VANCOUVER — Olli Jokinen scored the tying and go-ahead goals during a dynamic third- period comeback to give Finland a 5-3 victory over Slovakia on Saturday and the men’s ice hockey bronze medal.
Finland is the only country to win four medals in the past five Olympic hockey tournaments.
Finland’s Jere Lehtinen, Ville Peltonen and captain Saku Koivu won their fourth medals, equaling an Olympic record shared with three players.
Belly flop foils U.S.
RICHMOND, British Columbia — Nobody left a more lasting impression in a last Olympic race than Anni Friesinger-Postma.
The German slipped and stumbled throughout the final lap of a semifinal race in the women’s speedskating team pursuit against the Americans. Finally, coming down the last straightaway, the 33-year-old crashed to the ice and slid across the finish line on her belly, flailing her arms desperately. The best move was thrusting out her right skate to beat the U.S. by 0.23 of a second.
In the final against Japan, the Germans subbed in Katrin Mattscherodt, and Friesinger- Postma earned the second gold and fourth medal of her career when Germany rallied to win.
Canada rules curling ice
VANCOUVER — Canada won the gold medal in men’s curling, with Kevin Martin’s team defeating a Norwegian squad that charmed the Olympics with its flamboyant pants.
“Today and all week he was amazing,” said Canadian second Marc Kennedy after the 6-3 victory. “We had an all-around good team game today, and you couldn’t have it at a better time.”
• Switzerland won the bronze medal, beating Sweden 5-4.
Ralph Stoeckli scored two points with his final rock.
• The U.S. men’s curlers will not compete in next weekend’s nationals because of emotional and physical exhaustion.
Double Fox winners.
Slovenian cross country skier Petra Majdic and Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette are the recipients of the Vancouver 2010 Terry Fox Award. The award honors athletes who embody the determination, courage and humility of Fox, who ran across Canada on a prosthetic leg in 1980 to raise funds for cancer research. He died in June 1981 at age 22.
Majdic won a bronze medal in the individual classical sprint despite competing with four broken ribs and a collapsed lung suffered hours earlier in a training accident.
Rochette won the bronze medal just four days after the sudden death of her mother, Therese.
Footnote.
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is turning to Olympic athletes in the campaign against childhood obesity. She has enlisted current and former Olympians to film public service announcements for first lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” program, aimed at ending childhood obesity in a generation.
The Associated Press
