KIM YU-NA LEADS LADIES FIGURE SKATING AFTER SHORT PROGRAM; TEAM USA CAPTURES FIRST-EVER MEDAL IN NORDIC COMBINED
“That’s why they call her ‘Queen’ Yu-Na.” – NBC’s Tom Hammond on Kim Yu-Na’s short program
VANCOUVER – Feb. 23, 2010 – Kim Yu-Na of Korea set a world record with her score in the ladies figure skating short program and leads the competition ahead of Japan’s Asada Mao. Team USA’s Rachel Flatt and Mirai Nagasu, who are in fifth and sixth place, respectively, will skate in the final group for Thursday night’s ladies free skate.
For the first time ever, Team USA won a medal in Nordic Combined when the men’s team, featuring the quartet of Brett Camerota, Todd Lodwick, Billy Demong, and Johnny Spillane, claimed silver.
The primetime program ended with the Canadian national anthem and medal ceremony for Ashleigh McIvor, who won gold for women’s freestyle ski cross. On CNBC, Canada rebounded from its loss to the US on Sunday by defeating Germany, 8-2, in men’s hockey. The host nation also defeated China, 10-3, in men’s curling.
FIGURE SKATING:
Play-by-Play: Tom Hammond
Analysts: Scott Hamilton, Sandra Bezic
Reporter: Andrea Joyce, Tracy Wilson
Speed skating analyst Dan Jansen spoke to primetime host Bob Costas in studio about dealing with his sister’s death prior to competing in the 1988 Olympics in light of Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette losing her mother earlier in this week:
On his experience: “For me, it was just an obviously unbelievable timing for the whole situation. But everybody grieves in different ways. I’m assuming that her decision to go ahead and skate was similar to mine in that when this happened to me, I spoke with my family. But we knew that Jane would’ve felt terrible had I decided not to skate, and not go out and try. From the day before, I was certain in my mind and my body that I was going to win gold. Twelve hours later when I got the phone call that she had passed away, and I got on the ice for warm up that night. It was no longer in my body, no longer in my skates. I could not even stay steady on the ice. It was very, very difficult.”
On Rochette dealing with it: “Hopefully even with a couple days of recovery, not that it’s going to go away, but maybe it’s given her body a little time to prepare for tonight.”
More on his experience: “Part of me certainly wanted to go out there and give it a shot. But the other part of me wanted to respect what had just happened and I didn’t know if it was right in my mind — If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t change anything.”
On what he emailed Rochette: “I told her I don’t know if you can prepare for the emotions you’re going to feel out there. But if you can get through it, there are millions of people supporting you. And most of all, skate with your mother in your heart. And if she does that, she’ll be fine.”
Tracy Wilson broke down how skaters get graded when they land their spins. Scott Hamilton later telestrated how a landing is judged.
Bezic on US’s Mirai Nagasu: “Everything about Mirai’s skating has been pristine here. Her spins are perhaps the best in the competition.”
Bezic on Nagasu’s bloody nose: “She was spinning so fast, she caused a nose bleed.”
Hammond on Japan’s Asada Mao and Korea’s Kim Yu-Na skating one after another: “There should be some fireworks tonight.”
Bezic on Asada: “She says she’s not a short program skater but I think she can change her mind on that one. She has been on fire.”
Hamilton on Asada: “That is as free, and as easy, and as happy I’ve seen her skate in over a year.”
Hammond on Kim Yu-Na’s coach telling her to take in the whole Olympic experience: “That’s easy to say, not so easy to do when you carry the weight of an entire country on your shoulders.”
Hammond on Kim Yu-Na after her performance: “That’s why they call her ‘Queen Yu-Na.”
Bezic on Yu-Na: “To be able to perform like that, after knowing how her main competitor performed, is phenomenal. What a woman.”
Hamilton on Yu-Na: “What a performance. Wow.”
Hammond on Kim Yu-Na’s score of 78.50: “That is the new world record for a short program score in the current scoring system.”
Bezic on Canada’s Joannie Rochette, whose mother died earlier this week: “It’s like she’s found solace on the ice.”
Hamilton after Rochette’s performance: “There’s no bigger stage than the Olympic Games, but the skate and the moment means much more than the competition.”
Hammond after Rochette’s performance: “Such a touching moment.”
Bezic after Rochette’s performance: “What a gift she’s given us.”
Bezic on USA’s Rachel Flatt: “Well she put everything she had into that performance.”
Flatt to Andrea Joyce after her performance: “It was great. I was so excited. I really performed my program and I just had a great time. It was fun.”
Bezic on Japan’s Miki Ando: “She’s another woman with her sights on the podium.”
Hamilton on Miki Ando: “She sent a message that she’s here for a medal as well and she’s not to be ignored.”
Hamilton on the two, young Americans being in the top six after the short program: “That’s gigantic. That’s huge.”
NORDIC COMBINED:
CROSS COUNTRY (Primetime)
Play-by-Play: Al Trautwig
Analyst: Chad Salmela
SKI JUMPING (Daytime)
Play-By-Play: Matt Vasgersian
Analyst: Jeff Hastings
Olympic correspondent Cris Collinsworth on Team USA: “This day has a chance to be historic for the Americans in the Nordic combined. Not only do they have a chance to win a medal. They have the chance to win the whole thing. That’s something no one would have even thought possible as recently as just four years ago.”
Vasgerian on Team USA: “They are favorites in Nordic Combined for the first time in the history of the event.”
“A terrific effort for Team USA off the jump portion of the Nordic Combined.”
Hastings on USA’s Todd Lodwick: “He knows with that jump, he’s just put the Americans right in the driver’s seat.”
Team USA’s Johnny Spillane: “I like where we’re at, but we need to race fast.”
Trautwig: “The United States has never been in the position they find themselves today – to knock an Olympic sized behemoth off their back. A monster that has been growing since 1924, when Nordic Combined began its Olympic run.”
Trautwig on Team USA’s Demong: “Bill Demong has had dreams like this.”
“Bill Demong becomes the first American man to bring to the line a team silver medal.”
Demong to Cris Collinsworth on his skis after the race: “I’m really happy just to be able to hang on, that last kilometer was getting pretty scary.”
Salmela on the US team: “The Americans will be remembered forever as the men to breakthrough.”
ALPINE SKIING:
Play-by-Play: Tim Ryan
Analysts: Todd Brooker
Reporter: Steve Porino
Brooker on Norway’s Aksel Lund Svindel: “This man is probably as fit as anybody else in the race, and he’s not going to give up.”
Ryan on Bode Miller: “He’s off the course and out of the race.”
Ryan on Carlo Janka of Switzerland: “Janka of Switzerland, the 23 year-old who’s had a brilliant season. He’s a rookie in the Olympic Games, and he has a gold medal.”
BOBSLED:
Play-by-Play: Bob Papa
Analyst: John Morgan
Reporter: Lewis Johnson
Morgan on Germany 1: “Sometimes the rough rides are the fastest rides.”
Morgan on Canada’s Kaillie Humphries: “She has been lighting it up here in the practice rounds.”
Morgan on Germany 2 driver, Cathleen Martini: “This is a very magical driver.”
FREESTYLE SKIING:
Play-by-Play: Todd Harris
Analyst: Jonny Moseley
Reporter: Tina Dixon
Harris on McIvor: “The hopes of Canada rest on the shoulders of Ashleigh McIvor, the last woman left in ski cross now.”
Moseley on McIvor’s starts: “She just hits the rhythm perfectly and accelerates.”
Harris during the final race: “Will today be a day where the Canadians take gold?”
Harris on McIvor winning gold: “McIvor now has to manage “The Beast” and the gold is hers. She’s done it. Ashleigh McIvor has won gold.”
Moseley on McIvor: “This race was won at the start. She’s been so good all day.”
Costas on Women’s ski cross: “It was a day of predictable unpredictability at women’s ski cross.”
SPEED SKATING:
Play-by-Play: Dan Hicks
Analyst: Dan Jansen
Reporter: Andrea Kremer
On Dutch speed skater Sven Kramer’s surprising disqualification from the 10,000-meter event:
Hicks: “We have come to expect anything in the Olympics but Sven Kramer’s disqualification in the men’s 10,000 meters has everyone shaking their heads.”
Jansen: “It’s unbelievable this happened at the Olympic Games.”
“I’ve seen this happen at the World Championships or in certain races. I’ve seen skaters forget to change lanes. I’ve never seen a coach actually tell him to get over and change.”
Costas: “If they have a federal witness protection program in the Netherlands, that coach that screwed up, Gerard Kemkers, may soon be applying.”
CNBC, Men’s Ice Hockey Elimination Round Game:
Canada 8 vs. Germany 2
Bill Patrick (Host), Mike Milbury (Studio Analyst), Jeremy Roenick (Studio Analyst), Mike Emrick (Play-By-Play), Eddie Olczyk (Analyst), Joe Micheletti (Reporter)
Roenick on an experienced Team Canada: “You can tell that the leadership and as many captains as they have, they continue to work well together and is probably the key to why this team played so well tonight.”
Roenick on pairing Crosby with Iginla: “It’s really, really important that Sidney Crosby plays with a super sniper like Iginla. Both of them have been very, very good. They’ve both prospered.”
Canada’s Roberto Luongo on the tournament: “It’s really exciting to play here in front of the fans. Obviously it was a big game for us, and I’m sure tomorrow will be a little louder.”
“Definitely is a huge one tomorrow.”
Olczyk on a goal shot straight through the net by Canada’s Shea Weber: “An absolute laser.”
Canada’s Shea Weber on the tournament: “We are still in it. We are very much alive.”
Roenick on Germany: “Driving me insane. I am bored to death. I can’t believe there is a reason why the German team continues to lose hockey games. Their defensive zone coverage is so passive.”
“You are playing with fire if you do not play a physical brand of defense.”
CNBC, Men’s Curling:
Canada 10 vs. China 3 (China concedes after 7 ends)
Fred Roggin (Host), Andrew Catalon (Play-By-Play), Colleen Jones (Analyst), Elfi Schlegel (Reporter)
Jones on Canadian curling fans: “Great energy in the building.”
Jones on Canada: “They make it all look so easy.”
Catalon on Canada’s Martin: “Kevin Martin is considered one of the best, if not the best in the world.”
Jones on China shifting their lineup around: “The reality is that the team from China is still so new. You can understand why they would still be flip flopping on positions.”
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