Word: medalling
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1970-1979
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Even the "experts" screwed up. Anne Henning, gold medal winner in 1972's speed skating, said that for a skater to do well in the 500 meter event, she would have to skate the first 100 meters in 10.8 seconds or less. But the first skater did an 11.7, and Henning said "Great time, great time!" And then there was anchorman Jim McKay's flub of the final hockey score, calling it 6-1 when two minutes before we'd seen Steve Jensen of the US close...
...first statement ABC's anchorman makes is, in ominous tones, "The Russians are favored to win most of the medals here at Innsbruck." Later on, after Bill Koch of Vermont finishes an unexpected second in cross-country skiing, McKay calls it "one of the great days in American athletic history." Then Werner Wolf exults over Sheila Young's record-setting 1500 meter speed skating performance, "This is America's first gold medal." The only consolation is that ABC isn't as bad now as they were at the 1972 Summer Olympics, where they showed a chart every hour...
...racing oval, Soviet Woman Skater Tatiana Averina is a worthy successor to the now retired world champion, Ard Schenk of The Netherlands. A college student from the central Russian city of Gorky, Averina, 25, holds the world records in the 500, 1,000 and 1,500-meter events. Other medal possibilities at Innsbruck: Teammates Lubov Sadchikova and Galina Stepanskaya, American Sheila Young and Japan's Makiko Nagaya. Averina has no equivalent among the men, but Soviets hold four of five world marks. Impressive, but somewhat deceptive. The records were all set at high altitude, in Alma-Ata, near...
...women's competition, Dorothy Hamill and Diane de Leeuw will skate for the gold medal. In pairs, there should be no contest. Irina Rodnina and Alexander Zaitsev, a Russian duo, have won every major pairs title in recent years, and with good reason. Skating in synchronous movements and precise combinations, they mesh like the gears in a Swiss watch. Beyond form, they skate to their music with exquisite choreography and complete the most pyrotechnic maneuvers with consummate grace. They started skating together when Rodnina's original partner, Alexsei Ulanov, left her to marry another skater. Though married themselves...
Because, says Czechoslovakia's coach Karel Gut, his team can win the gold medal. The Czechs lost the Izvestia Cup tournament to the Soviets last December by only one goal, and the Russians had home-ice advantage. Gut is confident that Goal Tender Jiri Holocek and Wing Vladimir Martinek are the equals of the better-publicized Soviets. The Finns are a solid bet for a bronze, but the young American team could surprise. In fact, U.S. Coach Bob Johnson is planning on it. He has a future pro goalie in Jim Warden, and his squad has beaten teams from...