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Saturday 17 February 2018
Frida Hansdotter dethrones Shiffrin in Olympic slalom

By PAT GRAHAM after the morning run. "I
PYEONGCHANG, South Ko- had a good day today."
rea (AP) — Frida Hansdot- Before the day began,
ter looked at her time on the 32-year-old Hansdotter
the video board — hardly could very well picture a
believing it was true — and podium that included her.
let out a yell. But one that didn't include
This was way too good to Shiffrin? Now that was hard
hold in. to fathom since the Ameri-
A few anxious moments lat- can has been so consis-
er, it became official: Hans- tently good in the discipline
dotter — Olympic slalom all season. A conserva-
champion. tively skiing Shiffrin wound
The Swedish skier de- up fourth, with 20-year-old
throned reigning champi- Austrian skier Katharina
on Mikaela Shiffrin and held Gallhuber grabbing the
off everyone else Friday at bronze.
the Pyeongchang Games. "It's racing. It's slalom. Every-
"I was just screaming, 'Yes!' thing can happen," Hans-
Or something like this," dotter said. "If you're not ski-
Hansdotter said, smiling. ing your best and fast, then
In second position after you're not on the podium."
the opening run, Hansdot- Hansdotter became the
ter seamlessly weaved her second Swedish woman to Frida Hansdotter, of Sweden, skis during the first run of the women's slalom at the 2018 Winter
way through the technical capture an Olympic slalom Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Friday, Feb. 16, 2018.
course on the final run to gold, joining Anja Paerson, Associated Press
finish in a combined time who won the event at the
of 1 minute, 38.63 seconds. 2006 Turin Games. She had behind Mikaela Shiffrin and to go with four wins since take this day and enjoy. I
She realized it was a good a chance to speak with today she can show that her debut on the circuit had a smile on my face at
performance (hence the Paerson, who offered some she has capacity. ... It's so on Oct. 23, 2004. She also the start. I really take the
scream). Still, she restlessly simple advice: Have fun huge. She's so worth it." has three world champion- chance. So I think that was
watched as first-run leader and ski fast. Hansdotter finished fifth ship podium finishes in the my thing today.
Wendy Holdener of Switzer- She did just that through in Sochi four years ago in slalom — all behind win- “To be able to ski at this lev-
land glided down the hill. the sun-splashed course at the slalom, and 15th in the ner Shiffrin. Not this time, el is so much fun and now I
Hansdotter won by a scant Yongpyong Alpine Center. event at the 2010 Vancou- though. The moment be- bring home a gold medal.
0.05 seconds. "It's so nice the last few ver Games. longed to Hansdotter. It is a lot of hard work and
"I can barely believe it," said years that she has suc- Her World Cup resume in- “I’m surprised today. I a lot of years, but it is worth
Hansdotter, who trailed ceeded," Paerson said. cludes a number of close wasn’t so nervous,” Hans- every minute when I am
Holdener by 0.20 seconds "But she has always been calls (18 runner-up finishes) dotter said. “I wanted to standing here.”q

22-year-old Visser proves how

good the Dutch are at Olympics

at the Olympic Oval. Crim- a medal, or for gold," Visser (112 pounds), the lightest of
son-faced as she crossed said. all favorites in the race.
the finish line, she beat two- It's gold now, and it's not a "I'm just very efficient," she
time defending champion dream anymore. said.
Martina Sablikova by more Visser was hardly a factor Visser had a slow start Friday
than a second. Russian in international skating until but found her groove and
skater Natalia Voronina she qualified for the Dutch clawed back into conten-
took bronze. squad late in December. tion halfway through. Then
Further back in eighth place At the time, she still had she kept her flowing move-
was three-time 5,000-meter to figure out exactly when ment going, seemingly
Esmee Visser of The Netherlands competes during the women's Olympic champion Clau- the Pyeongchang Games floating over the ice while
5,000 meters speedskating race at the Gangneung Oval at the dia Pechstein, the German would be. some others ploughed
2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, Friday, Feb. who is almost 46 — more She then got a big boost through it.
16, 2018. than double Visser's age by winning her first 3,000 Increasingly turning red
Associated Press
of 22. Visser came into the gold medal at a depleted with effort, Visser won in
By RAF CASERT an array of stars until Christ- competition after an un- European championships. 6 minutes, 50.23 seconds,
GANGNEUNG, South Korea mas, the Olympic rookie easy sleep was made light- Some experts started think- holding off the charging
(AP) — Perhaps more than skated away with a gold er by a dream that she was ing that an Olympic bronze Sablikova by 1.62 seconds.
anyone else, Esmee Visser medal only two months celebrating at the Holland would be within her reach. Pechstein, who has won
proved just how good the later. Heineken House, where all In South Korea, Visser's atti- three titles over the dis-
Dutch really are at speed- Visser had the race of her the Dutch medalists have tude was as lighthearted as tance and was still in great
skating. life Friday in winning the been feted every night so her frame is slight. Although form this season, was seek-
A near non-factor at na- 5,000 meters to give the far at the Olympics. powerful legs usually drive ing to become the oldest
tional level who was el- overpowering Dutch a sixth "My dream didn't make long-distance skaters, Viss- woman to win a Winter
bowed out of the team by gold medal in seven events out whether it was just for er weighs only 51 kilograms Olympic title. q