Olympic GamesOlympics - Sochi 2014
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The twenty-first and last, until yesterday, the episode of the novel the Olympic Winter began badly with the tragic death of Georgian luger and ended with the exultation of Canada'' for the'' gold, the 14th Games in his home, in ' 'men's hockey. Giuliano Razzoli slalom is the only'' blue gold.
Friday 7 February 2014 29 minutes reading time
On 28 August 2002, the IOC chose four cities and excludes four out of the race to host the 2010 Winter Games ventunesimi. The "named" are Bern, South Korea's Pyeongchang, Austria's Salzburg and the Canadian Vancouver, deleted Andorra la Vella, the Chinese Harbin, the Spanish Jaca and Sarajevo, the Olympic city of 1984. Following the Swiss capital is called out for a popular referendum contrary to the Games and then the vote of the 115th Session of the IOC in Prague come in only three. Pyeongchang prevails in the first round with 51 votes, narrowly missing an absolute majority, Vancouver has 40 preferences, 16 Salzburg eliminated, his votes in the second round fully converge on Vancouver prevails over Pyeongchang for 56 to 53 and so is the second Canadian city to host the Games whites 22 years after Calgary. In the days before the start of the Games temperatures in the Olympic sites are almost spring and it will be this one cause of the horrific death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili, who just hours before the opening ceremony, the last corner of the last evidence of the men's single luge loses control of his vehicle due to the extremely slippery ice and goes crashing to more than 140 per hour against one of the metal poles that hold up the roof arrival.
The Olympics may not begin as worse, the death of 21-year old Georgian will be charged to her inexperience and inadequacy an event of this magnitude by the IOC and the international federslittino, which, however, only to commemorate the Sochi in four years after the tragedy. In fact one of the reasons of the accident, in addition to high temperatures, which is the latest curves were very dangerous because it did take almost uncontrollable speed for athletes increased by the slipperiness of ice so that even in the penultimate round of the double standard Olympic Armin Zöggeler flips along the gut. Anyway in all three races of the sled is lowered starting in Germany's Felix Loch wins men's Zöggeler while bronze is one of the leading Italy (only) five medals of this expedition blue and equating the five medals consecutive Olympics in the same event the "colleague" German Georg Hackl, Germany in front of everyone even in the women's race with the favorite of the eve Tatjana Hüfner, the Austrians defending champions Andreas and Wolfgang Linger confirmed in doubles. In the two-man bobsleigh men's fourth Olympic title for the German Andre Lange, the second in this race in the four-Steven Holcomb of the United States an Olympic title in the men's bobsleigh after 62 years, the success of a darling of the house, Kaillie Humphries, in the "two" female. Also Canadian male skeleton with Jon Montgomery, the British Amy Williams wins among women.
Shortly before Zöggeler Alessandro Pittin to sign an historic feat by winning the bronze medal in the Nordic combined, the first medal ever for our colors in this discipline. Change still the format of individual Gundersen: Previously the big ski jump followed a 7.5 km while the bottom was a small trampoline after 15 km, 10 km, there is a time after both races, jumping and is after the jump competition from small trampoline, in which Pittin was ranked sixth, that the 20 year old blue takes this satisfaction anticipating for the lowest rung of the podium the American Todd Lodwick in a sprint won by Frenchman Jason Lamy-Chappuis on American Johnny Spillane, who is also second in the large hill Gundersen, preceded by compatriot Bill Demong, the first ever gold for the U.S. in Nordic skiing, Pittin is seventh. The team competition sees the dominion of Austria, as well as that of the ski jump, whose individual races see the incredible second brace from Simon Ammann, who at a distance of eight years from the Salt Lake City repeats and is the first in history to reach four individual Olympic gold medals in ski jumping, but while the first occasion his exploit was not foreseeable time it was much more than that because it was undoubtedly the best season of his career.
The third medal blue comes from cross-country skiing with Peter Piller that after the bronze in skiathlon wins silver in Turin on his favorite distance and technique, the 15 km skating, yielding only to the Swiss Dario Cologna. From the other races on skis tight, as we shall see, will come only disappointment for our colors. The men's sprint in alternating is the Russian Nikita Kriukov, in pairs skating that goes to the Norwegian Øystein Pettersen and Petter Northug, the latter wins the sprint in the 50 km mass start at alternating with only 3/10 on the German Axel Teichmann, the Sweden won the men's relay after 22 years of fasting driven by Marcus Hellner and Johan Olsson, gold and bronze respectively in the skiathlon. Among women, Marit Bjoergen domain that is necessary, as well as in the relay along with compatriots in Norway, even in skiathlon and alternating sprint in front of his bitter rival, Poland's Justyna Kowalczyk, who then will be back printing in sprint in the 30 km mass start classic the Norwegian, who also strong bronze in the 10 km skating won by Sweden's Charlotte Kalla, collect five medals total in these Games. But the heroine of the sprint is the favorite on the eve of the race, the Slovenian Petra Majdic, who during the heating ends up in a ditch in the middle of the rocks and broke four ribs and acquiring a small hole in one lung, despite this Crazy wins a bronze medal. The sprint couples should be married to German Evi Sachenbacher Stehle and Claudia Nystad Künzel married.
In the women's biathlon queen is Germany's Magdalena Neuner that after the silver in the sprint behind the birth of the Russian and Slovak wedding Anastasiya Kuzmina, Shipulina maiden triumphs both in pursuit and in the mass start, spacing between these two gold a tenth place in the individual won by Norway's Tora Berger. Neuner, however, is incredibly excluded from the German quartet of the relay which was won by Russia with Germany third. Among men, the Frenchman Vincent Jay the joker fishing Neolla sprint excelling due to weather conditions much more favorable than all the others, the Swede Björn Ferry is first nell'insieguimento, Russian Evgeny Ustyugov in the mass start and in the individual Norwegian Emil Hegle Svensen which then adds another gold to his prize won in the relay together with, among others, Ole Einar Bjørndalen, arrived in 11 Olympic medals thanks to silver in the individual. Arianna Fontana was very young bronze in Turin in 2006 together with its companions of short track, this time winning the same metal on the individual shortest distance, 500 meters won by China's Wang Meng, who repeats over 1000 and in the relay along with fellow team among which there is also Zhou Yang wins 1500. En-plein China then on Short Track speed skating women's, men divide equivalent laurels South Korea, with Lee Jung-first on the 1000 and 1500 meters, and Canada, with the relay and Charles Hamelin in 500.
With regard to the long runway, only an athlete fails to win two gold medals and is the Czech Martina Sablikova, triumphed in 3000 and 5000 meters, the other women's events go to South Korean Lee Sang-hwa 500, Canadian Christine Nesbitt to 1000 and the Dutch Ireen Wüst, the 3000 champion in Turin, 1500, among men sudcroeano Mo Tae-bum wins surprise to the 500, the American Shani Davis confirmed the title of the Turin 1000 , Dutchman Mark Tuitert is first in the 1500, his compatriot Sven Kramer wins the 5000 and would have definitely made an encore on 10000 if his coach at one point he had not addressed the incredibly wrong lane race, the " tulip "is automatically disqualified and the success goes to the South Korean Lee Seung-hoon, chases if you bring them home Canadians and Germans. South Korea wins for the first time also a gold in figure skating with the prodigious Kim Yu-na, who triumphs in the artistic feminine with a stellar program that lets you remotely while the sidereal talented Japanese Mao Asada, Joannie Rochette moved the Canadian who lost her mother suddenly of a heart attack two days before he started the short program and despite this has the strength to get on the ice and win a fantastic bronze. The American Evan Lysacek in the artistic male a mockery Evgeny Plushenko in disbelief at the fact that one with a free program without quadruple jumps can you beat it, plus after he was behind the Russian in the short. In the Chinese couple Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo after two bronze medals in the last two Olympics return to the activity just to catch the gold and finally succeed by breaking the domain plus the intention in this race of Russia, or the Soviet Union, whatever you want , which lasted for twelve consecutive editions of the Games. In the dance duel layer (which will continue to Sochi) among Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir and Americans Meryl Davis and Charlie White and are the first to have the best.
In the men's moguls freestyle Alexandre Bilodeau made history because it is the first Canadian to win an Olympic gold medal in the Winter or Summer Games of the house and it does mocking the former compatriot who competes for Australia Dale Begg-Smith, defending champion . Among women, the firm could do the Bilodeau champion Jennifer Heil of Turin in 2006 which, however, is preceded by the American Hannah Kearney. The aerials go to the Australian Lydia Lassila and Aleksey Grishin of Belarus, the second in this race, the American Jeret Peterson, lives his only moment of joy of a life consumed with depression and alcoholism and suicide will put an end to which a year and a half after these Games. Then there are the two new, spectacular ski cross races that make up the total number of events to 86 and that are won by Switzerland's Michael Schmid and Canadian Ashleigh McIvor. In snowboarding men are without opponents as four years before the Americans Shaun White and Seth Wescott, respectively, in the cross and halfpipe, parallel giant if awarded the Canadian Jasey-Jay Anderson, in the corresponding women's race first winter of the historic Olympic gold ' Holland in a race outside of skating through Nicolien Sauerbreij, the cross is the prerogative of the Swiss Maelle Ricker and Australia's halfpipe Torah Bright precedes the champions of 2006 and 2002, the two Americans Hannah Teter and Kelly Clark.
In the women's alpine skiing dominates the successes of Germany with Viktoria Rebensburg in the giant, played with two runs in the space of 24 hours due to the fog that drops after the first run, and Maria Riesch in the slalom and multiple trial, held for the first once with the denomination of "super" and with the format of a descent slalom on the same day. The women's downhill, played on a difficult track like few others in history, sees a well-deserved triumph of the strongest skier in the world at that time, Lindsey Vonn, who takes the greatest joy that four years ago when she was still Miss Kildow had fallen into ruin in the hospital and finishing evidence emerged almost immediately to seize an incredible eighth that made her equally angry. In the super-G win, but not too surprisingly, the Austrian Andrea Fishbacher, in the men's two titles for Switzerland, with Didier Defago downhill and giant with Carlo Janka, the Norwegian Aksel Lind Svindal is the first in the super-G and American Bode Miller in the super combined, downhill bronze and silver in super-G, finally wins his first gold in five circles in his fourth Olympics. It is the men's slalom, the final round of alpine skiing calendar, to which Italy, as in Turin in 2006, arriving at zero medals in his sport's most popular and which is always eagerly awaited. Sestriere Giorgio Rocca had failed to fill the void, the company manages to Giuliano Razzoli that beats for 16 cents Croatian Ivica Kostelić. Razzoli, Emilia Alberto Tomba but the province of Reggio Emilia, Italy leads the first and only gold in these Games, an Olympic gold medal in the men's Alpine skiing, 18 years after the success of its tomb and a medal in the giant slalom alpine ski men 16 years after the silver in the slalom always the Bolognese.
Securities in team sports only one of curling female escapes the hosts since Anette Norberg of Sweden confirms gold by beating Canada 7-6 in the final to Cheryl Bernard. Among men, Kevin Martin, the best known Canadian skip, finally wins the laurel in five circles surpassing 6-3 Norway Thomas Ulsrud. Final between Canada and the United States in both tournaments ice hockey, among women the landlord will require 2-0 going to score twice in the first three periods. The last event of the Vancouver Games is the most anticipated of the whole country, the men's hockey final, the hosts in the group stage were beaten 5-3 by the United States and had been forced to play (and 8-2 romp with Germany) an extra game to qualify for the quarter-finals, but then fail to land the decisive match against rivals. Maple Leaves 2-0 as in the women's final, but this time things are different: the U.S. before getting shorter distances and then tie 25 seconds left. In overtime started 7 minutes and 40 seconds is Sidney Crosby to score the final 3-2 sending the entire nation into a frenzy, Canada also triumphed in the medal coming to an altitude record of 14 gold medals, one more than many they had defeated the Soviet Union in 1976 and Norway in 2002.
Finally, as always, other notable achievements, or disappointing, Italy. In the men's super-G Werner Heel, Christof Innerhofer and Patrick Staudacher, coming respectively fourth, sixth and seventh at 2, 8 and 9 U.S. cents from sorprendentissimo bronze Andrew Weibrecht, Inner is also eighth in super while Manfred Moelgg is seventh in the slalom Razzoli . Among women of alpine skiing is the best Johanna Schnarf, called at the last minute because of a serious injury to his knees Nadia Fanchini two weeks before the Games, the South Tyrol is fourth in the super-G and super combined in eighth, Lucia Recchia is , seventh and ninth in Super-G and downhill Nicole Gius eighth in slalom. Simone Bertazzo is ninth in the four-man bob, Deborah Scanzio tenth in the freestyle moguls, Stefano Pozzolini ninth in the cross, the only top ten placement in snowboarding. In the bottom part of the male silver Piller there are an eighth of Renato Pasini and Cristian Zorzi in the sprint in pairs and one-tenth of Giorgio Di Centa in the 15 km, the relay is even ninth. It goes a bit 'best female quartet that thanks to a sensational third quarter of the meteor Silvia Rupil is able to fight for the medals but then in the last part Sabina Valbusa does not take the best and Italy closes fourth, Magda Genuin is fifth in the individual sprint, seventh Marianna Longa and Arianna Follis in the ninth skiathlon. In figure skating Federica Faiella and Massimo Scali are fifth in the dance, in the artistic women's Carolina Kostner is unfortunately even more disastrous in Turin and ends even sixteenth. In the double luge Christian Oberstolz and Patrick Gruber quarters are missing the podium once again, Gerhard Plankensteiner and Oswald Haselrieder, bronze four years earlier, are noni. Nicola Rodigari is eighth in the 1500 men's short track, Yuri Confortola ninth in the 1000, in addition to bronze in the 500 Arianna Fontana is ninth in the 1500 while the women's relay was sixth. Finally, on the long track Enrico Fabris remains a far cry from the pomp of Turin and finished seventh in 5000 and tenth in 1500, Italy is the sixth men in pursuit.
Summary
21th edition of the Olympic Winter Games
Host city and date of the event: Vancouver (Canada), 12-28 February 2010
Athletes participating: 2536 (1503 men, 1033 women)
Participating countries: 82
Italian participants: 109 (69 men, 40 women)
Standard Bearer Italian: Giorgio Di Centa (cross country)
Securities allotted: 86 in 15 sports
Official opening: Michaëlle Jean Governor
Olympic athletes' oath: Hayley Wickenheiser (ice hockey)
Olympic Oath of Judges: Michel Verrault
Last torchbearer: Catriona LeMay Doan, Steve Nash, Nancy Greene, Wayne Gretzky
The medal
Canada: 14 gold 7 silver 5 bronze medals
Germany: 10 gold 13 silver 7 bronze
United States: 9 gold 15 silver 13 bronze
Norway: 9 gold 8 silver and 6 bronze medals
South Korea: 6 gold 6 silver 2 bronze
Switzerland: 6 3 golds bronzes
China: 5 gold 2 silver 4 bronze
Sweden: 5 gold 2 silver 4 bronze
Austria: 4 gold 6 silver 6 bronze
Holland: 4 gold 1 silver 3 bronze
Russia: 3 gold 5 silver 7 bronze
France: 2 gold 3 silver 6 bronze
Australia: 2 gold 1 silver
Czech Republic: 2 4 golds bronzes
Poland: 1 gold 3 silver 2 bronze
Italy: 1 gold 1 silver and 3 bronze
Belarus: 1 gold 1 silver 1 bronze
Slovakia: 1 gold 1 silver 1 bronze
Great Britain: 1 gold
Japan: 3 silver 2 bronze
Croatia: 2 silver 1 bronze
Slovenia: 2 silver 1 bronze
Latvia: 2 silver
Finland: 1 silver 4 bronze
Estonia: 1 silver
Kazakhstan: 1 silver
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