Key events
Nordic combined: Yamamoto, who is not the strongest cross-country skiier, has already been pipped by Lamparter, who won silver in the normal hill event at these Games.
Nordic combined: Unlike Livigno, the weather in Cortina has been OK for sporting action to continue. We are about to begin the second part of the nordic combined large hill/10km. Earlier this morning in the ski jumping portion, Japan’s Yamamoto Ryota took the lead over Austria’s Johannes Lamparter.
Now for the cross-country portion: Ryota holds an eight-second advantage over Lamparter at the start.
Ice hockey: Italy’s Damian Clara is keeping his side in this game against Switzerland. The goalkeeper has made 30 saves so far. Philipp Kurashev and Daniel Mantenuto are penalised for roughing after the pair get in each other’s face. The second period buzzer goes.
Here are some pictures of the heavy snowfall that has led to event delays in Livigno:
Ice hockey: Italy are down 2-0 against Switzerland in the men’s play-off but they have a power play (an extra player on the ice) after Simon Knack was penalised for cross checking (obstructing the opponent illegally with the hockey stick held horizontally in both hands).
Thanks Daniel and hello all. If you are just joining us the heavy snow has scrambled the schedule for the events in Livigno as organisers postponed the women’s snowboard slopestyle medal event and reworked the start times for freestyle skiing aerials.
Officials decided it was too dangerous to start the qualifying round for women’s aerials this morning under a steady snowfall, which could limit visibility and impact speed on the steep jump at the Livigno Aerials and Moguls Park. They rescheduled the event for the afternoon as workers used shovels to keep the buildup of snow on the course to a minimum.
Competitors in the women’s aerials qualifying had completed practice rounds just before organisers postponed the event’s start. Moving the women’s aerials forced a postponement in the men’s qualifying round that had been set for the afternoon. A new date and time for the men’s event has not yet been announced. Across town, organisers cancelled the women’s slopestyle final scheduled for the afternoon and said they would move it to another day.
Righto, it’s time for me to take a break, so here’s Yara to hang with you for the next bit.
Our teams are back out for the second period of their quarter-final eliminators.
End of period one in both hockey matches. Switzerland lead Italy 2-0 and Germany lead France 3-0; the winners will face Finland and Slovakia respectively.
It’s going to be a long afternoon for France, Peterka rounding Junca to put Germany 3-0 up with a minute and change to go in the first.
This is really nice.
A long-range punt from Josi, an NHL all-star … and Switzerland lead Italy 2-0. Bradley, though, s back on the ice.
Why are Germany playing in yellow? I mean, I know it’s in their flag, but I’ve always associated them with white home kit and green change.
Germany score again, Tiffels intercepting and firing inside the near post. They lead France 2-0 with nine minutes remaining in the first.
I mentioned this last week, but the Netflix doc on the miracle on ice, the story of USA’s gold-medal win at Lake Placid in 1980, is enjoyable. Its cold-war analysis is basic and parochial, to say the least, but the personal stories of the lads involved are really moving.
And now Switzerland score, leading Italy 1-0. The winners of this match face Finland, who beat the latter 11-0 in the group, while Germany or France will meet Slovakia, who themselves whacked Finland 4-1.
Oh man, Bradley of Italy flies into the barrier, just 20 seconds in, and that looked a low-quality laugh. He goes off, while Germany already lead France 1-0.
We’re about ready for hockey. But here’s something I just read and enjoyed – not directly to do with Winter Olympics but at the same time relevant to all sport – that you might too.
Still a banger of a coat.
And puts one in mind of this.
Women’s snowboard slopestyle postponed by snow
Ach, the women’s slopestyle final has been postponed.
Heavy snow scrambled the Winter Olympics schedule in Livigno on Tuesday as organisers cancelled the women’s snowboard slopestyle medal event and delayed the start of the qualifying round in freestyle skiing aerials.
Aerials was placed on hold as officials monitored the weather to see if the snow would clear enough to begin the event later in the day. Workers used shovels to try to clear the steep jump that skiers were preparing to ride down at the Livigno Aerials and Moguls Park. Temperatures hovered at a chilly -6 Celsius.
Across town, organisers cancelled the women’s slopestyle competition scheduled for Tuesday afternoon at the Livigno Snow Park and said they would move it to another day.
As such, we’ve a 20-minute hiatus, then it’s Germany v France and Switzerland v Italy in the men’s ice hockey quarter-final qualification matches.
Checking back in with the women’s aerials, I’m afraid we’ve been deferred by another 45 minutes – at least. There’ll be no action until midday at the earliest.
Men’s curling standings:
…and it too is there! Czechia beat Germany 9-7, recording their first win of the competition, meaning defending champions Sweden are now bottom of the pool.
…and it’s there, a beauty! China beat USA 8-5, moving GB up to fourth, while Czechia will shortly seek to to see off Germany. But controversy! I think one of the players might’ve touched a stone when measuring a potential shot … no, it’s agreed nothing changed. So here comes the final effort of the match, Czechia to win it…
Meantime, China have a shot to beat USA, the last of the match, with the score currently 5-5. Here it comes….
Germany are running out of time as their skip lets one go … and he overcurls, offering Czechia, who have the hammer, a chance at two with their final rock. Here comes their penultimate one and it’s a goodun; I’m not sure how Germany get out of this, as there are three reds tiles in the house.
I think it’s much the same as with NZ (who garnered the southern hemisphere’s first medal in 1992, then nothing more until 2014 after which multiple medals each time),” reckons Ben Barnards, “in that new sports have come in which both countries are prominent players – snowboarding, ski cross, both big air variations etc. Neither have suddenly starting competing in biathlon, ice hockey or ski jumping, but these ‘wacky’ new sporting disciplines are ones in which each are recreationally and later competitively active.”
Yes, that makes sense – people doing stuff for fun, then getting good at it.
