Breathtaking falls and disastrous spills have stolen the Olympic spotlight in Torino – from the USA’s Lindsey Kildow in the women’s downhill and Samantha Retrosi on a treacherous luge track to China’s Dan Zhang in pairs figure skating. The Cornellians competing in Torino have managed to stay on their feet, although success has come in varying degrees.
Melody Davidson continues to spearhead the Canadian women hockey team’s assault on the gold medal. Davidson – on leave from head coaching duties for the Red’s women’s hockey team – coached her team to an 8-1 defeat of Sweden to wrap up round robin play on Valentine’s Day. The Canadians have outscored opponents by a 36-1 margin in Torino.
Davidson and her team will next face Finland in the first playoff round of the medal competition.
Future Cornell law student Matt Savoie found himself sitting in eighth place after scoring a 69.15 in the short program of the men’s figure skating competition on Tuesday. Russia’s Yevgeny Plushenko earned the highest score ever recorded under the new scoring system – 90.66 – to take first place and a 10-point lead the USA’s Johnny Weir heading into tonight’s long program.
While Savoie still has an outside shot at bringing home a medal, junior Travis Mayer’s bid to repeat his silver-medal performance in freestyle skiing at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics fell short yesterday. He finished in seventh place overall with a score of 24.91, the third American finisher behind bronze medalist Tony Dawson and sixth-place finisher and NFL hopeful Jeremy Bloom. Dale Begg-Smith of Australia claimed the gold medal with an overall score of 26.77.
Mayer announced his retirement from skiing after the competition.
Jamie Silverstein, a Cornell student who went on leave in December 2004, will begin competition in ice dancing tomorrow.
Archived article by Olivia Dwyer Sun Assistant Sports Editor