BEIJING (AP) — The United States has its first medal at the Beijing Olympics.
Julia Marino was a silver medalist in women’s slopestyle, finishing behind Zoi (ZOH’-ee) Sadowski Synnott (SIH’-naht). Marino was leading heading into the third and final trip down the mountain before Sadowski Synnott became the first New Zealander ever to medal in a Winter Olympics.
Sadowski Synnott’s winning score of 92.88 was the only mark over 90.
Also at Beijing:
— The powerful Russian figure skating team is in first place in the team competition after a winning performance from world champion Kamila Valieva and another strong skate from Mark Kondratiuk. The team representing the Russian Olympic Committee has 45 points, two ahead of the U.S.
— Russian skier Alexander Bolshunov won gold in the 30-kilometer skiathlon. Bolshunov is the World Cup points leader in distance races.
— The Australian mixed doubles curling team of Dean Hewitt and Tahli Gill pulled off a dramatic win in their first Olympics. They beat Switzerland hours after it appeared they would be headed home because Gill returned a series of positive COVID-19 tests. Hewitt and Gill beat Switzerland’s Martin Rios and Jenny Perret 9-6. Gill had the big knockout shot to secure a 3-end, or three points, in the sixth end to tie the game at 6-6. The first-ever Olympic curling team from Australia improved to 1-7. Their final game is against their coach, defending gold medalist John Morris of Canada, and his new partner, Rachel Homan.
— Nils van der Poel has given Sweden its first Olympic speedskating medal since 1988. The reigning world champion pulled off a stunning comeback to win gold in the 5,000 meters, turning on the speed at the end to overcome Patrick Roest of the Netherlands with an Olympic record. The bronze went to Norway’s Hallgeir Engebraaten.
— Japan’s Ryoyu Kobayashi has won Olympic ski jumping gold on the normal hill. Kobayashi jumped last and best, clearing 99.5 meters (326 feet), and had 129.6 points thanks to his graceful style from start to finish that won over the judges. Austria’s Manuel Fettner won silver and Dawid Kubacki of Poland earned bronze.
— Jakara Anthony of Australia has captured the women’s moguls title. Her backflip with a grab at the bottom of the course sewed up the gold medal Sunday on the Secret Garden Olympic course. Anthony’s score of 83.09 edged American Jaelin Kauf, who had been poised to pick up the first gold medal for Team USA in China. Russian athlete Anastasiia Smirnova earned the bronze while defending champion Perrine Laffont of France finished fourth.
— Alpine skiing’s power couple will have a busy day Monday on the Olympic slopes. Mikaela Shiffrin and Aleksander Aamodt Kilde are now both supposed to race on the same day after the men’s downhill was pushed back because of too-strong gusts at the scheduled start Sunday. Shiffrin and Kilde are dating. Kilde is considered the man to beat in the downhill. Shiffrin is the defending Olympic champion in the women’s giant slalom. The two-leg GS will be raced at 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on the technical slope at Yanqing Alpine Skiing Center. The downhill will be held at noon on the speed slope about a half-mile away.
