Yesterday at the Olympics

• The USA won 2 medals in women’s snowboarding halfpipe, with Kaitlyn Farrington winning gold and Kelly Clark coming thru for bronze. This was Farrington’s 1^st Winter Olympics. It was Clark’s 4^th Winter Olympics and her 3^rd medal, after a gold in 2002 and a bronze in 2010. Clark also finished 4^th in 2006 in halfpipe. Clark also became one of 5 women to compete in their 4^th Winter Olympics in snowboarding at Sochi, joined by Maëlle Ricker (CAN, 1998-2010), Kjersti Buaas (NOR, 2002-2010), Tomoka Takeuchi (JPN, 2002-2010), and Nicolien Sauerbreij (NED, 2002-2010).
• By winning 2 medals in women’s halfpipe, the United States put two Americans on the podium for the 42^nd time at the Winter Olympics, but for the first time in Sochi. This was the 14^th time Americans have won a gold and bronze medal in the same event at the Winter Olympics, and the 7^th time it has been done by women.
• In the women’s downhill, Julia Mancuso placed 8^th, with Laurenne Ross 11^th and Stacey Cook 17^th. While Mancuso did not add to her medal totals, it was her 7^th top 10 finish in Olympic Alpine skiing, trailing only Bode Miller’s 8 among USA Alpine skiiers (or skiiers of any type). Mancuso’s 7 top 10s in the sport are =5^th all-time among women, trailing Martina Ertl-Renz (GER) with 10, and three with 8 top 10s – Katja Seizinger (GER), Anita Wachter (AUT), and Janica Kostelić (CRO).

USA Today at the Olympics

• Biathlon – Men – 20 kilometres: never won a medal, our best finish is 10th by Jay Hakkinen in 2006. Our other top 20 finishes were as follows: 1960 – John Burritt/14; 1964 – Charlie Akers/16; 1972 – Peter Karns/14; 2002 – Jeremy Teela/14.
• Cross-Country Skiing – Women – 10 kilometres: never won a medal, our best finish is 16th by Martha Rockwell in 1972. Our other top 25 finishes were as follows: 1980 – Alison Owen-Spencer/22; 1980 – Beth Paxson/25. Best finish in any CCS event for USA women is 6th by Sophie Caldwell in 2014 sprint (on 11 Feb). Otherwise best is 8th (2010) and 9th (2006) in sprint by Kikkan Randall, and 15th by Nina Kemppel in 2002 30 km.
• Short-Track Speed Skating – Women – 500 metres: USA has won 2 golds and 3 medals in this event. The 2 golds were by Cathy Turner in 1992-94, and the bronze was by Amy Peterson in 1994. We have not had a finalist in the event since 1994.
• Speed Skating – Women – 1,000 metres: USA has won the most medals in this event with 11 or 42 awarded. USA has won 3 golds medals – Bonnie Blair (1992-94) and Chris Witty (2002). Blair also won a bronze in 1988 and she is the only woman to have won 3 medals in this event. Two USA athletes have won 2 medals in the event – Witty (1998/2002-110) and Leah Poulos-Mueller (1976/80-020)
• Freestyle Skiing – Men – Slopestyle: never held before at the Olympics – no historical / statistical data
• Luge – Mixed – Relay: never held before at the Olympics – no historical / statistical data

This Day at the Olympics

334 Olympians were born

74 Olympians died

96 Olympic events were held

 

USA Births and Death on this Day at the Olympics

Born

[table]

Date,Name,Sport,Years

13 Feb 1886,Curt Rottmann,GYM,1924

13 Feb 1909,Jack Garrison,ICH,1932-36

13 Feb 1910,George Kratina,ART,1936

13 Feb 1912,Joe de Capriles,FEN,1936-52

13 Feb 1915,Harriet Bland,ATH,1936

13 Feb 1936,Leamon King,ATH,1956

13 Feb 1937,Marley Shriver,SWI,1956

13 Feb 1945,Don Behm,WRE,1968

13 Feb 1945,Ken Sitzberger,DIV,1964

13 Feb 1950,Louis Theimer,SHO,1976

13 Feb 1951,Pat Hayes,ROW,1976

13 Feb 1958,Pat Powers,VOL,1984

13 Feb 1960,Kelly McCormick,DIV,1984-88

13 Feb 1961,Gregory Springer,ROW,1984-92

13 Feb 1965,Kenny Harrison,ATH,1996

13 Feb 1970,Vernon Patao,WLT,1992-96

13 Feb 1970,Chip Van Os,HAN,1996

13 Feb 1971,Todd Williams,BSB,2000

13 Feb 1987,Rau’Shee Warren,BOX,2004-12

13 Feb 1995,Lia Neal,SWI,2012

[/table]

 

Died

[table]

Date,Name,Sport,Years

13 Feb 1908,David Hesser,SWI/WAP,1904

13 Feb 1931,Frank Wright,SHO,1920

13 Feb 1934,Ellen Ridgway,GOL,1900

13 Feb 1953,Manfred Curry,SAI,1928

13 Feb 1963,Gloria Russell,ATH,1932

13 Feb 1964,Paddy Ryan,ATH,1920

13 Feb 1992,Warren Westlund,ROW,1948

13 Feb 1993,Henry Duey,WLT,1932

13 Feb 1996,George Jefferson,ATH,1932

13 Feb 1998,Michael Budrock,CAN,1952

13 Feb 2001,Owen Torrey,SAI,1948

[/table]

Previous USA Winter Olympics Medals on This Day

[table]

Medalist,Sport,X,Event,Medal,Date

John O’Neil Farrell,SSK,M,500 m,Bronze,13 Feb 1928

USA Team,ICH,M,Ice Hockey,Silver,13 Feb 1932

USA Team,ICH,M,Ice Hockey,Silver,13 Feb 1972

Dorothy Hamill,FSK,F,Singles,Gold,13 Feb 1976

Debbie Armstrong,ASK,F,GS,Gold,13 Feb 1984

Christin Cooper,ASK,F,GS,Silver,13 Feb 1984

Nelson Carmichael,FRS,M,Moguls,Bronze,13 Feb 1992

Donna Weinbrecht,FRS,F,Moguls,Gold,13 Feb 1992

Tommy Moe,ASK,M,Downhill,Gold,13 Feb 1994

USA Team,LUG,M,Doubles,Silver,13 Feb 1998

USA Team,LUG,M,Doubles,Bronze,13 Feb 1998

Bode Miller,ASK,M,Combined,Silver,13 Feb 2002

Hannah Teter,SNB,F,Halfpipe,Gold,13 Feb 2006

Gretchen Bleiler,SNB,F,Halfpipe,Silver,13 Feb 2006

Joey Cheek,SSK,M,500 m,Gold,13 Feb 2006

Hannah Kearney,FRS,F,Moguls,Gold,13 Feb 2010

Shannon Bahrke,FRS,F,Moguls,Bronze,13 Feb 2010

Apolo Anton Ohno,STK,M,1500 m,Silver,13 Feb 2010

J. R. Celski,STK,M,1500 m,Bronze,13 Feb 2010

[/table]

 

Medal Standings after Day #6

[table]

Day #6 – 12 Feb 2014,Gold,Silver,Bronze,Total,Rank (US)

Norway,4,3,5,12,1

Canada,4,4,2,10,2

Netherlands,4,2,4,10,3

United States,3,1,5,9,4

Germany,6,1,1,8,5

Russia,2,4,3,9,6

Austria,1,4,-,5,7

Switzerland,3,-,1,4,8

Slovenia,1,1,2,4,9

Sweden,-,3,1,4,10

France,1,-,2,3,11

Czech Republic,-,2,1,3,12

Japan,-,2,1,3,13

Italy,-,1,1,2,14

Belarus,1,-,-,1,=15

Korea,1,-,-,1,=15

Poland,1,-,-,1,=15

Slovakia,1,-,-,1,=15

China,-,1,-,1,=19

Finland,-,1,-,1,=19

Australia,-,1,-,1,=19

Great Britain,-,-,1,1,=22

Latvia,-,-,1,1,=22

Ukraine,-,-,1,1,=22

Totals (32 events),33,31,32,96

[/table]

[table]

Day #6 – 17 Feb 2010,Gold,Silver,Bronze,Total,Rank (US)

United States,5,3,6,14,1

Germany,3,4,3,10,2

France,2,1,4,7,3

Canada,2,3,1,6,4

Korea,3,2,-,5,5

Austria,1,2,2,5,=6

Norway,1,2,2,5,=6

Switzerland,3,-,1,4,8

China,2,1,1,4,9

Italy,-,1,3,4,10

Russia,1,1,1,3,11

Sweden,2,-,-,2,12

Slovakia,1,1,-,2,13

Czech Republic,1,-,1,2,14

Poland,-,2,-,2,15

Japan,-,1,1,2,16

Netherlands,1,-,-,1,17

Australia,-,1,-,1,=18

Estonia,-,1,-,1,=18

Finland,-,1,-,1,=18

Latvia,-,1,-,1,=18

Croatia,-,-,1,1,=22

Slovenia,-,-,1,1,=22

Totals (28 events),28,28,28,84

[/table]

[table]

Day #6 – 15 Feb 2006,Gold,Silver,Bronze,Total,Rank (US)

Norway,1,5,5,11,1

Russia,4,2,3,9,2

United States,5,2,1,8,3

Germany,4,3,1,8,4

China,1,2,3,6,5

Austria,2,2,1,5,6

Canada,1,1,2,4,7

Italy,1,-,3,4,8

Finland,-,2,2,4,9

Sweden,2,-,1,3,10

Netherlands,1,2,-,3,11

Korea,1,1,1,3,12

France,1,-,1,2,13

Switzerland,-,1,1,2,14

Australia,1,-,-,1,=15

Estonia,1,-,-,1,=15

Bulgaria,-,1,-,1,=17

Croatia,-,1,-,1,=17

Czech Republic,-,1,-,1,=17

Latvia,-,-,1,1,20

Totals (26 events),26,26,26,78

[/table]

[table]

Day #6 – 13 Feb 2002,Gold,Silver,Bronze,Total,Rank (US)

Germany,4,6,2,12,1

United States,3,5,2,10,2

Norway,5,3,1,9,3

Austria,2,1,6,9,4

Finland,2,1,1,4,=5

Italy,2,1,1,4,=5

Russia,1,1,2,4,7

Switzerland,2,-,1,3,8

France,1,1,1,3,9

Korea,1,1,-,2,=10

Netherlands,1,1,-,2,=10

Estonia,1,-,1,2,12

Japan,-,1,1,2,=13

Poland,-,1,1,2,=13

Sweden,-,-,2,2,15

Czech Republic,-,1,-,1,16

Bulgaria,-,-,1,1,=17

Canada,-,-,1,1,=17

China,-,-,1,1,=17

Totals (24 events),25,24,25,74

[/table]

[table]

Day #6 – 12 Feb 1998,Gold,Silver,Bronze,Total,Rank (US)

Germany,4,4,4,12,1

Norway,4,4,3,11,2

Russia,4,3,-,7,3

Austria,-,2,4,6,4

Finland,2,1,2,5,5

United States,2,-,2,4,6

Netherlands,1,2,1,4,7

Italy,-,3,1,4,8

Japan,2,1,-,3,9

Canada,1,1,1,3,10

Switzerland,1,-,1,2,11

Czech Republic,-,1,1,2,12

Bulgaria,1,-,-,1,=13

France,1,-,-,1,=13

Ukraine,-,1,-,1,15

Belgium,-,-,1,1,=16

Belarus,-,-,1,1,=16

Kazakhstan,-,-,1,1,=16

Totals (23 events),23,23,23,69

[/table]

• Women’s Skeleton Event Factsheets

• Freestyle Skiing Women’s Aerials Event Factsheets

• Figure Skating Men’s Singles Event Factsheets

• Cross-Country Skiing Men’s 15 km Event Factsheets

• Biathlon Women’s 15 km Event Factsheets

• Alpine Skiing Men’s Combined Event Factsheets

• USA Alpine Skiing Men’s Combined Event Factsheets
• USA Biathlon Women’s 15km Event Factsheets
• USA Cross-Country Skiing Men’s 15 km Event Factsheets
• USA Figure Skating Men’s Individual Event Factsheets
• USA Freestyle Skiing Women’s Aerials Event Factsheets
• USA Women’s Skeleton Event Factsheets

No new events are scheduled to end on Friday, 14 February

The best site for statistical information on the web is at http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/. You should bookmark it and use it frequently during Sochi for information on what has gone before.

Yes, I do have something to do with it. The site is work done by me and a group of my associates who we call the OlyMADMen – there are about a dozen of us, led by Jeroen Heijmans (NED), Arild Gjerde (NOR), and Hilary Evans(GBR/Wales) (and Hilary is actually James Hilary Evans, to clear that up). Other main contributors to the site are Taavi Kalju (EST), Wolf Reinhardt (GER), Martin Kellner (AUT), Ralf Regnitter (GER), Paul Tchir (CAN), Ralph Schlüter (GER), Mørten Aarlia Torp (NOR), Magne Teigen (NOR), and David Foster (GBR). A few other Olympic stat freaks also help us out – Christian Tugnoli (ITA), Ove Karlsson (SWE), Stein Opdahl (NOR), Carl-Johan Johansson (SWE), Paweł Wudarski (POL), and others.

sports-reference.com/olympics is based on our own private website, which we use as our research site – its located at www.olympedia.org. Sorry, but for now it’s a private site, but we can allow you free access if you want it – just send us an email ([email protected]) or post your email below. You’ll love it, I promise you, if you like the Olympics. Olympedia and sports-reference are similar, but different. Information goes on Olympedia first and gets picked up by sports-reference later, after some editing.

 

Other sites you should know about:

 

www.olympic.org – the main IOC site

http://www.teamusa.org – the main US Olympic Committee site

www.sochi2014.com – the main site for the Sochi Organizing Committee – all athlete bios and results eventually will be on here

http://www.insidethegames.biz – lots of good stuff, updated daily, follow at @insidethegames

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/globetrotting – Phil Hersh, US best known Olympic-beat writer, keeps tabs on everything in international sport, follow at @olyphil

http://www.3wiresports.com/author/alan-abrahamson – Alan Abrahamson, former LA Times Olympic-beat writer, follows the Olympic Movement closely, follow at @alanabrahamson

http://olympictalk.nbcsports.com/author/nzaccardi86/ – NBC’s main web guy Nick Zaccardi adds new stuff daily, follow at @nzaccardi

http://frontierbeaver.com/sports – a blog by Ollie Williams, a bit British oriented but covers all Olympic sports and nations, follow at @OllieW

http://espn.go.com/olympics – Bonnie Ford keeps us up-to-date even if ESPN doesn’t usually know about any sports other than the NFL – but Bonnie does, follow at @Bonnie_D_Ford

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/olympics – although Sports Illustrated suffers from the same ESPN-virus of NFL only at times, look for anything by Tim Layden, who knows his stuff, follow at @SITimLayden

http://www.aroundtherings.com – Around the Rings, led by Ed Hula, focuses on the Olympic Movement – this is a pay-site – follow at @EHula_ATR

www.gamesbids.com – information about the bidding process and host cities – can be of some interest

In the women’s downhill this morning, Slovenian Tina Maze and Dominique Gisin of Switzerland tied for the gold medal with a time of 1:41.57. Couldn’t the timing equipment have broken that tie by carrying it out to 1/1000^th of a second?

Yes, it could have, but Alpine skiing chooses not to do so. In fact, the timing is so precise it could probably measure to the 1/1,000,000^th but this belies the fact that course measurement cannot be that accurate.

At Alpine skiing downhill speeds 1/100^th of a second is about 10 inches or 25 cm, and 1/1000^th would be about 1 inch or 2.5 cm. How accurate is the finish line? If Maze finished on the left side of the finish, and Gisin on the right side, is that accurate enough to measure to 1/1000^th, especially when the start line is 3,000 metres away. So if you measure to 1/1000^th would you be penalizing one skiier for finishing on one side of the course and not the other, without them really knowing which side is shorter? You could be.

Other Olympic sports have realized this as well and lessened the precision with which they measure finishes. Swimming used to break ties by measuring to the 1/1000^th second, but in 1972 at München Gunnar Larsson of Sweden and American Tim McKee seemingly tied in the men’s 400 individual medley in swimming. They were both timed in 4:31.98 but the precision timer broke the tie and gave the gold medal to Larsson, with a time of 4:31.981 to McKee’s 4:31.983 – 2/1000^ths of a second. However, swimming officials later reconsidered this, when they were informed that if Larsson’s lane had one extra coat of paint on it, it would have made the difference by shortening the distance he swam over 8 laps and to his touch. So swimming now calls a tie to the 1/100^th a tie for that position – however, the 1972 400IM result was not changed.

This famously occurred again in the women’s 100 freestyle in 1984 at Los Angeles when Carrie Steinseifer and Nancy Hogshead tied in 55.92. The stadium scoreboard listed that time for both but had Steinseifer 1^st and Hogshead 2^nd initially, so presumably Steinseifer was slightly faster to the 1/1000^th, but that mistake was corrected and they were both correctly given gold medals.

At the 1980 Winter Olympics Swede Thomas Wassberg won the gold medal in the men’s cross-country 15 km, defeating Finland’s Juha Mieto. Wassberg was timed in 41:57.63 to Mieto’s 41:57.64. The skiing federation (FIS) realized that this was a ridiculous precision to use for a race lasting over 40 minutes. Cross-country ski time trials have since been timed only to the 1/10^th of a second, although in mass start events, photo finishes will be used to break ties.

A similar finish occurred at the 2012 London Olympics in the women’s triathlon in one of the most stirring finishes one could ever see, as Switzerland’s Nicola Spirig and Sweden’s Lisa Nordén raced side-by-side down the last kilometre of the race, neither runner able to shake the other. Spirig was given the win, and the gold medal, with both runners officialy timed in 1-59:48. To observers there, it seemed impossible to choose between them at the finish line, but Spirig was adjudged to have won by 0.009 seconds per the official timing system. That is a ludicrous margin to use in a race lasting 2 hours, and hopefully the triathlon federation will correct this in the future. Ideally they should correct it retroactively and award Spirig and Nordén co-gold medals.

Some sports do time to the 1/1000^th of a second – notably at the Winter Olympics, luge. The races are so close that this precision is necessary to separate the sliders occasionally. The track is narrow enough that there should be little difference in where the sliders finish. Speed skating also breaks ties in the 500 metres to the 1/1000^th although official times are given in 1/100^ths. At the Summer Olympics, cycling uses 1/1000^ths in some of the shorter track races.

So Maze and Gisin tied in the women’s downhill – that’s a good and just decision.