CANADA Beats USA in Men's Hockey 2-1
For the second straight day, a Canadian ice hockey team has spoiled any dreams of Olympic gold for its North American rivals.
In a semifinal game Friday in Sochi, the Canadian men beat the United States, 1-0, at the Bolshoi Ice Dome with a dominant performance that stifled the Americans' offensive attack.
Canada's Jamie Benn scored early in the second period, and teammate Carey Price, who was rarely challenged, stopped 31 shots.
Canada will now play in the gold medal game Sunday against Sweden, which crafted a 2-1 win over its own heated rival, Finland, in Friday's other semifinal.
On Thursday, the Canadian women overcame a late two-goal deficit and beat the United States in overtime to win the gold medal.
Four years ago, at the Vancouver Olympics, Canada's men's and women's hockey teams also eliminated the United States.
Friday also was a big day for Canadian athletes in other sports. The men's curling team won gold for the third straight Olympics, defeating Britain, 9-3. Canada's Marielle Thompson edged out teammate Kelsey Serwa for the women's ski cross title. The two ski racers gave their country its third gold-and-silver-medal double in freestyle skiing events.
Thompson described her win as "huge."
"I can't even put [it] in words," she said. "I am just overjoyed and so, so happy. Especially to be out there with Kelsey, my teammate who, we race all the time together."
Elsewhere, Russian short track speed skater Viktor Ahn won the men's 500 meter final, becoming the first short track speed skater to capture five Olympic gold medals. He won the 1,000 meter gold in Sochi last week.
The 28-year-old Ahn also won three gold medals at the 2006 Turin Olympics, when he competed for South Korea. After he was not chosen for the Korean team at Vancouver in 2010, he switched allegiances to Russia and changed his name after being granted citizenship.
South Korea did collect a gold in the women's 1,000-meter final in Sochi, when Park Seung-hi skated to victory.
Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States made alpine skiing history by becoming the youngest athlete, male or female, to win an Olympic slalom gold medal. The 18-year-old American showed impressive balance and agility on the Rosa Khotur course, beating Austrian veteran Marlies Schild by 53 seconds.
Ukraine edged out Russia to win gold in the women's team biathlon relay, an emotional victory that comes as Ukraine struggles with a political crisis and unrest.
