Sochi 2014: Winter Olympics

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Aiming for Gold

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Sochi 2014: Winter Olympics

CNN brings you daily coverage of the Winter Games, with in-depth analysis and behind-the scenes shots from our dedicated teams on the ground in Sochi.

3rd & 7 37yd

She's done it! Poland's Justyna Kowalczyk wins the women's 10km pursuit!

by James Masters 2/13/2014 11:07:20 AM
Joss Christensen was in sublime form to win gold in the men's ski slopestyle.(Javier Soriano/AFP/Getty Images)

by James Masters 2/13/2014 11:04:53 AM
#sochi deputy head of tourism: "If people want to find bad they'll find it, if you want good you'll… instagram.com

by ben.wyatt via twitter 2/13/2014 10:55:58 AM
Olesya and Viktor Pogodskiyi: People should come to #Sochi because ... "It has unique atmosphere, very… instagram.com

by ben.wyatt via twitter 2/13/2014 10:55:46 AM
RING RING -- LONDON? IT'S SOCHI CALLING....

Yes, our man on the ground in Sochi, Ben Wyatt, has been in touch and he wants to get your views on Sochi as a holiday destination.

Ben wants to know: "Would you come back to Sochi after the Games?"

Fancy a vacation or a weekend jaunt? Let Ben know using the hashtag #CNNSochi or contact him on Twitter directly.

We'll be sharing some of the photos Ben's been taking and encourage any adventurous travelers to do the same!

by James Masters 2/13/2014 10:54:57 AM
Now this is what you call a 'cool pic'. Finland's Antti Ollila shows off his skills in the men's ski slopestyle qualifying (AP Photo/Gero Breloer)

by James Masters 2/13/2014 9:40:04 AM
Ski slopestyle final:

Right, back over the Rosa Khutor for a few Daffys and backscratchers.

Yes, it's the men's ski slopestyle final with more long hair and beards than you could ever dream of. For someone like me, who is slightly obsessed with facial hair, these kind of events just make me wish I could get past the pre-pubescent stubble.

I won't bore you with my receding hairline...still hurts to talk about it.

Anyway, there are 12 guys in the final with Sweden's Henrik Harlaut leading the way following an impressive run of 83.80.

The U.S is hoping Nick Goepper and Joss Christensen can medal after impressing in the semifinal.

It's the best of two runs with the top score counting.

by James Masters 2/13/2014 9:36:51 AM
As you can see below, our Czech ice hockey expert Ivana Kottasova has been busy in the kitchen making 'Olympic brownies'.

I'm glad she's recovered from seeing her boys getting beaten 4-2 by Sweden in the ice hockey yesterday -- she wasn't happy with that performance.

Ivana's joined the sport's team for the day and will be answering any questions you have on today's ice hockey with two games coming up at 12.30pm.

Host nation Russia takes on Slovakia in the men's event, while USA faces Slovenia.

You can follow Ivana on Twitter here for tips on ice hockey and culinary delights.

by James Masters 2/13/2014 9:31:10 AM
by James Masters via twitter 2/13/2014 9:27:44 AM
Andres Nino
@AfNino
Lizzie Yarnold half a second in the lead going into tomorrow's final runs! Gold could be coming! #Sochi2014 #Skeleton
Feb. 13, 2014
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by James Masters 2/13/2014 9:22:46 AM
Michelle Owen
@MichelleOwen7
Fantastic stuff for Lizzie Yarnold. 2 runs to go! #skeleton I watch this once every 4 years, but get proper in to it!
Feb. 13, 2014
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by James Masters 2/13/2014 9:22:34 AM
BOOM!

There's a reason why Lizzy Yarnold is favorite and she's just show why with another superb run.

She has a 0.44 lead over Noelle Pikus-Pace of the USA with the final two runs to come tomorrow.

Great Britain have yet to win a gold medal in Sochi -- this will surely be there best chance.

by James Masters 2/13/2014 9:22:05 AM
Hey, Yarnold!

You'll have to excuse me for that heading -- but who doesn't love a bit of Hey Arnold?

It's all about Lizzy Yarnold today -- the British skeleton star who is aiming for gold.

She topped the charts in the first qualifying round but is facing a real challenge from USA's Noelle Pikus-Pace and Russia's Elena Nikitina.

Here comes Lizzy....

by James Masters 2/13/2014 9:18:25 AM
Great Britain's Lizzy Yarnold is the one to watch in the women's skeleton which is currently underway. (Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

by James Masters 2/13/2014 9:16:01 AM
by Mike Flasch via twitter 2/13/2014 9:11:43 AM
Curling update.

The morning's women’s curling has finished with three tight games keeping the fans entertained.

China suffered an 8-7 defeat by Great Britan, Canada defeated Denmark 8-5 and Sweden edged out Switzerland 9-8.

Those results leave Canada top with four wins out of four, just ahead of Switzerland and Sweden who have won three each.

by James Masters 2/13/2014 9:09:38 AM
5 things to watch at the Winter Games on Thursday
CNNThe United States is hopeful it will be a big day on the ice and ski slope, luge fans get an added treat and the male figure skaters show off their short programs.

by James Masters 2/13/2014 8:59:45 AM
U.S. Ski star Bode Miller isn’t happy about the course for the men’s super combined which takes place Friday.

He’s been speaking to the media following his final training run.

"Right now the downhill is so easy and so basic there is nothing challenging about it really.

"There is no way to put any time on the slalom guys. Everyone just skis normal and everyone is within a second and a half or so.

"I think if they shorten the downhill the way they do, they should shorten the slalom too because a slalom is 50 seconds plus and you can really put a huge amount of time on guys, especially when they reverse the order and the slalom guys run early, then it’s a pretty huge advantage.

"If this downhill had been run from the start the way it was before it got warm and it was full-length downhill and full-length slalom then I think it would be fair and would be a really good test.

"There definitely should not be two slaloms (the combined event previously featured one downhill run and two slalom runs). It's already biased towards the slalom guys quite a bit."

by James Masters 2/13/2014 8:58:18 AM
Welcome to Day 7 of #Sochi2014 . 6 sets of medals will be awarded today. Here is the schedule. http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BgVR5MiCYAAwEA0.png

by Sochi 2014 via twitter 2/13/2014 8:53:33 AM
Mike Montgomery
@monty1038
I could go for some of that Sochi weather right about now
Feb. 13, 2014
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by James Masters 2/13/2014 8:48:59 AM
Catching some sun while staying updated on the skeleton and slopestyle results. @AUSOlympicTeam #sochi2014 http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BgV16yUIQAAWFCh.jpg

by Pierre Boda via twitter 2/13/2014 8:47:00 AM
Weather latest:

The weather is awful here in the UK and it's terrible in the USA but in Sochi, host of the Winter Olympics, people are....going to the beach? What?

Yes, that's right, Sochi is currently hotter than Addis Ababa, Riyadh and Istanbul.
The warm weather is threatening to affect the snow but so far, it's looking OK.
Are you in Sochi? Watching the Winter Games in shorts? Let us know by using the hashtag #CNNSochi and get your photos in!

by James Masters 2/13/2014 8:45:09 AM
WEATHER WATCH!
by James Masters

by James Masters 2/13/2014 8:41:19 AM
The condition of this halfpipe has been the subject of frenzied speculation and it's proving too tough to tame for most of these boarders.

We're four women into the second round and only Japan's Rana Okada has successfully completed a run.

It was given a score of 85.50, enough to lift her into bronze medal position behind the American one-two of Hannah Teter (90.50) and Kaitlyn Farrington (85.75).

by tom.mcgowan 2/12/2014 6:09:42 PM
Half way there: Hannah Teter leads the women's halfpipe after the first round. (Getty Images)

by tom.mcgowan 2/12/2014 6:02:26 PM
And now Kelly Clark is down!

The queen of qualification hits the deck after catching her board on the lip of the pipe.

A bone-shuddering fall, but Clark is back on her feet.

Hannah Teter leads at the halfway stage on 90.50, with Bright eighth and Clark down in TENTH.

Will we have another surprise winner in the halfpipe?

by tom.mcgowan 2/12/2014 6:00:12 PM
Gasps of astonishment at the half-pipe as Torah Bright hits the snow!

The defending champion takes a fall and, as a result, languishes down in EIGHTH position.

It's all on the second run for the Australian.

Now the one we've all been waiting for, it's time for Kelly Clark...

by tom.mcgowan 2/12/2014 5:57:32 PM
An update on the cheese issue. After Double Dutch suggested Edam might not be a Dutch cheese, Arnold has weighed in with his opinion:

Tom, your earlier claim of Edam being Dutch cheese is absolutely correct. The cheese itself has its roots in the province of Noord Holland and derives its name from the local town of Edam. So 100% pure Dutch cheese and not a cheap copy. :)Arnoldat 5:50 PM

One thing we can all agree on is that, when it comes to cheeses and speed skating, the Dutch have few rivals.

by tom.mcgowan 2/12/2014 5:53:59 PM
Mariska Reinartz
@MariskaReinartz
Jaa weer goud en brons voor Nederland!! #schaatsen #sochi #OS2014
Feb. 12, 2014
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by tom.mcgowan 2/12/2014 3:29:11 PM
This is incredible.

The Dutch are simply untouchable when it comes to speed skating.

Four out of five gold medals in the discipline have gone to the Netherlands. How do they do it?

by tom.mcgowan 2/12/2014 3:26:59 PM
The Dutch reign on ice once again. Stefan Groothuis takes the men's 1,000m speed skating title, with Shani Davis languishing in eighth position.

by tom.mcgowan 2/12/2014 3:23:54 PM
The form book is being torn up on the ice.
Vancouver silver medallist Mo-Tae Bum can only go 11th fastest, meaning Groothuis is within touching distance of YET ANOTHER Dutch skating gold medal.

Just Kazakhstan's Denis Kuzin and Italian Mirko Nenzi left to go...

by tom.mcgowan 2/12/2014 3:22:34 PM
Out in front. Stefan Groothuis is in gold medal position with one pair remaining. (Getty Images)

by tom.mcgowan 2/12/2014 3:20:18 PM
That wasn't in the script.

Shani Davis finishes his race and he's 0.73 seconds off the pace set by Dutchman Groothuis.

The double Olympic champion is down in SEVENTH and out of the medals.

First Shaun White, now Davis. The wait for the U.S. "threepeat" goes on...

by tom.mcgowan 2/12/2014 3:18:14 PM
Mulder moves into third position, it's likely he will miss out on a medal.
Brace yourselves, America. The moment has arrived, here comes Shani Davis.

We're off...

by tom.mcgowan 2/12/2014 3:15:23 PM
Another gorgeous sunset in Sochi. USA has the Winter, Russia has the games. Irony? #cnnsochi #cnn
by jcmca40cnn via Instagram

by tom.mcgowan 2/12/2014 3:13:02 PM
He finished fourth in Vancouver, but he's top as things stand in Sochi.

Stefan Groothuis goes into first position in the men's 1,000m, can you guess where he's from?

Yup, yet another Dutch skater in medal contention. Next up is a Dutchman who already has a gold medal in his back pocket, Michel Mulder...

by tom.mcgowan 2/12/2014 3:12:37 PM
Another update from Hockey James... Is this the comeback? USA is right back in this with just minutes to go as Anne Schleper keeps her cool to rifle home a stunning effort into the top corner.

Canada leads 3-2.... just over a minute to play.

by sarah.holt 2/12/2014 2:44:54 PM
Kevin MacLeod
@Lord_Kev_III
@MeghanAgosta is why I am watching the Ice Hockey today! Ooossshh #Sochi2014 #CanadaUsa
Feb. 12, 2014
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by sarah.holt 2/12/2014 2:42:06 PM
More from ice hockey buff James Masters: "Meghan Agosta looks to have wrapped up this one by firing Canada into a 3-1 lead. She raced from halfway to lash home and claim her second goal to cap a decent birthday performance.

No way back for the USA now, surely?

by sarah.holt 2/12/2014 2:40:06 PM
Why we kept talking about Shani Davis is that essentially I've become a bit obsessed... Only joking, we're talking about the 31-year-old from Chicago because if he wins today he will make history as the first American male to win three individual Winter Olympic golds in a row. Remember Shaun White had the chance to achieve that feat yesterday but had his snowboarding crown swiped by Switzerland's Iouri Podladtchikov.

by sarah.holt 2/12/2014 2:39:00 PM
Over at speed skating headquarters, the skating, well, is on ice. The race track's frozen surface is been swept and polished in preparation for the next batch of skaters, which includes a man by the name of Shani Davis and his main rivals including world champion Kazakhstan's Denis Kuzin and South Korea's 2010 silver medalist Mo Tae-Bum.

by sarah.holt 2/12/2014 2:36:18 PM
Puck's eye view
Red hot action on the ice. Here Hilary Knight scores against Canada
(Photo by Matt Slocum - Pool/Getty Images)

by sarah.holt 2/12/2014 2:28:37 PM
Just minutes later, Canada move into the lead in dramatic circumstances when Hayley Wickenheiser's effort squirms into the net. So, in the rematch of the 2010 Olympics finalists it's Canada 2-1 USA.

by sarah.holt 2/12/2014 2:24:38 PM
And then...

by sarah.holt 2/12/2014 2:22:57 PM