U.S. bobsledders in position to snap dry spell

Associated Press

Todd Hays can end 46 years of slips, slides and sunken feelings for U.S. men’s bobsled in his next 90 or so seconds on ice.

Hays drove the USA-1 bobsled into first place Friday after the first two heats of the four-man event, and with a couple more strong runs he may finally end a U.S. men’s medal drought dating to 1956.

“We’re excited and happy,” said brakeman Garrett Hines, who twice has missed winning a medal by the blink of an eye. “We know that it’s not over by any means. It’s going to be a dogfight.”

Hays, a former linebacker at Tulsa, blasted down the Utah Olympic Park course in 1 minute, 33.26 seconds in front of a rowdy crowd starting to believe this has become a magic mountain for the United States.

The Americans have won gold in the last three events – women’s bobsled and men’s and women’s skeleton – on the canyon course. Fittingly, Hays can make it four in a row in the four-man.

Hays leads both Switzerland-1 and Germany-2 by .09 seconds entering today’s final two heats. He’ll be the first sled down the hill in the third heat.

The soft-spoken native of Del Rio, Texas, didn’t say a word to reporters after his two runs Friday.

“He’s the man in the front, so we kind of let him do his own thing,” said Hines. “He just wants to make everyone proud and get us this gold.”

Martin Annen, who won the bronze medal in the two-man race, is right behind Hays. Annen is tied with Germany’s Andre Lange for second.

Christoph Langen, who won gold in two-man and is the defending four-man champion from Nagano, injured his right foot on the start of the second heat and is in sixth at 1:33.68.

Langen took his shoe off after leaving the track, stuffed snow in his sock and was to have his foot examined by doctors. The 39-year-old said if it was too serious he would not race Saturday.

Brian Shimer, appearing in his fifth and final Olympics, piloted USA-2 to a time of 1:33.65 and is fifth.

The U.S. men haven’t won an Olympic medal since Arthur Tyler took bronze in the four-man at Cortina, Italy, in 1956. Since then, there have been some close calls – and some broken hearts.

In 1988 at Calgary, the U.S. missed a bronze by .02 seconds in four-man. Four years later, Shimer came up .02 short for a bronze at Nagano. And then last weekend, Hays finished .03 out of a medal.

Two more runs like he had Friday, and Hays can end the dry spell stretching back to the Eisenhower administration.

Two sleds, New Zealand-1 and Virgin Islands-1 both crashed on the bottom part of the course and went across the finish line on their sides in the first heat.

Keith Sudziarski, the Virgin Islands driver, received eight stitches in his knees between runs. He was given medical clearance to continue, but decided against it and dropped out of competition.

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giant slalom

Amazing Croatian wins fourth medal: Janica Kostelic of Croatia made history Friday with her fourth medal – and third gold – in Salt Lake City. She stands with immortals Jean-Claude Killy and Toni Sailer as the only Alpine skiers with three golds in a single Olympics.

“It’s great, but you know, someone is going to break that record soon,” said Kostelic, oblivious to the fact that Killy last accomplished the triple in 1968 – 14 years before she was born.

Kostelic, 20, was a long shot for any medals after coming off three operations on her left knee. But she dominated the competition in the giant slalom, winning by more than a second in a race often decided by hundredths of a second.

She had already won gold in the slalom and the combined, and a silver in the super giant slalom.

Sweden’s Anja Paerson won the giant slalom silver, adding to the bronze she won in Wednesday’s slalom. World champion Sonja Nef of Switzerland was third.

Speedskating

Another day, another record: Jochem Uytdehaage of the Netherlands won the gold medal with a world record in the 10,000 meters, the seventh world record in nine events on the world’s fastest ice. It was his second gold medal of the games.

The Dutchman became the first man ever to break the 13-minute barrier, skating 12 minutes, 58.92 in the grueling 25-lap race.

Uytdehaage upset countryman Gianni Romme, who took the silver. Norway’s Lasse Saetre won the bronze.

U.S. skater Derek Parra, a double medalist at the games, finished 13th out of the 16 skaters.

Nordic combined

Third gold for Lajunen: Finland’s Samppa Lajunen completed a sweep of the three Nordic combined events by finishing first in the sprint.

Lajunen led after Thursday’s ski-jumping competition, and stayed in front for yet another Salt Lake City win. Germany’s Ronny Ackerman finished second after the 7.5-kilometer cross-country race, with Felix Gottwald of Austria taking the bronze.

American Todd Lodwick started 12th but finished fifth, the best showing ever by an American in the sport. Lodwick’s seventh in this year’s Olympic individual competition was the previous best.

Curling

Norway upsets Canadian men for gold: The gold medal in men’s curling went to Norway with its 6-5 victory over favored Canada. With King Harald of Norway watching from the stands, Paal Trulsen’s team pulled off the upset in front of a heavily pro-Canadian crowd.

Switzerland beat Sweden 7-3 for the men’s curling bronze, with Swedish captain Peja Lindholm conceding after a ninth end medal-clinching toss by Swiss captain Andreas Schwaller.