has 37.88. There is the name again on the skate. She will have

the advantage in the next race of the 500 and is. She will actually be

going on the outer lane. Very tall, long Dutch skater. And fourth place,

it is almost unbelievable. It is as though she has it written into her

CV that she will always be forth. I hope not for her sake. There is her

coach, the former Olympic champion. I remember how brilliant she was.

And now we await for the Princess of the ice, the Korean skater. She is

unbeatable, is Lee Sang Hwa. Absolute fantastic athlete. She has

one seven World Cup races out of seven, nobody can ever really get

the better of her. A lot of pressure on her, she is the world champion,

she won it on this ice, but she has already seen her record taken away

from her, taking 71 hundredths of the mark. -- seven 100th s. Her

opponent is Brittany Bowe. Brittany Bowe is her opponent. The

world record holder of the world record holder further 1,000m. -- 40.

She is already quicker. This is sensational skating already by Lee

Sang Hwa. As I say, not beaten in any World Cup, seven straight. The

Korean commentary team beside me going bananas. They can see that

their great hope is possibly going to depose the Chinese skater of the

lead. She is ahead coming up to the line. Stopping the clock at 37. 42.

That She is certainly in the form. Her

coach, Kevin Crockett, moved from Canada to become her coach, this is

an exceptional start, opening in ten. 33. She sat on the outside of

this 400m track. Coming down the next 500 macro -- 500m calmer will

have the inside lane. Next up, Jenny Jones. Coming in

switch to the first jump. Great grab. Looking very, very solid here

for Jenny Jones. Is she going for the front line? She went for the

seven. Solid. Jenny Jones has just taken Britain's first ever Olympic

medal on snow. Yes, great celebrations a couple of

days ago with Jenny Jones as she took bronze in the snowboard

slopestyle, Britain's first-ever medal on snow. There is a chance

again for Katie Summerhayes, this time in the freestyle ski slope

style. ED LEIGH: The excitement levels are

ramping up in this commentary box. -- GRAHAM BELL: the excitement

levels are ramping up in this commentary box.

Does she go in with a chance of gold?

TIM WARWOOD: Absolutely, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. So

Silvia Bertagna from Italy gets us underway with the first round of the

women's first ski slopestyle finals. Coming down the stair set. Into this

box. There is the sweatshop, spinning around on that box. Went

for the safety grab. The judges are going to be looking for nice, clean

grabs. 540, Switch 540. You can see how bumpy it is on the skis. Into

unnatural 360. And then a big 720 nuke grab and she holds onto it.

Good run. We have seen in the snowboarding that slopestyle is all

about execution, it is about flow, it is about making yourself look in

control to the judges. Maybe you don't feel so in control, but as

long as you look in control, you are doing all right. It will be

interesting to see. 69. Six. First place. To -- 69. 6. She started

first. Kerry Harman, -- Keri Herman, she improved on her

qualifiers but that is not the best start. Not very clean, so she misses

the second element. Basically, she needs to forget this runner, a

training run to the bottom and all to play for on her second run. That

will crank up the pressure and we talk about it, time and time again

until we are blue in the face, basically they have got to put a run

down, got to get a score on the board and then they can really go

bigger on the second run. Yes, it really is about when the pressure is

coming on. If you compare this to... The crowd don't know what

happened at the top or maybe they are just cheering anyway that final

kicker. If you look at what happened in the snowboarding slopestyle, the

medallists were made up of riders who had done really well on their

first run. It is just key, really keen to put down a solid run and you

can then improve on it. We have had a lot of chat on Twitter on the ACL,

we have been mentioning them left right and centre and I guess you

might not know what an ACL is certainly what it stands for. Graham

permit you have snapped both of yours, -- Graham Cummins you have

snapped both of yours. The ACL is the anterior cruciate ligament. Two

footballers, it is the Gazza knee, it first became famous when Gazza

tore his in the FA Cup semifinal playing for Spurs. Good work, John

Mutton. Oh, no. That is Camillia Berra of Switzerland, the

19-year-old from the poor disallow a region. -- port to

coming back off the rails, leaning back on her heels, too far back. And

it has just put her in the back seat. She is either listening to a

stand-up comedy audio or she is pretty happy. I don't think she is

happy. No, just giving it the smiles. Smiling to stop crying,

actually. Now the other Swiss, Eveline Bhend, 32 years old, a big

difference in age between the two of them, 19 and 32. Her husband will

compete in the halfpipe. She switched from snowboarding ten years

ago. I have got to say, making the Olympic final, it was the right

thing to do. 180 of the butter box. Bad landing didn't look too clever.

A little bit bumpy. Nothing to do with the way she was landing, she

was balanced, it was the whole she was landing in. We have seen

back-to-back seven. And then a misty 720 to finish things up. That is the

lead. It has got to be. You saw her spin to the left and right with the

720 and then this misty 720, no grab, and the judges will be looking

for things like that, to penalise when can. It is not first. Second

place. No grabs on of the jump. Julia Krass, 16 years old, from the

United States. The pressure on this young lady's shoulders. Olympic

Games at 16. Well. Well, she is in the final, and you have got to say

that the North American riders have done very well, Canada and the USA

both with three riders in this final. Coming around to fakie off

the Canon. She did really well to hold onto the switch 540. Straight

air, we call that a dead sailor. It is not going to help the score. You

can see how important speeders. My goodness! What was she doing? It is

like jumping off the roof of your house and landing on straight legs.

She straight airs because of the spin, she will not make it over the

jump. Landing on the knuckle, the worst place to land. Not a good run.

Anna Segal, from Australia, her mum and dad are in the crowd. She has

the experience, can she put that into practice? She has a minute and

a half to do her best. 270 out on that down rail. Bringing a lot of

speed. Nice top two elements, nice and clean and fast. Goodspeed

through the rails. Maybe she has seen some of the other riders coming

up short. She knows she has to go faster through the rail sections.

Tucking them, going as fast as she can. Big, unnatural 720. And then a

nice corked seven. She is happy with that. And so is he! You see the nuke

grab. Anna Segal, very consistent in the qualifying rounds, 75 and 78. It

is about getting that good score in and she has done that here, mission

accomplished for run number one. It is the best of two runs, so if you

do fall on your first run, it doesn't mean all that much... It

means a lot, because the pressure is just on. But at least you get

another go. 77, our new leader. Very much on a par with what her school

was in the qualifying rounds. -- what the score. The Swedes had a

good showing in the men's snowboarding slopestyle and they

will have a good showing in the skiing slopestyle, and so Emma

Dahlstrom gapping out. In the down box. Very, very stylish. See how the

hands are almost felt wrote to her hips. -- stuck to her hips. Backflip

doesn't score much but we love it. She needs some nice big trickster

bumped her scorer. Switch. -- some nice big tricks to bump her score

up. And a 720 tail grab. It is a solid run from Emma Dahlstrom. But

she has not really done anything different in this run that she did

in her qualifying round. Not really. We saw the backflip again off the

butter box, which looks good but doesn't score as high as some of the

spinning tricks. Just reaching for that grab. Not as solid as she would

have liked and it is things like that that the judges will be looking

for, mistakes like that. Second placed so far. Next up on course, it

is Devin Logan from the United States. I think she is listening to

some Biggie Smalls, judging by the lip syncing. Always a good showing

on the X Games, another one of the competent North Americans. Pretzel

out of that rail. Basically, she is skiing against inertia, she jumps

one way to stop herself continuing that way and then spins out the

opposite way. Super nice Darcy, she held it when she came off the rail.

She has slightly overcooked that but this is good. Switch 540 with the

safety grab. Nice, deep into the transition, carrying a lot of speed.

And a big 720 and holds onto it. That is a good run. A good run from

Devin Logan of the United States, how good will it be? Her score in

qualifying, 80. 40. In the snowboarding, we have seen Jamie

Anderson and Sage Kotsenburg take gold medals in the snowboarding

slopestyle. Are we going to sue the first in the skiing go to America as

well? Spree killers she is happy, that is what we like to see, first

place -- she is happy. Devin Logan takes the lead for the

United States. Yuki Tsubota now taking her turn. She might stand a

chance of pushing into the top three. Just a little hand drag on

the landing, but technically strong. That's landing there looking choppy.

She is 20 years old, lives in Pemberton.

There is a golden eagle reservation there. She is good, this girl. And a

big 900! Good stuff from the Canadian. They love it, and rightly

so. She is going to be absolutely delighted with that. When this

starts to go down, she just pops a little 180. A little in the

back-seat for the landing, but she holds on. Short on the knuckle on

that 900. A good run, but we have to be picky, because this is the

Olympics. And she is in fourth, there you go. Now, Katie

Summerhayes. Here we go, bring it home. The great wit and and

Yorkshire, come on, Katie Summerhayes. -- Great Britain.

She needs to be nice and clean. Beautiful. A 540 off there, careful

of the landing. She is coming in backwards here. A switch 1260! Oh,

no, she's dropped it. She went for broke on her first run. Is she not

listening to our commentary? It did not stick. It did not stick. Can I

just explain the difference between her qualifying run and what she went

for their in the first of her final runs. Before we have had the switch

540, the switch 900 even, two and a half spins. Here she goes to put in

another whole 360. She speed checks it just a little, hits the sweet

spot, the right part of the landing. But she is just in the back-seat,

she couldn't hold on, and one ski comes up. She wasn't quite as clean

on the grab as she would like to be. She is getting a cheer from the

crowd, they are loving her. But she has got it all to do. She is doing

it the hard way. And Kim Lamarre, from the East,

Quebec. It is 270 there, the first rider we have seen do that. And she

has dropped it as well! Oh, no. I think the top three almost no they

are head and shoulders above everyone else, and they are all

stepping up the degree of difficulty and fighting it out for the gold.

That is basically leaving the door open for anyone who has put down a

solid run. Devin Logan is looking very comfortable. Ski off, hold off,

yard sale. With these conditions the way they are, with the coaches not

be better to say, stick with one of your qualifying rounds down? Like

Devin Logan did? You would think, wouldn't you? One skier left at the

top. She can turn the screw the little here, Dara Howell. Will the

Canadian coaches have the same game plan for both girls? Lets see what

he sends her out to do. So, all of the favourites from qualifying,

including Katie Summerhayes, have crashed out. Nice and solid there,

flat down. It cannons you out into that landing. The switch now to this

jump. You can hear the helicopter overhead. Switch 720, very nice. Is

this a switch nine? Beautiful stuff! Into the touch, and a big

540, sends it deep, and you have to say that is well-deserved. A

brilliant run. A great grab on the end there. Was that a truckdriver?

She is fizzing! She cannot believe it. She is in gold medal position.

That is what you have got to do. You have got to go out and do that, and

then you can relax. She now has the luxury on her second run, she can

watch every body else go before her. For me, she has been the skier of

the day right there. We have just got to wait for the judges to

confirm. A big 900, and a tuck make sure she keeps the right speed. The

bow and arrow, they call that. We were corrected on Twitter, thank you

for that. It looks like a truckdriver, but that is both legs

extended. The bow and arrow has one leg pulled in.

94.20! Dara Howell has taken a commanding lead on this Ski

Slopestyle event. That will take some beating. And it is very likely

to be the gold medal for Canada. I think we have just seen a gold medal

run laid down there. Devin Logan, 85.4. Katie Summerhayes

unfortunately crashing out, but on her first run qualifying scores, she

would be in a medal position, so she has it all to do.

Her husband will compete in the halfpipe. This is Eveline Bhend. 32,

the oldest competitor in the winning's Ski Slopestyle. A little

180 over the gap. 720, didn't quite get the grab. She spins and natural

720, . And there is that misty 720, just

throwing that shoulder down to add a little forward rotation into the

spin. I think that will be an improvement on her first run score.

Happy birthday, Amanda, that says. Second place for evil in Bend. And

this is Emma Dahlstrom. -- Eveline Bhend.

Emma Dahlstrom knows that she has to pull something out of the bag. She

has a really nice style, her hands down by her hips. There is no

flailing around or erratic movements. That backflip is the

crowd-pleaser. A natural 540. Tuck and push. A 720 tail grab,

lovely. That is how you do it. I thought she would come up short, but

she seemed to get tuck. There is team Sweden. They are loving it.

She needs to improve to at least 77 to squeeze into bronze medal

position. Has she done enough? I don't think so. And here it is. She

is forth. It is cruel! 75.40. We were in agreement with the judges on

that one. Right, here is Devin Logan. She has got absolutely

nothing to fear here. She is no stranger to the podium, lying in

silver medal position. She has been a stranger to Olympic gold medals,

though. Doing this backwards, and came up a little short there. And

then she hits the big and bar there. You can see how holding it before

she puts her feet down, holding it at 90, showing the judges she is in

control. Winding the windows down. When they go forward like that, you

know they are going into the front seat. She is in autopilot now.

And now we see a seven... Oh, dear, no. So she will not improve on her

first run score of 85.40, which leaves the door open. If Katie can

stick one down here, there is room on the podium.

He is Yuki Tsubota now for Canada. She needs some solid grabs, and it

doesn't look like we are going to get it. Speed is a real issue here,

she is coming up short. It is very difficult to carry the spin, and she

has come off really short, a horrible job. Oh, my word. We said

how dangerous this sport can be, and that can happen if you come up short

and land that hard on the knuckle. Speed is your friend because it will

carry you onto the steep section. It is never going to end well if you

come up short like that. She knew she had to go big here. I think she

hit her head on her knee there. What effect is this going to have on

Katie Summerhayes? It is harsh to say, but crashes like this are part

and parcel of the sport. They are just being safe here, taking her off

to get medical treatment. She is getting a round of applause.

Canada, USA and Australia in the middle positions. Dara Howell looks

unbeatable now, I would think. Still one more run to go. Devin Logan in

silver and Anna Segal hanging on to bronze. Can Katie Summerhayes do

something about that, to affect the podium? There are only three of them

left at the top, Dara Howell in gold medal position. Here we go. Katie

Summerhayes takes a deep breath, drops in. She needs the run of her

life. 450 out of the rail. We will see that switch up here, and it is

absolutely textbook. That is nice. She needs this switch

1260. Yes! She has put it down! Come on, Katie Summerhayes. Hold it. And

into this on John. It is all on this last kicker. Nice and simple. Yes,

and she has pulled off a 1260! Katie Summerhayes, Team GB has absolutely

pulled the lid off it. I am sure it is a medal. I get the feeling. She

450s out here. Look at the execution. Perhaps a little bit

messy coming out. And the hands down. She had the Japan grab there.

My heart is just pumping. What must she be feeling like? What must Katie

Summerhayes be feeling like waiting for the score? She will feel like

somebody is electrocuting her upper play -- probably. She needs 77 to

get on the podium. let's see what the judges make of this, I guarantee

they will leave is waiting for about 16 years. I think I have aged about

16 years in the last five minutes. Come on, judges. They kept Jenny

Jones waited the longest. -- waiting. Oh, no. 70 points 60. It is

not enough. -- 70 points 60. The hand drags have cost up. They really

have. She is 18, she will be 22 in South Korea. You had to stick it on

the first run with the way the conditions are. On the second run,

it is so much harder. We have seen it with all of the skiers. It came

down to not landing that first run. Katie Summerhayes is going to feel a

little bit robbed, but she has done herself proud. She has done UK sport

pride. But let's not get too distracted, because this girl could

still upset the apple cart. She could get on the podium as well. She

was in the same position as Katie, looking to get on the podium. The

podium right now stands as Canada, USA, Australia, 77 is the score to

get on. No spin in that, but very technical. We got so carried away

with Katie's run. We did. We just wanted it so badly, because it means

so much to British skiing and snowboarding. Katie Summerhayes is

widely regarded as the best of these girls on the rails. We had guys in

practice cheering on her tricks. But she can win a medal at the next

Olympics, she can win gold. So this one, backwards to backwards, we like

that. I wouldn't like to do that. There is no way I could do that! She

is happy with that. Is this enough for a podium? It is third place. It

has knocked the Australian off the podium. And only zero point for --

no point for they point between zero and bronze. -- only 0.4 of a point.

So Devin Segal can unclip her boots -- Dara Howell can unclip her boots

and walked down. She won't do that, she will give them a show. She's

getting her folks from her coaches and managers. The emotion you must

be feeling now and she still has two ski. Is it safe? Well, I know, it is

like when I go snowboarding listening to music, just unsafe.

Well, this is a victory lap. Good, good, because it is not the

conditions to be trying to throw massive tricks. Look at the

landings. This is what has cost Katie Summerhayes, not landing it on

her first run. The conditions have got warmer and warmer and warmer and

it has got more and more dangerous as the competition has gone on. She

is going big to be safe. Absolutely. Look at that, she has gone straight

and just about made it. There you go, ladies and gentlemen, your

Olympic gold medallist, 19-year-old from Ontario in Canada. Dara Howell

takes the gold. Devin Logan, from the United States, in silver-medal

position. And her fellow Canadian, Lamarre in bronze. Katie Summerhayes

ends up in seventh position. Giving a really good account of her cell,

really strong in qualifying. She fell in the finals here, couldn't

put it down clean enough. And all of the scores from the first round,

apart from Kimi Lamah, counting on the podium. -- Kim Lamarre. But you

had to do it in the first run. That is what Dara Howell did. So gold and

bronze for Canada, silver for the USA. So here they are, the official

confirmation of the results. Dara Howell with that incredible

first-run, a score of 94.20. Devin Logan also on the first run. Kim

Lamarre did exceptionally well on the second run in the conditions.

And Katie Summerhayes in seventh position. A great second run but

with conditions as they were, not good enough to climb up onto the

podium. Seventh place, very, very respectable for our British skier

from Sheffield, Katie Summerhayes. Katie, first of all, your reaction.

I am honestly gutted. I skied really well in qualification, I think,

which kind of made me feel good, but I'm gutted with my result. It

happens, everyone falls. I made two massive mistakes. How difficult were

conditions today, because it was getting noticeably warmer. It was

difficult, but I made a plan to stick with the small drums, and just

do those in training. I was the luckiest out of the girls, hitting

the small side, not having to go up things as big. You had quite a delay

before your second run because there was a clash right before you --

crash. How did you cope? To be honest, we had no idea what was

happening, we thought it was normal, which was good, because I'm good

friends with Yuki, so it is probably good that I didn't know. And

overall, do you think this is good experience or are you going to feel

regretful of a missed opportunity? I think a little bit of both. I am so

lucky to be at the Olympics at 18. I never thought I would get this

chance and I can use it as experience to go to the next one.

But I feel I skied really well in qualification, so I am honestly

gutted. But I think later tonight, I will be really happy.

Jonathan -- and you cannot help but think she will get to bed tonight

and think, did I let an Olympic medal getaway? It was there for her

at the start of qualification. Today was dull and overcast, but we are

going to get a beautiful sunset over the Black Sea, just behind the

Bolshoy. No sunset in the mountains, it is overcast, we are heading down

to the swanky running centre for the women's luge. -- to the running

centre. Here is run three. Here is the start list of those that will be

seeing early doors. They go in reverse order to the way they they

finished last night. Natalie Geisenberger, Tatjana Maria, the

Olympic champion. Alex Gough starts in that leading group -- Tatjana

Maria. That second group are over a second

behind, just below, in fact. Leading through to about 1.5 seconds. Nina

Reithmayer is the silver medallist from four years ago. That is the way

they will start. So we are ready and waiting for

Natalie Geisenberger to start first, to get this third run under way.

These are anxious times at the top of the track, last-minute

preparations by the athletes. Huefner has the course record,

managing to beat Geisenberger, but Geisenberger definitely has the

track record. Here she is, about to go, leading the Olympics. She is

very special indeed. She has got over 0.465 of a second in the lead

over everybody else. Geisenberger goes, this is run

number three. A decent start. Very good indeed, just a fraction of

Huefner's start time record. -- off. A huge margin over the rest of the

world already from the first two runs. She looks in a great position

for the gold. Down from 11, you must avoid the tap

on that wall. Speeds in excess of 130. Perfect so far. This is about

as good as it gets, coming down, and that is magnificent. 49 points 765

-- 49. 765, that is a track record. Her family have come from Bavaria to

see her. She has been dominant all season, a massive favourite for this

event. The ice is colder today, she has cranked up the temperature and

it has given for harder and faster conditions. Geisenberger has held

her cool overnight, she has held her run. A little bit wavy in corner

ten, you want to hold the flattest line possible, but it doesn't

matter. She really could crash now and still win this. As long as she

crashes late on down the track in the final run. Look at Huefner's

time, she is in second place at the moment but both runs are outside of

50 seconds. She is the latest let defending champion and a lot of

pride is at stake the track record holder from the start gets underway.

What sort of start has she got. It is good almost as good as she

managed in the second run yesterday. She gives away roughly three

quarters of a second on Geisenberger, an almost impossible

margin to pull in, unless Geisenberger was to make a bad

mistake in the final run. Soap Huefner, in many ways, this is

cementing her place as the silver -- some four.

The head picks up a little bit, sticks it back out of the airflow.

The speed is around about 136 km per hour. And that is her fastest time

by far. Absolutely magnificent, however, she is still a second

behind Natalie Geisenberger, the gold medal seems all but lost. But

nevertheless, she would have gained a silver medal in the process. She

just has to hope that Erica Hamlin, sitting in the bronze position,

doesn't put into much of run. It is a really small margin for the next

woman coming, so it really is for Hamlin to cement the bronze, because

people are snapping at her heels. The guy in the middle with the beard

has been here as a regular visitor to this sliding Centre every day for

the last two days. -- Sliding Center. Away goes Hamlin. She is not

a good as starter as the German girls. She is giving away quite a

bit of time there to Geisenberger but really, the comparison here is

to Huefner. It was five hundredths of a second difference, it will be

more like 1500. Actually, she is having a great slide. She could move

up to the silver-medal position. It is a really good performance. 1:30

4.2. Confirmed in third place. One. 218 behind Geisenberger.

So she is in the bronze-medal position and the next two or three

women are all very close behind in terms of time. Probably wanted to

take the final couple of corners a bit better, we look at the exit at

11 in super slow motion. You must come off well or you will get kicked

over to the left-hand wall. And they had eyes coach for the American

team, who are on the cusp of getting their first-ever Olympic medal in a

singles event. In fact, the entire North American continent have never

had a singles Olympic medal. Natalie Khoreva now, the representative of

Russia. She starts head down, and away she goes. She has really got to

pull out all the stops to get the fastest start. 3.945, a good start.

All she cares about right now is trying to beat Hamlin, who is in the

bronze medal position. This will give us a good idea whether she has

gained back some of that. She wants to be no more than about 1.2 seconds

behind Geisenberger. Coming through right between the uprights, that is

not bad at all. She has lost a little bit of speed here. 1:34.3,

that is about the same as Hamlin. She is a long way behind the leader,

but more importantly, what about Huefner and Hamlin. They are in a

real dustup for the bronze. Each run counts, and they all add up one

after the other. A mistake in any of them. That is exactly what Huefner

yesterday, she said, I can still beat Geisenberger. Anything can

happen. She yet may. Alex Gough now, the Canadian, who

has been so close in the past. That is what awaits her at the finish

line, a lot of Canadians down there. Here goes Alex Gough. She has got to

appear at 3.91 or thereabouts. She has done it. Geisenberger is in the

gold position, and she needs to try to claw back in some of that, those

2.5 tenths between her and Hamlin of America.

Alex Gough holds her form well. She is trying to steer as much as

possible with her hip is, not putting too much on the front

uprights. Just coming around the final turn and across the finish

line, 50.286. She has overtaken the Russian! Goodness. There is going to

be a battle for bronze now between Hamlin and Alex Gough. They want a

first North American Olympic medal in singles. A good start from Alex

Gough, really attacked that. She is a power starter, that is what she

has got over Hamlin. A good run, and she could be on the podium. 0.25

seconds, or thereabouts. Now, Kimberly McRae from Canada. This is

all about who can be the smoothest to get the medals. Here goes

Kimberly McRae, going well. 3.940, she wanted, a little outside that.

She gives away ever so roughly three tenths of a second Hamlin, and she

is quite a light woman, so she is carrying a little extra weight to

get her up to that allotted maximum weight that you are allowed.

Everyone will be running at that, because these uphill sections, you

need that momentum. A little tap there, that looks painful. She will

lose some speed there. She doesn't seem to have lost too much. 1.29 or

thereabouts. It is pretty decent. 50.356, not bad. She is in fifth

place, and Khoreva is way down in sixth. A little bit more for Erin

Hamlin to have to do. Kimberly McRae has had a very good season. She

chose to take a little tap there rather than steering. You can see

her trying to shift her hipster move away from the wall.

Natalie Geisenberger looking good for the gold medal. Time now to

catch up with some women's ice hockey. We are going to catch up

with Germany and Sweden. Here is a guide to the equipment that they

use. Each ice hockey team has 20 players.

Six are on the ice at any one time, two defenders, three forwards and a

goalie. Rolling substitutions happen throughout the match, and players

must swap within a designated area close to the substitutes bench to

avoid being penalised. Since body checks are allowed, all players must

wear protective equipment. The players used sticks to move the puck

around the ice. The park itself is made from vulcanised rubber. -- the

puck. The fourth day of competition in

this women's tournament. It is the yellow of Germany against the blue

of Sweden. It will be Germany who will try to

create something in the opening stages. A flick into the corner

there. This is going to be a tight game, they were looking for the

penalty, but nothing was called. Sweden were thinking of a line

change, Germany were trying to capitalise. Space to work in the

Anderson, who turns it around. The Germans can clear their lines. And

Sweden takes the lead with a goal! That was Eliasen. What a moment for

Sweden to open up this game. That gets a touch, and where the VAT was

off Norden in front, she will get credit for the goal.

Too many on the ice. Spielberger looks a little confused.

The power play is now given to Sweden. Sweden are looking

threatening. That was a good save. That first

shot coming in early was stabilising for the German team. I think Eliasen

will get credit for the assist. The German side look a little lethargic.

That was claimed comfortably. That was a good shift their from Norden.

The referee couldn't see what happened there, but she has decided

that there are enough players there! It is difficult to control. Once you

have to go up high, and the puck leaves the ice. You have to maintain

body control, it can become a real difficulty to be able to track it.

She pounced on that one. Did she ever! She jumped on it like it was

her last meal. It was quite scrappy and a little bit broken down, and

then the puck just dropped down. She had seen enough of it to realise she

had to get out there and save the day. The first great save on the

doorstep. That was a fortuitous break on the puck. They couldn't get

it past the goal-tender. It was an acute angle, and then all of a

sudden they have an acute chance on the back post. It is sloppy, but it

is almost underestimating the angle and the liveliness of these boards.

A second chance, they can't finish. Two great opportunities for the

Germans, not taken. Much better play there, and the first real threat we

have seen in the first five or six minutes. There could be too many

players on the ice, but it is not called. She sends this one long down

the ice, and that will be an icy call. There is a big difference

between a shot on goal underscoring opportunity. It is the second one

that is most dangerous, after the rebound. So often in the sport of

ice hockey, it is the second bounce that gets the cheese. Not quite

satisfying enough. Sweden with a narrow lead, looking

to try to double that. A hard shot from out in front.

And a bad giveaway here, a chance for Germany. It went over the top.

And this is a crucial moment for Germany. A great save there. She was

denied as Spielberger sends it in front. A penalty coming.

Things are going to level up in this third period. A little trouble, and

that is straight in. It hits the right in the chest. The shot comes

in and is kicked aside. She went low, and it is too on one for the

Swedes. 2-0! And just like that, the

transition was swift. The mistake was made in the defensive zone to

allow the Swedes to have the lead. It is a high risk later come across

here. Once you have committed, you are done. It is getting the player

back into the front of the net, number 11. She brought the defender

towards her. And the defender just gets ploughed over. They are not

fighting it off at all, and that makes a big difference. A second

chance there! Nearly. Nearly doubled up. Another effort comes in, and it

has gone all the way through. The Swedes take a 3-0 advantage now as

to who will claim this, we don't yet know, but the scoreboard doesn't

tell a lie, and Sweden know the deal.

Another shot comes in. A fine, fine finish from Lindbergh. Finally, she

announces herself. It is handed over at the blue line. There was a little

bit of a slot shot. Look at that. A perfect shot in the top left

corner of the German goal. Comprehensive stuff. Sweden rated

back-to-back wins. Germany are now eyeing a seventh and eighth place

play-off spot, unless there is a miracle. It finishes, Germany,

zero... When winter turns water to frosted

glass, beauty comes with a soundtrack of silence. Born of this

silence is ice. The hush, broken by the rumble of granite, like a child

of the wilderness. The roaring sport was heard and then slid away. Half a

century in the Olympic wilderness. It returned with its soundtrack of

silence, the soft growl of granite, the sweeping frenzy and the crack of

precision. Curling, the sport of a silence beautifully broken.

A little earlier, we saw Dave Murdoch and his team get a last gasp

victory against the Germans. They stole the final end. An important

victory for Dave Murdoch. They have played three, lost two and -12 and

lost one. We will be heading to the Ice cube shortly. Let me tell you

about the different options to watch the Winter Olympics on the BBC. Live

streams, including the curling. And then the Iceberg, for the figure

stated. -- figure skating. Great Russian interest there. Stacey Kemp

and David King going for Britain. We have seen the luge ad the sliding

centre. Then there is also short track speed skating from the Adler

Arena. Will there be more Dutch domination in that venue? We will

wait and see. And then Shaun White going for an unprecedented third

gold medal in a row. Also, we've got the ice hockey continuing. The USA

and Canada will fight it out. One more bonus track, for biathlon, up

at the cross-country centre. But now, it is time to head to the

Ice cube for the killing. An absolutely crucial match for Eve

Muirhead and 13. Jackie Lockhart and Steve Cram in the commentary box.

Welcome to the Ice cube again, for a crucial match for Great Britain, in

the sense that one defeat already, against USA... The USA have already

lost their first two matches and they did finish last in Vancouver,

four years ago. Of course, Eve Muirhead and her team will have

targeted this as a match to win. After the dramatic last stone

victory of the men this afternoon, let's hope that has lifted the

women's team and they can put in a good performance here tonight. They

were a little out of sorts in the first match yesterday. Claire

Hamilton will play lead and Jackie Lockhart, sitting next to me, as her

fingers crossed. We were buoyed by that victory from the Menard lets

hope the women can give us something to cheer tonight. Yeah, let's hope

they come out today with more confidence than they had yesterday.

I'm sure they will have. They will have had a rest this morning.

They just have to remember they've done all the hard work. They've got

to believe in their performance and that will hopefully shine through at

the end of the day. Yes, for some teams, this set of matches tonight

is their third match. That is the case for the USA team. And going

first for them is Ann Swisshelm. The Great Britain team would not

want to lose the first two matches. It was very uncharacteristic to see

Eve Muirhead losing in that kind of manner. She looked quite defeatist.

She could have raised her again. She just kept not quite getting the

shot. She is such a perfectionist. She wanted that 100%. Nothing was

going to be good enough. I hope she has taken the best from what

happened the other day. She loves this environment, the big game, the

big shots. She is certainly a player that can pull them off. Let's see if

we can see that today. The Americans had two matches. The first one was

against Switzerland. A defeat against Switzerland might have been

fair enough but then they came up against Russia. The young Russian

team, with all of their support, and you will have been hearing plenty of

Cheers whilst they play China, they were 4-1 and then they fell away.

There was a disappointing finish over the last three or four ends for

the Americans. We almost saw that with the men this afternoon, if any

of you were watching. It was a really tight match between Great

Britain and Germany. Just in the last three ends, the German

player... They don't have the skip playing. Schultz fell apart, didn't

he? They were fairly straight forward shots but he fell apart over

the last three ends. You really have two hold your nerve. It really is a

game of patience and having your nerve. Unfortunately, Felix's crack

that the last end and our boys still the end which was great for us. It

was sad to see a player falling apart like that. So, this game, the

USA versus our very own GB. Eve Muirhead is sitting with two shots

in the house at the moment. Unfortunately, they are behind the T

and we don't have the last stone. The girls have to draw a shot to see

who gets the hammer in the first end. It's fantastic to see Eve

Muirhead and Erika Brown both hit the one foot. Unfortunately, it goes

to a toss of a coin. The Great Britain girls must have lost the

toss and the USA have the hammer here, in the first end. Anna Sloan

played together with Eve Muirhead as a junior. This new team has been

very successful. She is a perfect foil for Eve. This shot is looking a

little bit high. It's not going to take any other poll. -- pull. If I

could take anything from anything from the first game. The lines on

either side of the middle of the white that you can see, if the girls

are throwing and in or outturn, especially on that side when they

are throwing the intern, if you edge out at all, turn it. There is no

rotation to come in at all. The very weight depends on the sheet. All of

the sheets are. I think Eve found that frustrating in the first game

that she played. She has two read the ice and give her team the ice

that is appropriate for this kind of game. She needs to tighten up the

ice and give them a chance. Debbie McCormick, after a disappointing

Olympics in Vancouver, has said that she was ready to quit the sport. She

is playing third now. She caught that guard on the way through. She's

40 years of age. A lot of experience in this American team. By sword

being described as a team of all-stars. -- I saw it being

described. In their trials, If they bring on Allison, it would

be later in the competition. These four ladies have stuck together to

try to win the trials. And they did. Their Olympic qualification was

successful. Anna, who is a left-handed player, playing her

outturn freeze on that stone. That is a nice stone. Definitely going to

put the pressure on the USA there. Right from the beginning, there is

no question of having an end to let everybody settle down. The USA has

the hammer but it is a good start from Great Britain.

Debbie MacCormack playing third here for the USA.

She just wants to hit this fully on the nose of the red shot.

Eve Muirhead, just having a little look. She is having a discussion

with Anna Sloan. We have to be very careful that our

two other USA stones sitting there. She's just hoping to hit that yellow

shard of the USA on the nose and hopefully take-out two of their

stones. A little roll into the centre. She would really like a roll

here. This might be pretty good. Certainly, one has gone on the line.

Two stones in the back that still need to be thought about. She's just

having a luck. I think she will be reasonably happy with that but

obviously... Yes, Anna did say she would not get two of the shots

there, and that yellow at the back is lying. But the yellow stone at

the front... It is actually causing the USA a bit of difficulty here,

because they do not have a free shot to these two reds in the house. I

think if I had the option here, might be thinking about driving the

yellow, driving the USA stone here. I would be driving it into one of

these shots to try and clear it, and then at least then, at least then

you are opening up the house and you have got the last stone and you want

to make sure that you have got a free draw or a free area to get into

that four foot. Just to make the point that we have made on a few

occasions, that when you have the hammer, it is ready important to try

and score two. So the Americans skip Erika Brown, throwing the first

stone of her match. She saw the angle from down the other end of the

eyes, so she can see all of Eve Muirhead's stones sitting on the

foot, but this would be too light. It catches the guard. It acts as a

blocker for her, but is two perfect guards on for the Team GB stones.

Eve will be happy to put her guard up here, to try and make it

difficult for America to try to force up her own reds into the

house. I think that was probably a mistake from Erika Brown, I would

have tried to push these yellow stones into the play, and if it

didn't work, she opened up the house, and these two red stones

would be lying free, but as it is, she has left two guard and front. A

little bit of discussion, I think even as favouring putting the stone

at the top, in between those two. You can see a way through there, she

wants to put a guard there and close it out.

She doesn't need to cover all of the holes, she just needs to make it

small enough so there isn't enough room for a stone to get through

there. These early draws, they start to hit the spot. This gives you some

confidence in terms of reading the ice. That is a nice shot from Eve

Muirhead. The match this afternoon with Great Britain and Germany, we

said, you just have to keep putting on the pressure, keep asking

questions, keep playing the shots. If they make the shot, great, but

keep asking them to think about what they have got to do. Do not leave

any straightforward, easy shots for them. This is a big shot here. A big

shot for Erika Brown. A big shot for Erika Brown on the first end. And

again, this is a lot of ice. She has called Hack weight. She wants to

push that yellow in the left-hand side of the picture up into the pack

in the centre of the house. Trying to score her one. If she doesn't get

that right, there is a chance to run straight through as well. So, Erika

Brown, already under a little bit of pressure here but the hammer and the

last stone of this first end. Try to come up with the big shot. You have

to be very careful here, if you lay too much weight, you do not get as

much policy would have done. too much weight, you do not get as

much pull as you would have done. That has run out. Certainly from

where we have been looking, that is a great start for Great Britain. It

wasn't bad. It was close, but not quite good enough. Great Britain

take the steel. 1-0 after just one end.

That was the perfect start Eve Muirhead and her team, Edu can

follow the action on one of the six HD streams as well as the red

button. Trust-macro and you can follow. Now, we return to the slopes

for the red pipe. Iouri Podladtchikov, he is the owner

of the yellow flag. He is almost a carbon copy of Shaun

White in that he is just as good at skating as he is snowboarding. He

did a lot of practice, almost as much practice is anybody else.

Again, going really... It feels like he is quite safe with these runs by

his own standards. Great double turn. He would be happy with that,

that will get him through to the finals.

Interesting to see him under this much pressure at this stage of the

contest. If you had shown me the start list, I would have given him

one of the top six places three to the final. Struggled with this pipe.

The late couple of times, but talk about putting the rundown when you

need to. Look at how much pull he had here, he gave the board of

Yank, it was flexing up. -- gave the board a bit of April. Coming off the

back of a win at the Burton European open. If confidence should be high.

This is the high marker anyone else to beat. Watching the Australians

ride, Nathan Johnstone and Kent Callister, what is your opinion on

the? We spoke about them earlier, we said they had fantastic runs, how

much further can they realistically go, they said they were at our

courses? Nathan Johnstone, he can get in there, some good tricks, and

he is not afraid to go big. This guy is brilliant, he was the rookie in

the 2010 team, and as we have said many times before, the US Grand Prix

series is one of the hard disk on petitions in the world, editors the

series that qualifies you for the US team. He has won one of these events

and in the process he beat Shaun White.

Spinning with his front facing the platform, and switching back across

the pipe. A switch double Cork. The backside 900. The frontside 900,

frontside ten. Yes. Very interesting. We will see how that

lines up against the last run. The amplitude on Greg's run was much

lower. What we have seen consistently is a hide scorers. He

did back-to-back double Cork and back-to-back tens, so quite

technical. He started to lose it through that. We are absolutely

tearing these runs to bits. This is what the judges want to do, but by

any mortal standards, these are just ridiculous heights. If you are into

snowboarding or skiing and you get to go to a resort with a pipe, go to

ride into one, because you will realise how difficult it is. Even to

get across the pipe is hard enough, let alone get out of the top of it.

Second place Lexmark! The amplitude definitely worked. This is made

Johnston, I was training with him during the summer. -- this is Nathan

Johnstone. He is a good guy, a solid rider. Hoping for a good things from

him. The incentive to do well is so high, you come in so hot, that you

end up blowing up. Let's hope that Nathan doesn't blow up. That could

been a classic case of the commentator curse. He looked a bit

tense through his run, didn't look... I think it might have been

some nerves. He shook his head as if to say, what am I doing? I need to

calm down. That is not a place where he would normally fall.

I think you landed quite flat, you can see here on the frontside. It

was tough for him to set up. Did it all go wrong on the take-off or did

he not commit to the spin? I think it went wrong from the previous

triggered when he went into the cab, his leg was not in the right

position. -- from the previous trick, and when he went .

Next, the Chinese rider. Shi Wancheng. His team-mates is

incredible. That's his team-mate. He was the highest scored rider who did

not prequalify for this competition. Come down very, very hard. That was

tough. That looks very sore. It is almost better that he landed on the

top and did not bounce back into the pipe. He was going so high. That has

got to hurt. His hand goes up to indicate that he is all right. You

could see his legs almost skippered a little bit, which might have put

him off. We have got some slow Mo pictures of Shaun White dropping in

really slowly at the qualifiers. The way that he is flexing, he absorbs

the bombs into that first hit. It is treacherous. It looks really

dangerous. You can go and practice in the perfect halfpipe, but it

shows who the good riders are to handle going through these. You have

to have good board control. Unbelievable that he has managed to

ride away from that, when you watch it.

The backside and was smooth but it wasn't massive. That is big, though.

That is ready big. Came in very nicely at the top of the transition.

Backside five and the frontside seven. Very nice. I would call that

a workhorse style run. There is nothing show me about it but it will

crank up a viewpoints. The execution was good. The execution was good. A

lot of frontside spinning tricks. That is lovely.

He is the Shire horse of half pike riding. That was a beautiful

frontside 900. A double grab! To remind you that the curling is

continuing. Eve Muirhead going well against the USA. A crucial match

that they win. That's in their bid to make it through to the last four.

We are going to continue with a snowboarding, the live semifinals.

Do you think the judges got it right in the slope style? But you on the

spot. It's hard to say exactly because I didn't see every single

track. Yeah, I mean the winners were -- the winner did a 16. With those

grabs, they were awarded... For a 16, the landing was incredible.

Johann is a gentleman from the French team. A very nice guy. He

works very hard. Tres gentile! Flip side 900. Backside 900. He hit

a bump there but he managed to hold one. It was going so good, wasn't

it? You could see him hitting the bumps but he was keeping on it. At

the end of that trick, his legs couldn't take it. You can see now

where all of those lumps, bumps and kinks in the walls were soft before

and maybe the board would absorb them or cut through them. Now, as it

starts to get colder, it is starting to throw them around. Yeah. We've

definitely seen a lot more falls than if it was completely smooth.

That is what people like to see, crashes. As long as it's not too

bad. No one wants to see a crash here. Maybe that's just me. I didn't

want to see Johann crash, that's the shore. I reckon I've been

commentating on snowboarding for about 18 years. What, you started

doing it when you are five? Some of the slams you just awful. It becomes

the hardest part of the job to watch. There was a big crash today,

in the ladies slope style. The Canadian crashed and we can report

she is OK. She has fractured her jaw and has gone to hospital but is in

good spirits. She is feeling a bit better. That's a night out that a

nice outcome. Not the fractured jaw but she will get better. Next is

Seamus O'Connor. He managed to land a triple, I think, in the slope

style in the end. You said he's got a 12. He has. If

he lands this, I'm calling it a 12. Oh! You could see his knees, they

didn't say strong on the transition. At the moment, this is really

difficult to watch because everyone is going for broke. He is going to

look back on that, undoubtedly, and say, if I had gone gently there, I

would have landed. He has watched the two guys in front of him. There

are only five guys missing out on the final. By going for that 1260,

he has denied himself what would have been a solid score. I mean,

maybe if he had gone for the nine, it would have been a safer bet. The

other side of snowboarding is you want to show off and show your best

tricks. If there is a time when you want everyone to watch, like the

Olympics, you would have want -- wanted to go for it. The endgame is

the finals. That is when you pull out your 1260. Right now, he doesn't

need that. To me, that was a foolish move. If I had been his coach, they

would have been no way I would have recommended that. You wonder if

Seamus knows that. He looks pretty upset. He is in fourth at the moment

so he is safe but you've got to say, with the riders left to go, I don't

know. The question is, what is

Podladtchikov going to use this run for? Would he test out his big

tricks? Look how bumpy it was running

through there. What is happening here and what could really say it

beautifully... If he does do the other flip, it might be there.

What I was going to say, Yury is getting to write this pike as a

transition from slush to hard pack and that could be critical when they

reach the finals because all the other riders last road despite when

was slushy. -- this pipe. They will have pre-finals training and that

might give them 45 minutes to get to grips with it but... It will be a

lot different. It will have iced over and will be scary to ride. I

think that was the first and second head.

I have spoken to Shaun White's coach about this and he says Shaun's

muscle memory is his greatest gift. That's his biggest talent. Watch him

ride through that pipe. No better score there. No surprises. This man

could do with a slightly better score, though. Greg Bretz is

currently sat on 82. There are no guarantees. In second place at the

moment. He is going to rely on his first run

them. He's hoping that nobody will be to score. Do you think it will be

enough? Going back to Shaun, there is always that element, especially

when we've seen him ride the pipe and is looking so confident... The

big question is not who is going to take gold but who is going to take

silver and bronze? Absolutely. Someone is going to have to do a lot

to beat Shaun. There was a contest where he tried

it on the first hit. It wasn't thinking about doing it on the third

last hit. Talk about jeopardy. Talk about danger. That's it. You put

that trick first, your points are going to go through the roof. There

we go, 44.25. Greg Bretz is in second at the moment. We have only

seven Ryder -7 riders left. You like this guy, don't you, Don? Yeah.

He is one of the riders who didn't manage to land his whole run so he's

got to lay this down. Right now, if he can put this together, he still

stands a chance of making this because no one else has got

anything. Even though he missed that, I think he's got a chance of

banking a high 50 or low 60 score. He's got to get more than 45 points

which I think you can probably do. You would have to agree, wouldn't

you? Yeah, it wasn't his best run but he stayed on his feet, so I

think he might just have enough. He put that really flat into the

transition and his legs turned on it. He did just save that, doesn't

he? He managed to get back into his rhythm. That was almost sheer

determination. He works out a lot in the Jim Sims

got nice strong legs for those landings. I spoke to Jamie Nicholls

and he said, I'm going to go out and have a couple of nights drinking and

then I'm going to get into the gym, ready for 2018.

That's a big score. It's good enough for third. Johnson has a spot in the

finals, just from carrying on with that run.

The first of our two Chinese riders, debuting at the Olympics, from the

men. He landed deep at that front end. He didn't land on the platform,

which is always a bonus. Not very high on the backside nine. Just

holds onto the frontside nine. He was happy to make it down in one

piece. We had an in-depth discussion during the qualifiers about this

rider, when we saw the slow motion replay, about his grabs. There is

some tail fish that we have seen, a couple of newts. The judges marked

him really highly. That was a definite tail fish. They do not seem

to be penalising him for this. There are certain grabs that are

off-limits. These grabs, the areas between the back of your binding and

the tail of the board or the nose of the snowboard, the areas on the edge

are off-limits. You grab on the tail or the nose or between your feet. He

has gone into third position. I cannot condone this. The judges are

ignoring simple, snowboarding etiquette. I feel a bit strange

after that. It is like wearing socks with sandals. Exactly! You can do

that, but it looks awful axe back -- awful!

Lovely front ten, manages to control it, even though he has two wash

around. Both ends of the spectrum! How did he save that?

That method, that could literally bring about world peace if it wanted

to! I will bet that is a low score. That is amazing. In the presence of

greatness. If you look at this, he is playing his get out of jail free

card into out of these tricks. He fights the end of the rotation. The

gravity train tries to drag him back to earth but he fights it.

Seamus O'Connor is on 54, that is the bubble we want to go over. Even

with the mistakes! Who did he beat? He did! He just put one over Shi

Wancheng. A beautiful method. We will see him in the finals. Now, one

of the riders that was pushed down. He was in the top three at the start

of this run, he is now in the bubble. Three very good riders that

are still to go that are not in the top six after him. The face of this

semifinal changes with every rider. The pressure is being ratcheted up

here as well. It looks like they are starting to just get on with it in

the pipe also, bulldozing through the imperfections. Lovely. Hold it

together. Beautifully across the bottom. Nice bit of style. He is on,

he has done it. The less the rotation, the more time you have to

style it out. He did that beautifully. Slovenia have done it.

Well done. Currently in sixth position with a 72. Maybe Seamus

O'Connor will be thinking, I needed the 1260 by the end of this, because

there have been some really big brands coming down. I take back that

comment about disagreeing with his or his coach's strategy. Hindsight

is a beautiful thing! If you want to gauge how big these guys are going,

then look at the photographers standing on the platform. You will

not get a chance now! Next time around, have a look when the slow mo

is up. He knows that he needs to up the 72 from his first run. Fifth

place, 75.5, it only pushes him up once. Nathan Johnstone has been

pushed down onto the bubble with 73.5. Two more, three water left to

run. -- three more. Taylor Gold, the rookie on the American team, can he

join Danny Davis and Shaun White in the final? Some good showings in the

past. If Taylor Gold can do this, it would be all four Americans in the