Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 20, 1994 TAG: 9402210139
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: From Associated Press reports
DATELINE: LILLEHAMMER, NORWAY LENGTH: Medium
The Americans, after three straight come-from-behind ties, came up short Saturday in a 6-4 loss to Sweden. The defeat means the final spot in the medal round is at stake Monday night when the U.S. team plays Italy - the last of 30 games to fill the eight slots.
The loser goes home. A tie - and wouldn't the U.S. team love to get its fourth? - advances the Americans (0-1-3).
While the hockey team didn't tie, there remain two things to count on at these Olympics: When there's a ski race, there's an American medal. And when Bonnie Blair races, there's an American gold medal.
Blair collected the fourth speedskating gold of her career Saturday, storming to her third consecutive Olympic 500-meters victory as U.S. teammate Dan Jansen cheered her on. It's the last Olympics for both, and each has claimed a Lillehammer gold.
Then there was Picabo Street - yes, it's pronounced peekaboo - who played hide-and-seek with most of the field in the women's downhill, picking up a silver medal. The U.S. Alpine totals, which can no longer be called surprising: four races, four medals - two gold, two silver.
Blair, 28, has matched that, with four golds in three Winter Games. She has two races left here, and a victory in either would make her the winningest American woman ever in the Games.
Diver Pat McCormick, swimmer Janet Evans and sprinter Evelyn Ashford are tied with her at four golds apiece. Blair's five medals overall tie her with Eric Heiden for the most American medals in the Winter Games, though his were all gold and won in one year.
Brian Boitano's abortive figure-skating comeback ended with the one-time gold medalist in sixth place, far behind gold medalist Alexei Urmanov of Russia. The silver went to Elvis Stojko of Canada, with Philippe Candeloro of France taking the bronze.
America's other skater, national champion Scott Davis, wound up eighth.
With the Games at their halfway point, the United States had collected seven medals - just two less than in Albertville, and only five from the best American total ever in the Winter Games.
That's not as good as Norway, which added two gold medals Saturday when cross-country skier Bjorn Dahlie became Lillehammer's first male triple medalist.
Fred Borre Lundberg, winner of the Nordic combined, coasted to victory while waving a Norwegian flag before a pumped-up crowd. Dahlie - with two golds and a silver - blew kisses to the fans before crossing the finish line with a 360-degree spin in the 15-kilometers race.
The victories put the hosts right behind Russia in the medals race. Russia has 14 medals, and Norway and Italy are next with a dozen apiece.
by CNB