Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - February 09, 2014, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE B5 SPORTS B5 SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2014 KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia - Shaun White took 10 practice runs down the halfpipe on a windless, sunny morning in the mountains above Sochi and let out a big " whoooo- hooo" when the last one was over. Yes, he says, this is where he belongs. In his first interview since announcing he was skipping the Olympic slopestyle contest, White told The Associated Press he is at peace with his decision to focus solely on the event where he's won two straight gold medals and will go for a third on Tuesday. " I can understand if it's your first time to the Olympics, you wouldn't understand a decision like the one I made," he said Saturday. " But you set your goals according to what's important to you. - The Associated Press OLYMPICS Canada appears poised to win a medal in team figure skating today SOCHI, Russia - Eight hours before she competed Saturday night, Canada's Kaetlyn Osmond had to pee in a bottle. The 18- year- old figure skater from Marystown, N. L., had to undergo an unannounced doping test at lunchtime even though she was skating in the team event later that night. " I've never seen that in any competition," said Skate Canada's high performance director Mike Slipchuk. The Canadian champion responded well to the distraction, skating a clean short program that included a triple toe loop- triple toe combination, triple flip, and double Axel. She finished fifth, helping Canada to a second- place finish overall heading into Day 3 of the three- day team event. - The Canadian Press Halfpipe's where I belong, White affirms K RASNAYA POLYANA, Russia - Mark McMorris won bronze in men's slopestyle Saturday to give Canada its first medal of the Sochi Olympics. The Regina snowboarder, competing just a few weeks after breaking a rib, turned in a strong second run at Rosa Khutor Extreme Park to finish third with 88.75 points. " I would have loved to be in the gold- medal position but with what I've been through in the last two weeks, just standing on the podium in general feels like a gold medal to me," said McMorris. American Sage Kotsenburg won gold with a score of 93.50. Norway's Staale Sandbech took the silver with a 91.75. McMorris did well just to make it to Sochi, where slopestyle is making its Olympic debut. He had a team of specialists who helped him get back in form and he was able to deal with the pain. McMorris struggled in qualifying and needed a third- place result in the morning semifinal just to qualify for the 12- man final. Once he got there, he had a disappointing first run but turned things around in the second and final run. McMorris was strong on the rails and just as steady on the jumps, landing a backside triple cork 1440 to cap his impressive effort. " It was an amazing feeling to do that," he said. " That was a run I really wanted to do." McMorris then had to watch 10 other competitors do their second run before his medal was guaranteed. " I was just praying to not get bumped down," he said. With his bronze hanging in the balance, teammate Maxence Parrot was the final rider to head down the course. The reigning X Games champion from Bromont, Que., also had a solid run and looked pleased with his effort. The tension was palpable over the long minute before the judges' scores were posted. McMorris was sure Parrot had done enough and actually started to leave the finish area. He stopped a short distance away and watched the scoreboard from there. When the results made it to the screen, Parrot dropped his head in disappointment. McMorris had his bronze after all. " It was like truthfully the most insane rollercoaster ever," McMorris said of his week. Montreal's Sebastien Toutant finished ninth. Charles Reid of Mont- Tremblant, Que., was eliminated in the semifinal round after finishing 14th. - The Canadian Press SOCHI, Russia - Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir insist they won't let the rumblings of a skating scandal - in a sport that has been rife with them - ruin their final Olympic appearance. Twelve years after the judging scandal that rocked the Salt Lake Olympics, Canada's Olympic ice dance champions found themselves in the midst of one at the Sochi Games on Saturday. " I guess that's part of being in a judged sport, there's nothing you can do about that," said a visibly upset Virtue. French newspaper L'Equipe has reported Russian judges have agreed to help keep Virtue and Moir off the top of the podium, in favour of Americans Meryl Davis and Charlie White. In exchange, the American judges would help Russia win gold in the new team event, according to L'Equipe . It brought back memories of the scandal in Salt Lake City, when Canadians Jamie Sal� and David Pelletier were temporarily denied gold due to backroom dealing between judges. Virtue and Moir were taken aback when they arrived in the mixed zone after their short dance program Saturday night, part of the inaugural team event, and the first question asked was about the brewing scandal. "( Judging) is not at the top of our minds," Moir said. " Being Canadians we lived through Sal� and Pelletier... figure skating has a storied past with all that stuff. But the beautiful thing about being an athlete, guys, is that's none of our concern. " When we sit in the kiss- and- cry and get the marks, the disappointment on our faces is because of our performance today, it has nothing to do with the technical panel or the judges." L'Equipe's story, under the headline " Petits arrangements entre amis " - or " Small arrangements between friends" - cited an unnamed Russian coach as saying there was a " proposed barter" between the two countries. The 24- year- old Virtue, and Moir, 26, were beaten by Davis and White in the short dance Saturday night, but there could be no arguing the scoring. The Americans scored 75.98 to the Canadians' 72.98, but Virtue lost her balance slightly on their twizzles - side- by- side travelling spins - that left the two out of sync. Virtue and Moir are expected to retire after Sochi and what will be their 17th season together, and Moir said he wasn't about to let any rumblings of a scandal shake him. " We're here for our moment, and our moment is what Tessa and I make on the ice," Moir said. " Our goal is to go out there and make a tribute to our career and the training that we've done this year, and make all Canadian figure skating fans proud." - The Canadian Press Broken rib, broken ice Slopestyle's By Gregory Strong McMorris gets bronze for our first medal Same- day pee test for Osmond SOCHI, Russia - Scott Moir compared it to a Canada- Russia hockey game. Dylan Moscovitch said he felt like he was competing in a speedskating race. Canada looks poised to win a medal in the first- ever team figure skating event at the Sochi Olympics, but the Russians - and their noisy fans who chanted and hollered all night long - are doing their best to make sure it won't be gold. " I don't know about you guys, but it felt to me like I was at a hockey game a little bit, like I was watching the ' 72 Summit Series in warmup when they were cheering ' Russia! Russia!" ' Moir said, laughing. " Growing up as a hockey player, I felt like I was ready to go." Russia took an almost insurmountable six- point lead over Canada after five events after winning the pairs free skate in front of a rocking mostly Russian crowd at the 12,000- seat Iceberg Skating Palace. Kirsten Moore- Towers of St. Catharines, Ont., and Toronto's Dylan Moscovitch earned nine points for Canada with a second- place finish in the pairs long program. - The Canadian Press ANDY WONG / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The United States' Sage Kotsenburg ( centre) celebrates with Norway's Staale Sandbech ( left) and Canada's Mark McMorris after Kotsenburg's golden run. ANDY WONG / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Canada's Maxence Parrot reacts after his run. The judging of his performance surprised many. Virtue and Moir rise above scandal By Lori Ewing Won't let judging flap define last Olympics '( Judging) is not at the top of our minds. Being Canadians we lived through Sal� and Pelletier... figure skating has a storied past with all that stuff. But the beautiful thing about being an athlete guys is that's none of our concern' - Scott Moir Rowdy Russian fans pump up team figure skating B_ 05_ Feb- 09- 14_ FP_ 01. indd B5 2/ 8/ 14 9: 31: 24 PM ;