Sports on ice

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Jennifer Buchanan / The Herald

(Canon EOS-1D Mark IV, EF 400mm f2.8, ISO 800, 1/800 sec., f2.8) US forward Patrick Kane takes a deep breath before taking the ice against Finland in the semi-final game Friday afternoon.
Jennifer Buchanan / The Herald

(Canon EOS-1D Mark IV, EF 400mm f2.8, ISO 800, 1/1600 sec., f2.8) US forward David Backes (42) checks Finland's Joni Pitkanen against the boards in the first period.
Jennifer Buchanan / The Herald

(Canon EOS-1D Mark IV, EF 400mm f2.8, ISO 800, 1/1600 sec., f2.8) US forward Dustin Brown reaches for the puck as he falls to the ice in the second period.
Jennifer Buchanan / The Herald

(Canon EOS-1D Mark IV, EF 400mm f2.8, ISO 800, 1/1600 sec., f2.8) Apolo Anton Ohno (256) has to jump over Germany's Tyson Heung (226) and France's Thibaut Fauconet after they crashed together in the quarterfinals.
Jennifer Buchanan / The Herald

(Canon EOS-1D Mark IV, EF 400mm f2.8, ISO 800, 1/1600 sec., f2.8) Apolo Anton Ohno (256) avoids a falling Ho-Suk Lee in the semi-finals.
Jennifer Buchanan / The Herald

(Canon EOS-1D Mark IV, EF 400mm f2.8, ISO 800, 1/1600 sec., f2.8) Apolo Anton Ohno (far right) was disqualified from the men's 500m after causing this accident on the final turn, sending Canada's Francois-Louis Tremblay (208) and Korea's Si-Bak Sung into the wall.
Jennifer Buchanan / The Herald

(Canon EOS-1D Mark IV, EF 400mm f2.8, ISO 800, 1/1600 sec., f2.8) Apolo Anton Ohno reacts as he crosses the finish line of the men's 500m. Ohno was disqualified after causing a wreck that sent Francois-Louis Tremblay (not pictured) and Korea's Si-Bak Sung (background) into the wall.
Jennifer Buchanan / The Herald

(Canon EOS-1D Mark IV, EF 400mm f2.8, ISO 800, 1/1600 sec., f2.8) Apolo Anton Ohno stretches out for the finish line against Korea's Yoon-Gy Kwak as Canada's Francois-Louis Tremblay (208) and Charles Hamelin celebrate their gold.
Jennifer Buchanan / The Herald

(Canon EOS-1D Mark IV, EF 400mm f2.8, ISO 800, 1/1600 sec., f2.8) Apolo Anton Ohno holds up eight fingers representing how many medals he's won.

Jennifer Buchanan / Staff Photographer

Saturday, February 27, 2010 | 1:36 pm

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It was a busy day yesterday. Shot men's semi-final hockey versus Finland and noon and then it was off to Pacific Coliseum for another round of speed skating at six. Although, it sounds like a lot of time in between events, transportation times are so long and getting to events early so critical for good photo position, I just barely had time to move hockey photos before I had to be in my seat for speed skating.

But first things first. Hockey. I shoot a lot of hockey. But the hockey I'm used to shooting is NOTHING like the Olympic level games I've seen here. Now, I'm not knocking the Silvertips. But let's face it, teenagers on skates (the Silvertips) just cannot compete physically, mentally, or any way with seasoned NHL pros playing the game at it's highest level. It's fun to watch and shoot. These guys hit each other with a tenacity that would make pit bulls proud.

Next on the day was short track speed skating where Apolo Ohno skated his final two events: the men's 500m and the 5000m relay. By winning medals in his past two events, Ohno has become the most decorated American winter Olympian ever, with seven medals to his name. Last night he tried to make it nine. His first medal event was the 500m, the super-sprint of the short track world. But first he had to make it to the four-man final by qualifying in the quarter and semi-finals. It wasn't easy in either race. In the quarters, Ohno had to jump over two competitors who crashed directly in front of him.

In the semis, he had to dodge a Korean who lost an edge and ended up in the air, pointed in the wrong direction.

After successfully avoiding disaster twice and making it to the 500m finals, Ohno took on a field of two Canadians and a Korean. All went well until the final turn. Coming into the last turn into the finish, Ohno, who had skated in fourth position for the whole race, went for a pass and bumped into the Canadian Francois-Louis Tremblay causing him to crash and slide into the boards. At almost the same moment, Korean Si-Bak Sung fell on his own, crashed and slide across the finish line in third. Sung clipped leading Canadian Charles Hamelin just as he was reaching the finish, causing him to slip a little and cross the line unbalanced, but still in first. Ohno seemed to have silver, but with short track, every result is analyzed by the judges. And after studying the replay, the judged disqualified Ohno, meaning the Canadians finished with gold and silver and the Korean got silver. No eighth medal for Ohno.

But he still had one more race to go. The ever-entertaining 5000m relay. It looked like the USA would finish fourth in the roller derby style crazyness, but Ohno took the race over on his anchor leg and skated the US into bronze.

Ohno had his eighth medal.