MILAN — U.S. speedskater Jordan Stolz’s late push wasn’t enough.
The American star settled for silver in the 1,500 meters, missing a chance to secure a third gold medal at the Milan Cortina Games.
China’s Ning Zhongyan won Thursday’s race in an Olympic-record time of 1 minute, 41.98 seconds. The 21-year-old Stolz, who won gold medals in the 500 and 1,000 at these Games, crossed 0.77 seconds later.
As Stolz glided by, hands on his knees, Ning raised his country’s flag aloft with both hands and started a victory lap.
Stolz, a Wisconsin native, will participate in the mass start on Saturday.
Dutch skater Kjeld Nuis, who won the 1,500 at the past two Olympics, took bronze.
Gu advances to halfpipe final despite fall
Defending Olympic champion Eileen Gu shook off a fall during her opening run to advance to Saturday’s final in freeski halfpipe. The 22-year-old Gu was born in the United States and competes for China.
She clipped the lip of the halfpipe on the third trick of her first run, knocking her left ski off and sending her skittering to the bottom of the course.
That set up a pressure-packed second attempt that run earned 86.50 points, good enough to place fifth among the 12 skiers who advanced to the final.
U.S. and Canada reach women’s curling semifinals
The United States and Canada advanced to the women’s curling semifinals.
The Americans, skipped by Tabitha Peterson, beat Switzerland 7-6 in a match that went to an extra end. The teams will square off again in Friday’s semifinals.
Peterson threw the decisive rock and her teammates swept it into position, just a hair closer to the button than the Swiss’ nearest stone.
Canada men eye curling gold
After a rocky two weeks of Olympic curling that included accusations of cheating and a profanity-laced rant, the Canadian men will play for the gold medal at the Milan Cortina Games.
Canada beat Norway 5-4 in Thursday night’s semifinals after losing to the Norwegians earlier in the day.
The Canadians were the subject of a controversy that got attention far beyond the ice when several players were accused of double-touching the rock, a rules violation.
Canada’s opponent in Saturday’s gold medal game will be Britain, which stunned Switzerland 8-5. The Swiss were undefeated entering the semifinals.
Norway will play Switzerland for the bronze medal Friday.
The sport that’s always on
By the end of the Milan Cortina Olympics, there will have been a total of 147 curling matches crammed into 18 days. That’s why Brad Jacobs is looking forward to some rest.
But first, he has a few things left on his to-do list.
There’s an Olympic semifinal match. Then, if he’s lucky, one for the gold. If not, then one for the bronze.
In either case, the Canadian is looking at roughly four to six more hours on the ice before he can relax. Curling matches usually run over two hours, and his team has already played nine matches over the last eight days of the men’s round robin. On top of that, the Canadians have had to maintain a competitive mentality while embroiled in a controversy so significant it prompted World Curling to change - and then change back - the rules midway through the competition.
“It’s quite draining,” said Jacobs, visibly exhausted after Thursday’s loss to Norway. “I think the Olympics is the hardest curling event on the planet. … It can certainly mess with the 6 inches between your ears if you allow it to.”
Athletes coming off the ice — even those less involved in the controversy than the Canadians — say this Olympics has worn them down, physically and mentally. That reflects a near-constant competition schedule that has led to curling’s popular reputation as the Olympic sport that’s always on TV.
Curling is the only sport played every single day of the Games.
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