Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - February 23, 2014, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE B4 SPORTS B4 SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2014 KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia - Vic Wild captured his second gold medal in four days when he won the Olympic debut of men's parallel slalom snowboarding. The American- born Wild, who competes for Russia after marrying Russian snowboarder Alena Zavarzina, edged Zan Kosir of Slovenia by .11 of a second. Wild won the parallel giant slalom on Wednesday. Kosir, grabbed bronze in PGS, earned Slovenia's second snowboarding medal of the games. Karl Benjamin of Austria won bronze. Benjamin appeared to have a spot in the finals locked up when Wild faltered during their first semifinal run. Wild trailed Benjamin by 1.12 seconds in the second heat but somehow made up the difference to win by inches. Jasey Jay Anderson of Mont- Tremblant, Que., placed 15th, Toronto's Michael Lambert was 16th. Matthew Morison finished18th overall. OLYMPICS Dutch long- track speedskaters have won 23 medals in Sochi SOCHI, Russia - Shani Davis wanted to end his Olympic career with a flourish. Instead, one of America's greatest speedskaters endured a miserable time with the rest of his U. S. teammates at the Sochi Games. For the first time since 1984, the Americans failed to win any medals in 12 events at the oval, leaving Davis pondering his future in the sport he's loved since he first started skating as a six- year- old in his hometown of Chicago. " We came in being one of the most decorated disciplines in the Winter Olympics and we come away with zero medals," he said. " It's horrible." Davis wasn't at Adler Arena on Saturday when the U. S. men finished seventh in team pursuit, the final speedskating event of the games. S OCHI, Russia - Finishing with the most medals appears out of reach but Canada can still match its Olympic performance from four years ago. Canada's Olympic team heads into the final day of the Sochi Games with 24 medals, two shy of the mark set at the 2010 Vancouver Games. The Canadian Olympic Committee entered Sochi with the aim of finishing atop the overall medal standings, but it's out of time. Russia leads with 29 medals, while the United States has 27 and Norway follows with 26. Canada is guaranteed at least 25 medals with the men's hockey team playing for gold against Sweden, and there's still a slim chance that number could increase. Canadians are entered in men's four- man bobsled but have some work to do to make the podium. There's also an appeal in men's skicross that, if successful, could bring in another gold. Canadians are also racing in the men's 50- kilometre cross- country ski event today, though they are long shots for a medal. Canada came closest to adding another medal Saturday in the long- track speedskating men's team pursuit. Denny Morrison of Fort St. John, B. C., Mathieu Giroux of Pointe- Aux- Trembles, Que., and Regina's Lucas Makowsky finished fourth in their bronze- medal race behind Poland. The trio had heavy legs after going all out in their semifinal loss to South Korea a night earlier. Poland, meanwhile, coasted against the powerful Dutch team with an eye on winning bronze the next day. " We showed our Canadian pride, our Canadian spirit," Morrison said. " Going into that semifinal that we had against ( South) Korea, they're the No. 2 ranked team in the world, we knew they were going to have a good time, and we put down our very best race. " We couldn't beat them but we can hold our heads high knowing that we tried to go for the gold." Canada led for all but the last two laps of the eight- lap race, fading to finish in three minutes 44.27 seconds. Poland crossed in 3: 41.94 for bronze. Morrison took some responsibility for the loss. The 28- year- old already has two medals, a silver in the 1,000 metres and bronze in the 1,500, but said he had difficulty keeping speed in the final laps. " We didn't have the legs, and Denny, he's had a very good Olympics, and managing those highs and all the ceremonies that come with it cost a lot of energy," said Canadian coach Bart Schouten. " I think he's done really well with that, but at some point energy might run a little bit lower." There was more disappointment in bobsled. The Canada 3 sled piloted by Justin Kripps was running eighth after the first heat and looked fast early in its second heat. But the sled tipped over heading into a corner and slid to the finish with the helmets of Kripps, Jesse Lumsden, Cody Sorensen and Ben Coakwell dragging on the ice. All four athletes walked away from the crash. " They're all fine, they're being looked at by the doctors as we speak and I don't anticipate any problems," said coach Tom De La Hunty. The Canada 2 sled of pilot Lyndon Rush, Lascelles Brown, David Bissett and Neville Wright will need help to move up from 10th place during the final two heats of the event Sunday. Canada 1 - consisting of pilot Chris Spring, Timothy Randall, James McNaughton and Bryan Barnett - was tied for 13th. Canada 3 is last in the 30- sled field but because it crossed the finish line it can compete again in the third heat, although it's unlikely Kripps will qualify for the final heat. One more medal - a gold no less - could be won by Canada if an appeal goes its way. Canada and Slovenia have appealed the final results of men's skicross in which France's Jean- Frederic Chapuis, Arnaud Bovolenta and Jonathan Midol swept the podium and Calgary's Brady Leman finished fourth. The teams are alleging French officials changed the shape of its athletes' ski pants to improve aerodynamics. A decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport is expected today. - The Canadian Press Canada's 24 could be a 26 Might match Vancouver medal total with good results on final day SOCHI, Russia - A Latvian hockey player and a Ukrainian cross- country skier failed drug tests at the Sochi Olympics, bringing to four the number of doping cases at the games. The International Olympic Committee said early Sunday that Vitalijs Pavlovs and Marina Lisogor were both expelled from the games. Pavlovs tested positive for the stimulant methylhexanamine following Latvia's loss to Canada in the quarter- finals on Thursday. The 30- year- old Lisogor tested positive for trimetazidine on Tuesday after the women's team sprint. The latest positive tests follow those of German biathlete Evi Sachenbacher- Stehle and Italian bobsledder William Frullani. All four cases involve stimulants that can be found in food supplements. They are all classified as a " specified stimulant" on the World Anti- Doping Agency's prohibited list. Specified substances are considered more susceptible to inadvertent use and can carry reduced penalties. Pavlovs was tested after Latvia's 2- 1 loss to the Canadians in the men's hockey tournament. Latvia finished in eighth place. Pavlovs said he had been taking food supplements on the recommendation of the doctor of his Latvian club team, Dynamo Riga. " The disciplinary commission unanimously concluded that the athlete had been negligent and had therefore committed an anti- doping rule violation," the IOC said in a statement. The Latvian's doping violation was announced early on the final day of the Sochi Games. Lisogor competed in two crosscountry events in Sochi, finishing far out of the medals. - The Associated Press Davis goes home empty- handed Doh! Dopers caught at Sochi By Chris Lehourites Russian wins second snowboard gold ADRIAN WYLD / THE CANADIAN PRESS Canada's Lucas Makowsky ( from left), Denny Morrison and Mathieu Giroux skate in the bronze medal race in men's team pursuit. Canada placed fourth in the event, losing to Poland. DITA ALANGKARA / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Canada- 3 bobsledders Justin Kripps, Jesse Lumsden, Cody Sorensen and Ben Coakwell take the upside down route. B_ 04_ Feb- 23- 14_ FP_ 01. indd B4 2/ 22/ 14 8: 15: 38 PM ;