Day 15 Open Thread

Hello friends, Jim Nantz Fetch here as we embark on our 3rd to last day from Vancouver. Last night had too many great performances for just a Gold, Silver and Bronze, so here’s my top 5.

Joanie Rochette: even as much as I think she probably shouldn’t have gotten a medal, the fact that she went out there and skated as well as she did was amazing, and commendable.

Kim Yu-Na: for posting one of the best performances, regardless of sport, that I have ever seen. It was the type of performance that you will be able to tell your kids about. Maybe our generation’s Franz Klammer.

Mirai Nagasu and Rachael Flatt: The odds were against them both, but Flatt skated extremely well, even though she had the disadvantage of going first, and Nagasu had to follow Rochette’s program, and she did so with the best one she has ever done. That is how you respond to pressure. She should be a Gold medal contender, if not favorite, in 2014.

Finally, to the American men’s nordic combined team: They came into these Olympics with ZERO medals in the sport. This Olympics they have 4 (3 silvers, 1 Gold). And we have just recently begun pumping money into the sport. Perhaps the US will be a force in years to come. Now if we can just get some money for cross-country, biathlon, and the sliding sports.

One wag of the finger (sorry, Colbert) to the IOC however: So the Canadian women’s hockey team celebrated with beer, cigars and champagne. So the girl who scored both goals is a year underage. I understand that it is illegal, but for one I doubt she knew (it is a loooong way from Quebec to British Columbia) and it is the FREAKING OLYMPICS! The IOC doesn’t want to know what I would do if I ever won a Gold medal.

Now that that rant us out of the way, here is what’s on tap this afternoon:

USA Network (Right now): China-Switzerland in the bronze medal match for women’s curling

MSNBC (3:30/2:30): Speedskating team pursuit.

NBC (3/2): USA-Finland men’s hockey semifinal

CNBC (6/5): Canada-Sweden in the Gold medal match for women’s curling12:00 – China is dominating right now, up 5-1 in the 4th end.

12:08 – Mirjiam Ott of Switzerland just made one of the most gorgeous shots you’ll ever see.

1:02 – After coming all the way back to tie it, Switzerland gives up 2 to China. China leads 8-6 in the 8th.

1:07 – This just in (aka I saw it on Twitter): John Shuster’s team has withdrawn from next month’s United States national championships.

1:15 – Switzerland concedes, and China wins bronze

2:08 – Phil Kessel with some great hustle that bothers Mikka Kipprusoff, who passes it right to…..Ryan Malone who fires it into the empty net for a 1-0 USA lead.

2:15 – Interference on Finland. USA PP

2:16 – Zach Parise scores to make it 2-0 USA.

2:17 – Undisciplined penalty by Finland there, pushing Dustin Brown into the boards. USA back on the PP

2:20 – I’m not even sure who got that goal to be honest. Pavelski I think. 3-0 USA.

2:23 – Patrick Kane with his second goal of the tournament to make it 4-0 USA. Terrible goaltending by Kipprusoff there.

2:27 – Kane with his 2nd goal of the game, 3rd of the tournament. Nicklas Backstrom was in for that one by the way. 5-0 USA.

2:28 – Uh, 6-0 USA?

2:42 – 6-0 USA after 1. Quick change: They’ve credited defenseman Erik Johnson with the 3rd goal rather than Joe Pavelski. My bad.

3:30 – Bill DeMong, who won the United States’ first ever gold in nordic combined, will be the flag bearer for Sunday’s closing ceremonies.

3:43 – The United States just defeated Canada in the quarterfinals of the women’s team pursuit in speedskating. Canada was the gold medal favorites.

4:24 – And the US men just repeated the feat, beating the Dutch! Those might be the upsets of the games, folks.

5:16 – Sweden and Canada just underway here, 0-0 after the 1st end.

5:52 – 1-0 Canada after the 2nd end. Cheryl Bernard had a chance to make it 2-0 but threw the stone too light.