Every afternoon, Olympic enthusiast Drew Berner tracks the talking points from the the day’s competitions. Here’s our recap of day two at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.
Silver for Canada’s Figure Skating Team
Both Vancouver’s Kevin Reynolds and Canadian ice dancing pair Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir finished second in their respective legs of the figure skating team event Sunday, giving Canada its second silver medal and fourth medal overall. Reynolds did an admirable job standing in for world champ Patrick Chan, while Moir and Virtue weren’t able to fend off their arch-rival Americans Meryl Davis and Charlie White in the ice dancing free dance. Mark your calendar: the Virtue/Moir vs. Davis/White rematch takes place Feb. 16 and 17.
Alpine Skiing Disappointment for Canada, USA
Canada hasn’t has so much as a sniff at the podium in alpine skiing in 20 years, a streak many were hoping Erik Guay would break in Sochi. No such luck for Guay, who finished 10th, but an even bigger disappointment was USA downhill favourite Bode Miller falling to 8th place after warning that the treacherous course was just waiting for a chance kill a skier.
USA Figure Skater Ashley Wagner on Sportsmanship
Tonya Harding, eat your heart out. American figure skater Ashley Wagner certainly did not agree with the judges after she landed in fourth in the women’s short program leg of the team figure skating competition. Cameras were pointed right at her face while she received her score—as they always, always are—capturing her perfect look of disgust and assessment of the score as “B-S” for our viewing pleasure. We all like the “nice” figure skating stories, but let’s be honest, it’s a lot more fun to watch when there’s an obvious villain (ahem, women’s short program and free skate are Feb. 19 and 20, respectively).
The Hills Are Alive With the Sounds of iPods
It may be the Olympics, but that doesn’t mean the world’s best snowboarders are about to change how they ride. American slopestyle gold medalist Jamie Anderson had no trouble getting in the zone, using the power of her iPod to focus on the course and scoring a remarkable 95.25 on her final run. If music is giving athletes an extra edge, how long before hockey players start wearing headphones under their helmets?
And Our First Openly Bisexual Winner Is…
Dutch speed skater Ireen Wust may not have wanted to make a statement about her sexuality in Sochi, but winning gold in women’s 3,000m long track speaks for itself. Congrats, Ireen!
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