SPORT-BY-SPORT SYNOPSES.Byline: - capsules by Michael A. Anastasi, Rick Hazeltine Today: Luge luge (l  zh), a type of small sled on which one or two persons, lying face up, slide feet first down snowy hillsides or down steeply banked, curving, iced chutes similar to those used in , Biathlon biathlon (bīăth`lŏn), sport in which cross-country skiers race across hilly terrain, occasionally stopping to shoot with rifles at sets of fixed targets. The biathlon features the 10-km (6. , Nordic combined The Nordic combined is a winter sport in which athletes compete in both cross-country skiing and ski jumping. HistoryWhile Norwegian soldiers are known to have been competing in nordic skiing since the 18th century, the first major competition in Nordic combined was held , Short-track speedskating, Curling, Snowboarding and Freestyle skiing Freestyle skiing began in the 1930s, when Norwegian skiers began performing acrobatics during alpine and cross-country training. Later, non-competitive professional skiing exhibitions in the United States featured performances of what would later be called freestyle. . Friday: Figure skating figure skating Sport in which ice skaters, singly or in pairs, perform various jumps, spins, and footwork. The figure skate blade has a special serrated toe pick, or toe rake, at the front. , Skeleton, Bobsled, Ice hockey ice hockey: see hockey, ice. ice hockey Game played on an ice rink by two teams of six players on skates. The object is to drive a puck (a small, hard rubber disk) into the opponents' goal with a hockey stick, thus scoring one point. , Long-course speedskating, Ski jumping ski jumping Skiing event in which contestants ski down a steep ramp curved upward at the end and launch themselves into the air for distance. Using a crouch position, skiers can achieve ramp speeds of 75 mi (120 km) per hour. , Cross-country skiing cross-country skiing Skiing in open country over rolling, hilly terrain. It originated in Scandinavia as a means of travel as well as recreation. The skies used are longer, narrower, and lighter than those used in Alpine skiing, and bindings allow more heel movement. and Alpine skiing Alpine skiing Class of competitive ski events consisting of speed events (the downhill and the supergiant slalom) and technical events (the slalom and giant slalom). . LUGE EVENTS: Singles (M&W), Doubles (M, W or Coed) TV: Feb. 10-13, 15 (NBC NBC in full National Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. commercial broadcasting company. It was formed in 1926 by RCA Corp., General Electric Co. (GE), and Westinghouse and was the first U.S. company to operate a broadcast network. ) OUTLOOK: Germany's Georg Hackl Georg Hackl (born September 9, 1966) is a German former luger who was three time Olympic and World Champion. He is known affectionately as Hackl-Schorsch or as the Speeding Weißwurst is a three-time gold medalist and ranked No. 2 in the world. Armin Zoggeler of Italy finished atop the 2001 World Cup standings. Markus Prock Markus Prock (born June 22, 1964) is an Austrian luger who competed between 1983 and 2002. Born in Innsbruck, Prock competed in six Winter Olympics winning three medals in the men's singles event with two silvers (1992, 1994) and one bronze (2002). of Austria also should challenge for a medal after winning the European Championships over Hackl and Zoggeler. The top American is Tony Benshoof Tony Benshoof (born July 7, 1975 in Saint Paul, MN) is an American luger from White Bear Lake, Minnesota who has been competing since 1994. He won three medals in the mixed team event at the FIL World Luge Championships with two silvers (2004, 2005) and one bronze (2001. , ranked No. 8 in the world. Germany and Austria dominate the women's event. Silke Kraushaar of Germany is the defending gold medalist and finished No. 1 in the World Cup standings, and countrywoman coun·try·wom·an n. 1. A woman from one's own country; a compatriot. 2. A woman from a particular country. 3. A woman who lives in the country or has country ways. Noun 1. Sylke Otto Sylke Otto (born July 7, 1969 in Chemnitz) is a German luger who competed from 1991 to 2007. Competing in three Winter Olympics, she won the gold medal in the women's singles event in 2002 and 2006. won the 1999 and 2000 World Cup titles and the 2001 European Championships. In doubles, Americans Mark Grimmette and Brian Martin Brian Martin may refer to:
Palo Alto (păl`ō ăl`tō), city (1990 pop. 55,900), Santa Clara co., W Calif.; inc. 1894. Although primarily residential, Palo Alto has aerospace, electronics, and advanced research industries. , won a bronze at the 1998 Olympics and 1999 and 2000 World Championships. UNFORGETTABLE: Hackl is bidding to match Americans Al Oerter This article is about a recently deceased person. Some information, such as the circumstances of the person's death and surrounding events, may change rapidly as more facts become known. Alfred Adolf Oerter, Jr. (shot put) and Carl Lewis (track) as the only Olympians to win a gold medal gold medal traditional first prize. [Western Cult: Misc.] See : Prize in four consecutive Games. YOU DON'T SAY: Luge became an Olympic sport in 1964. Of the 90 medals awarded, 88 have gone to Germany, Austria, Italy or the former Soviet Union. LUGE MEDAL COUNT: East Germany East Germany: see Germany. : 15 (G), 10 (S), 8 (B), 33 total Germany: 6 (G), 3 (S), 3 (B), 12 total Austria: 3 (G), 5 (S), 6 (B), 14 total Italy: 5 (G), 4 (S), 3 (B), 12 total NORDIC COMBINED EVENTS: Individual; sprint; team. TV: Feb. 9-10, 14-15, 21-22 (NBC) OUTLOOK: Not surprisingly, the Nordic nations have long dominated the nordic combined. In fact, Norway swept the gold, silver and bronze at the first four Winter Olympic Games. However, for the first time the U.S. has an outside shot at a medal. Todd Lodwick, who finished eighth in the 2001 World Cup series, is perhaps the sport's fastest athlete. The 25-year-old has dramatically improved his mediocre ski-jumping technique over the past year and won his first World Cup event. And he thrives in higher altitudes such as Salt Lake City (5,872 feet). Austria's Felix Gottwald, the 2001 World Cup champion, is the gold-medal favorite, having won six times and finishing among the top four in 14 of the 15 events he entered. Germany's Ronny Ackermann, second in last year's World Cup, and two-time silver medalist Samppa Lajunen of Finland will challenge Gottwald. UNFORGETTABLE: On March 13, 1998, Lodwick came out of nowhere to win the Wimbledon of nordic combined - the famed Holmenkollen in Oslo, Norway, - and instantly became an icon in the host country. ``I like that American,'' Norway's King Harald said. Four men finished within a half-second, and Lodwick edged his closest competitor by a centimeter. His victory allowed beloved Norwegian Bjarte Engen Vik Bjarte Engen Vik (born March 3, 1971) is a former Norwegian nordic combined athlete. He won the FIS World Cup overall twice, in 1997/98 and 1998/99 with a total of 24 wins. to claim the World Cup title that year, further endearing Lodwick to Norwegians. YOU DON'T SAY: Nordic combined can be traced to Norway's ski carnivals in the 1800s, and it's been a part of the Winter Games from the start. In fact, ski jumping didn't evolve into a sport on its own until the mid-20th century. This Olympics will be the first featuring the sprint, in which the jumping hill is higher and the cross-country course shorter than the individual event. NORDIC COMBINED MEDAL COUNT: Norway: 10 (G), 5 (S), 6 (B), 21 total Germany (combined): 5 (G), 1 (S), 5 (B), 11 total Finland: 1 (G), 6 (S), 1 (B), 8 total FREESTYLE SKIING EVENTS: Moguls (M&W), Aerials (M&W) TV: Feb. 12, 16, 18-19 (NBC) OUTLOOK: Americans Eric Bergoust and Joe Pack are the world's No. 1 and 2 aerialists. Johnny Moseley won the gold in 1998 but took two years off afterward. If he's in shape, he also could medal. They'll be challenged by Canadians Steve Omischl and Andy Capicik. Dmitri Dashinski of Belarus is also a favorite after finishing No. 3 in the World Cup standings. In moguls, the U.S. has three skiers ranked among the top eight in the world, led by Ryan Riley (No. 5). Finland is the country to beat, with Mikko Ronkainen No. 1 in the world and Janne Lahtela No. 2. The U.S. lost its No. 1 women's aerialist when Emily Cook suffered an injury last week. Jacqui Cooper of Australia is ranked No. 1 in the world, and Nannan Xu of China is the defending silver medalist. In moguls, American Hannah Hardaway is ranked No. 3 in the world. She'll challenge No. 1 Kari Traa of Norway and Japan's Aiko Uemura, No. 2 in the world. UNFORGETTABLE: The U.S. won the gold medal in men's moguls, aerials and women's aerials at the 1998 Nagano Olympics. YOU DON'T SAY: Freestyle skiing was invented in the U.S. during the 1960s with the first competition coming in 1969 at Attitash, N.H. The first World Cup series started in 1980 and the first World Championship was in 1986. FREESTYLE SKIING MEDAL COUNT: U.S.: 4 (G), 1 (S), 1 (B), 6 total France: 1 (G), 2 (S), 1 (B), 4 total Norway: 1 (G), 0 (S), 3 (B), 4 total SHORT-TRACK SPEEDSKATING EVENTS: 500 meters; 1,000 meters; 1,500 meters; 5,000-meter relay for men, 3,000-meter relay for women. TV: Feb. 13, 16, 20, 23 (NBC) OUTLOOK: --Men: Americans figure to contend for the medal stand in every event, but there is one who should stand tallest - Apolo Anton Ohno Apolo Anton Ohno (born on May 22, 1982) is an American short track speed skating competitor and a two-time gold medalist in the Winter Olympics. He also competed in and won the reality TV show, Dancing with the Stars in 2007. . Ohno, a 5-foot-7, 19-year-old prodigy from Seattle, is the defending overall World Cup champion, finishing first in three individual events, and he could win four medals and threaten Eric Heiden as the sport's reigning icon. ``I've got,'' Ohno said, ``a bull's-eye on my back.'' American Rusty Smith, who is from Huntington Beach, has improved significantly since competing as an 18-year-old in Nagano and was eighth in the World Cup overall in 2001. Daniel Weinstein won three medals at the 2000 World Championships and was the first American to break 43 seconds in the 500 (a time since bettered by Ohno). Canada, led by No. 2 World Cup finisher Francois-Louis Tremblay, has the strongest team in its history; China and South Korea, which has won the most Olympic medals, also will provide the Americans with stiff challenges. --Women: The world record-holder in the 1,000 meters, China's Yang Yang, is the world's most dominant skater and has a chance to win four gold medals and become the first Chinese athlete to win gold at the Winter Games. She has won the past five overall world titles and reached 18 of 20 possible individual finals at worlds and won 12 of them. She has won 17 medals in the individual events at the World Championships (12 gold, four silver, one bronze) and also owns six relay medals (five gold, one silver) as well. The good news: Chris Witty, America's most experienced skater, is the former world record-holder in the 1,000, was the only American medalist (silver in 1,000, bronze in 1,500) in Nagano, and was an Olympic cyclist in Sydney. The bad: She was diagnosed with mononucleosis mononucleosis /mono·nu·cle·o·sis/ (-noo?kle-o´sis) excess of mononuclear leukocytes (monocytes) in the blood. chronic mononucleosis chronic fatigue syndrome. in January. That leaves Jennifer Rodriguez for the U.S., and she has matured into one of the world's best in the 1,000 and 1,500 races - earning five podium finishes in pre-Olympic events. UNFORGETTABLE: Ohno is followed to Salt Lake City by controversy. After winning the first seven races at the Olympic Trials in December and securing his own place on the Olympic team, Ohno lost the final race, allowing his close friend, Shani Davis, to pull out an upset win and become the first African-American Olympic speedskater. Davis wasn't thought to be a serious contender, and former Olympian Tommy O'Hare - who lost his spot - charged Ohno and Smith cheated. Ohno, eventually cleared by an arbitrator, said he simply was ``playing it safe.'' YOU DON'T SAY: Unlike long-track speedskating, which dates to the 1924 Olympics, short track did not join the Olympic program until 1992. It involves frantic, pack-style racing, tight turns, and a lot of crashes (think NASCAR NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing), organization that sanctions American stock-car races, est. 1948. It held its first race in Daytona Beach, Fla. on ice). Racers approach 35 mph. Yet they chaff chaff 1. chaffed hay; called also chop. 2. the winnowings from a threshing, consisting of awns, husks, glumes and other relatively indigestible materials. at a roller-derby comparison, noting that strategy plays a pivotal role. SHORT-TRACK SPEEDSKATING MEDAL COUNT: Japan: 1 (G), 0 (S), 1 (B), 2 total China: 0 (G), 1 (S), 0 (B), 1 total Great Britain: 0 (G), 0 (S), 1 (B), 1 total Italy: 0 (G), 1 (S), 0 (B), 1 total S. Korea: 1 (G), 0 (S), 0 (B), 1 total BIATHLON EVENTS: Long course; relay; sprint; pursuit TV: Feb. 11, 13, 16, 20 (MSNBC MSNBC Microsoft/National Broadcasting Company , NBC) OUTLOOK: --Women: Five-time world champion Magdalena Forsberg of Sweden is the reigning star, and she should win her first Olympic medal in Salt Lake City. The Germans, led by Uschi Disl and Andrea Henkel, also are threats for the gold, especially Disl - whose six Olympic medals are more than any other biathlete. The old Soviet Union countries field strong teams as usual, with Russia's Olga Pylova and Ukraine's Olene Zubrilova each a threat for the podium. The Americans? Historically weak by world standards, the U.S. would need a major upset to take home any hardware. --Men: Norway's Ole Einar Bjoerndalen has won two Olympic medals, six gold medals at World Championships, and an overall World Cup title. He also swept the 2001 Olympic test events. Two-time defending World Cup champion Raphael Poiree of France and Frode Andresen of Norway are his challengers. UNFORGETTABLE: They became the darlings of biathlon from the moment they stood cheek to cheek, holding up their gold medals for the cameras. France's Raphael Poiree and Norway's Liv Grete Skjelbreid-Poire were engaged in the spring of 2000 when they won the men's and women's mass start world championship titles. Two months later, on May 27, they married and became the sport's most accomplished couple. Entering the Olympics, Poiree is the men's overall World Cup champion, and his wife is fourth. YOU DON'T SAY: The key to victory is an athlete's ability to consciously and quickly lower his heart beat when shooting. Imagine running up 25 flights of stairs, making your heart slow down, then threading a needle five times. BIATHLON MEDAL COUNT: Russia/USSR/Unified: 15 (G), 9 (S), 10 (B), 34 total Germany (combined): 10 (G), 13 (S), 10 (B), 33 total Norway: 5 (G), 4 (S), 2 (B), 11 total CURLING EVENTS: 10 men's and 10 women's teams compete TV: Feb. 11-18, 21-22 (MSNBC, CNBC CNBC Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition (artificial intelligence) CNBC Consumer News and Business Channel CNBC Congress of National Black Churches, Inc. , NBC) OUTLOOK --Men: Canada, which boasts more than 1.3 million people who curl, has won seven world championships since 1990 and is favored in Salt Lake City. Its toughest challenge will come from Sweden and Switzerland, the defending gold medalist. Inspired by the home-ice advantage, the U.S. could break through. --Women: Here, too, Canada is the team to beat. Sweden is the strongest challenger, though the U.S. is a medal contender as well. UNFORGETTABLE: The U.S. has advanced to the semifinals of the 1995 and 1999 world championships and the 1998 Nagano Games. Each time, though, the Americans failed to win a medal, placing fourth. ``My biggest regret in curling is not having come away with a medal,'' said American Myles Brundidge, who earns a living as a paper maker when he's not a competing. ``Quite frankly, there have been a lot of sleepless nights because I had a hard time dealing with the failure. It doesn't sit well. It bothers me a lot. It has motivated me to continue curling.'' YOU DON'T SAY: The earliest-known curling stones came from the Scottish regions of Stirling and Perth and date back to 1511. The earliest reports of curling came from Paisley Abbey, Scotland, in 1541. CURLING MEDAL COUNT: Canada: 1 (G), 1 (S), 0 (B), 2 total Switzerland: 1 (G), 0 (S), 0 (B), 1 total Norway: 0 (G), 0 (S), 1 (B), 1 total Denmark: 0 (G), 1 (S), 0 (B), 1 total Sweden: 0 (G), 0 (S), 1 (B), 1 total SNOWBOARDING EVENTS: Halfpipe half·pipe or half pipe n. A smooth-surfaced structure shaped like a trough and used for stunts in sports such as in-line skating and snowboarding. (M&W), Parallel Slalom (M&W) TV: Feb. 10-11, 14-15 (NBC) OUTLOOK: Scandinavians dominated the men's halfpipe World Cup, with Magnus Sterner finishing No. 1 and Finland's Heikki Sorsa right behind. The best U.S. hope is Tommy Czeshin of Mammoth Lakes, who was sixth in 2001 World Cup standings. Mathieu Bozzetto and Nicolas Huet of France dominated the men's parallel slalom. It would be a major upset if Austria's Nicola Pederzolli doesn't win the women's halfpipe. American Rosey Fletcher, No. 3 in the parallel slalom World Cup standings, will challenge Karine Ruby of France and World Cup champion Carmen Carmen throws over lover for another. [Fr. Lit.: Carmen; Fr. Opera: Bizet, Carmen, Westerman, 189–190] See : Faithlessness Carmen the cards repeatedly spell her death. [Fr. Ranigler of Italy. UNFORGETTABLE: American Chris Klug had a liver transplant liver transplant Hepatic transplant Transplant surgery A procedure that replaces a cancer conquered, metabolically defeated, or substance subjugated liver with one no longer required by its owner, many of whom donate same after an MVA Diseases requiring transplant in 2000 and returned to win a World Cup gold in the parallel slalom. YOU DON'T SAY: Skateboarding's roots can be traced to 1965 and the invention of the Snurfer, which was a pair of child's skis bolted together. SNOWBOARDING MEDAL COUNT: Germany: 1 (G), 1 (S), 0 (B), 2 total Norway: 0 (G), 2 (S), 0 (B), 2 total U.S.: 0 (G), 0 (S), 2 (B), 2 total CAPTION(S): 2 photos, 7 boxes Photo: (1) Germany, Austria, Italy and the former Soviet Union have dominated the luge since it became an Olympic sport. David J. Phillip/Associated Press (2) The Americans have plenty of chances to medal in short track, including Jennifer Kirsch kirsch n. A colorless brandy made from the fermented juice of cherries. [French, short for German Kirschwasser; see kirschwasser. , pictured. Brian Halbrook/Associated Press Box: (1) LUGE MEDAL COUNT (see text) (2) NORDIC COMBINED MEDAL COUNT (see text) (3) FREESTYLE SKIING MEDAL COUNT (see text) (4) SHORT-TRACK SPEEDSKATING MEDAL COUNT (see text) (5) BIATHLON MEDAL COUNT (see text) (6) CURLING MEDAL COUNT (see text) (7) SNOWBOARDING MEDAL COUNT (see text) |
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