Two athletes tested positive for banned substances yesterday in the Sochi Olympics’ first doping cases, but an emotional gold for crisis-torn Ukraine and ice hockey victory for Canada over the United States ensured sporting action had the final say.
There will be few more popular winners at Russia’s first Winter Games than the women’s biathlon relay team from Ukraine, who edged out the hosts at the end of a week when anti-government protests had left at least 77 people dead.
A Ukrainian skier had already pulled out of Sochi in protest at President Viktor Yanukovich’s handling of the crisis, and other athletes from the team said they struggled to focus as their country went up in flames.
“When I was on the podium I couldn’t stop crying. I tried to calm down and was trying to hide it behind my skis. They were tears of happiness, not only mine, but of the whole country, our team,” team member Valj Semerenko said.
“We are so happy that the people of Ukraine are happy back home and that something good happened for our country.”
Ukraine’s only other Winter Olympic gold medal was won by figure skater Oksana Baiul in the women’s individual event at the Lillehammer Games in 1994.
In the big ice hockey clash, Canada once again prevailed over arch-rivals the United States in their semi-final at the futuristic Bolshoy Ice Dome, denying the Americans revenge for the final of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
A single goal was the thin dividing line between the sides in the end. Jamie Benn, charging toward the slot, redirected Jay Bouwmeester’s low shot past a helpless Jonathan Quick.
In the other semi-final, Sweden beat Finland 2-1, and they meet the Canadians in the final event of the Games on Sunday evening played just hours before the closing ceremony.
In the short track speed skating, Russia’s Viktor Ahn added two more golds to his impressive tally in the men’s 5,000 metres relay and the individual 500 metres events.
It takes his Olympic gold medal haul to six, three for S. Korea and three for his adopted country Russia.
His feat propelled Russia to second in the overall medals table with nine golds, one behind Norway.
The intensity on the field of play was a welcome tonic on a day when two athletes were thrown out of Sochi for doping.
German biathlete Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle, a two-times Olympic champion at cross country, tested positive for a banned stimulant and was sent home.
The 33-year-old narrowly missed out on medals in Sochi, coming fourth in both the 12.5km mass start and the mixed relay.
At around the same time, Italian officials announced that bobsleigh athlete William Frullani also tested positive for a banned substance and was excluded from the team.
In the men’s 5,000 metres short track speed skating final, the United States finished second to claim their only medal in either short track or traditional long track speed skating at the Sochi Olympics.
Marielle Thompson and Kelsey Serwa took gold and silver in the rough and tumble of the women’s ski cross final held at the Extreme Park.
Canada’s men also won the curling, brushing aside Britain to win 9-3 and claim the country’s third successive title and complete the double after their women also took gold.
The women’s Alpine skiers bade farewell to the Games as American Mikaela Shiffrin won the slalom ahead of Austrian duo Marlies Schild and Kathrin Zettel.