Riesch strikes gold, Canada braced for semi

Vancouver: German skier Maria Riesch grabbed her second gold medal of the Winter Olympics in the slalom on Friday but her friend Lindsey Vonn went out with a whimper on snow that did not suit her.

The United States did, however, find the best of conditions on the ice hockey rink, where the men flattened Finland 6-1 to reach a final that may also include hosts Canada. Thousands of people converged on downtown Vancouver to watch the Canada-Slovakia semi-final on big screens and in bars, prompting officials to close liquor stores early again and crack down on street drinking. Drinking by athletes was also the talk of the town after the Canadian women’s hockey team won the gold medal on Thursday and celebrated by taking to the ice to knock back champagne and smoke cigars. It was a busy final Friday for the Games which end on Sunday with the men’s hockey final and the weather was not helping. On Cypress Mountain, Nicolien Sauerbreij of the Netherlands raced through a driving rainstorm and fog to win gold in parallel giant slalom snowboarding by a slim margin. “I knew I was good but to win under these conditions -- unbelievable,” the 30-year-old Dutchwoman said. Up in the Whistler mountains, Norway’s men powered through a snowstorm to win the 4x7.5km biathlon relay, with anchorman Ole Einar Bjoerndalen moving within one medal of the leading Winter Olympic tally of 12. Over on the slalom course and the women’s final Alpine race, snow and fog were no match for Riesch in her quest for a second gold following the super combined. Younger sister Susanne, fourth after the first run, skied out on the second leg. Vonn, who vacations with her rival, congratulated Riesch at the finish line with the words. “It’s awesome,” she said. “I am so proud of you.” Night Train Vonn won gold in the women’s downhill and bronze in super-G, but suffered her third non-finish in five events in the slalom as she straddled a gate on the first run. “I am used to the Minnesota and Colorado hard snow,” the American told reporters. “This snow doesn’t like me. “I have the gold medal I came here for,” she added. Vonn came into the Games with hopes of five medals but the Vonn-couver Olympics were not to be. Germany led the medal standings with nine golds ahead of the U.S., Norway and Canada in a three-way tie on eight apiece. Canada, however, could rise above the rest in the sport in which they reign supreme -- curling. The women, led by 43-year-old Olympic rookie Cheryl Bernard, take on mighty Sweden on Friday before the men attempt to stay undistracted by Norway and their eye-catching patterned trousers the following day. In the men’s four-man bobsleigh, the American Night Train piloted by Steve Holcomb led after the first run, fuelling hopes of a first U.S. men’s gold in the heavyweight sliding event since 1948. The shiny black sled packed with 400 kilos of pure American muscle, barely scraped a wall as it blasted down Whistler’s ice rollercoaster but the world’s fastest track produced three big crashes. There should be plenty of thrills and spills too in the short-tracking skating, where there are three medals up for grabs in a sport that appears to have been designed as organised chaos on ice. Apolo Anton Ohno of the United States aims to repeat his 2006 success in the men’s 500m and China’s Wang Meng goes for her third gold of these Games in the women’s 1000m. The day’s action finishes with South Korea the clear favourites in the men’s 5000m relay. Bureau Report