Germany has its first Olympic skeleton champion, and the nation is just sliding away from all challengers to this point on the Beijing Olympics.
That is no shock.
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This, nevertheless, was: China has its first Olympic sliding medal — ever.
Christopher Grotheer was a runaway winner within the males’s skeleton occasion that ended Friday night time, the primary German to win gold within the self-discipline the place sliders navigate the icy chute headfirst at speeds that may exceed 80 mph.
Grotheer’s four-run time over two days of competitors was 4:01.01. Axel Jungk, one other German, gained the silver medal in 4:01.67 and Yan Wengang of China gained the bronze in 4:01.77.
There have been 5 gold medals handed out to this point in sliding occasions at these Beijing Video games — all 5 of them gained by Germans. Germany went 4-for-4 in luge occasions to open the sliding competitions in Beijing, and now has eight medals by 5 occasions on the Yanqing Sliding Heart.
The remainder of the world, mixed, has seven.
The German sliding medal haul is just going to continue to grow. German racers are second and third on the midpoint of the ladies’s skeleton occasion that can finish Saturday night time, and the world’s most dominant sliding nation could have contenders in all 4 of the bobsled occasions as effectively — together with closely favored Francesco Friedrich within the two- and four-man bobsled competitions.
However for the Chinese language, Yan’s bronze was like gold. A rustic that’s comparatively new to the sliding world invested tons of money and time into contending at these video games, and almost got here away with two medals Friday night time. Yin Zheng was fifth for the host nation.
A Ukrainian skeleton athlete ended his third run by revealing a small signal to the cameras urging peace in his homeland. The message from Vladyslav Heraskevych learn: “No Struggle in Ukraine.”The signal was printed on a blue-and-yellow piece of paper, matching the colours of Ukraine’s flag.
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“It’s my place. Like several regular folks, I don’t need struggle,” Heraskevych stated. “I need peace in my nation and I need peace on the planet. It’s my place, so I combat for that. I combat for peace.”
Heraskevych completed 18th.
Latvia’s Martins Dukurs, the 11-time World Cup general champion, 61-time World Cup race winner and six-time world champion, was as soon as once more denied Olympic gold. He completed seventh in his fifth Olympics; he has gained silver twice, plus was fourth and seventh in his different Olympic appearances.
Defending Olympic champion Yun Sungbin of Korea was twelfth in what might effectively be his last race, after saying this week that he hasn’t had the identical ardour for sliding.
“I’m not likely having fun with this sport now,” Yun stated.
Andrew Blaser, the one U.S. slider within the race, was twenty first and didn’t qualify for the fourth run. Solely the highest 20 within the area superior to the ultimate warmth, so Blaser’s first Olympic look ended one slide sooner than he needed.
“There’s quite a lot of feelings that occur on the finish of a race,” Blaser stated. “Sadly, not getting a fourth run … they’re experiences that I’ve had, however I don’t suppose there’s something that basically preps you for that feeling. It seems like a weight simply sort of drops on you.”
Blaser hasn’t made a last determination about whether or not he’ll proceed sliding, a minimum of for a full four-year interval by the 2026 Olympics. He stated he’ll seemingly resolve by Might.
“It’s not the way you race when you’re right here,” Blaser stated. “For some folks, it’s. For me, it wasn’t. It was every part that turned me into the athlete, the coach, the slider that I’m right now and I’ve to do not forget that these issues are nonetheless there whatever the final result.”
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Halfway by Blaser’s interview session, Spanish slider Ander Mirambell — who was twenty fourth within the 25-man area — walked previous the American and gave him a giant smile together with some congratulatory slaps on the shoulder.
“Famous person. The primary time I began sliding with him, and I informed him in the future you’ll be within the Olympic Video games,” Mirambell stated as he turned towards Blaser. “And now you might be right here. Superb.”
With that, Blaser broke right into a smile.
“It’s cool to see and to get these recollections,” Blaser stated.
Grotheer’s lead was 0.70 seconds coming into Friday night time; it grew to 0.85 seconds after the third run, with Jungk shedding a bit extra time with a tough slam right into a wall close to the end line.
At that time, the one factor that would cease Grotheer from successful the gold medal was an enormous mistake.
Did not occur. He was good. And with that, Germany’s good sliding document at these Olympics remained intact.