Olympics Live: Chloe Kim wins halfpipe gold in Beijing
BEIJING (AP) — The Latest on the Beijing Winter Olympics:
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American Chloe Kim has won gold in the women’s halfpipe at the Beijing Olympics.
She turned in a strong opening run as she easily defended her Olympic halfpipe title.
The last rider to drop into the halfpipe, and the contest already over, the 21-year-old American still attempted to go big one last time.
She fell, quickly got back up and casually glided the rest of the way down the halfpipe Thursday as the Olympic champion. She greeted her fellow medalists at the bottom with an embrace.
The only real drama was for second place, with 32-year-old Queralt Castellet of Spain taking silver at her fifth appearance at the Olympic Games. Sena Tomita of Japan held off Cai Xuetong of China for bronze.
No one was matching Kim’s height or demanding array of tricks. Not after an opening performance that featured a variety of different spins and rotations, including a front and backside 1080 (three spins each). That flawless run even appeared to surprised her as she covered her mouth in excitement. She later told her coach it was the best one she’s done.
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There are zero Americans entered in the men’s Alpine combined skiing race at the Beijing Games, the first time in Olympic history that event will take place without at least one U.S. representative.
Thursday’s race only has 27 total entrants from all countries, compared to 43 for the downhill and 47 for the super-G earlier in the week.
A spokesperson for the U.S. ski team said the original plan was to enter super-G silver medalist Ryan Cochran-Siegle and Bryce Bennett in the combined, which adds the times from one downhill run and one slalom run.
But Bennett, who is from California, tweaked his back before finishing 17th in the super-G on Tuesday and is headed home.
Cochran-Siegle, who is from Vermont, decided to train in giant slalom ahead of that event, which is scheduled for Sunday.
At least one U.S. man has been in the Alpine combined at each of the previous 11 Winter Games where it was held. It was off the schedule between the 1948 and 1988 Olympics.
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Donovan Carrillo has completed his free skate at the Beijing Olympics. He’s the first athlete from Mexico ever to advance to the final round of an Olympic figure skating competition.
The country hasn’t had an Olympic skater at all in three decades.
In Beijing, Carrillo is one of 33 athletes from nine Latin-American teams. And he’s the only one of the four athletes representing Mexico who stayed in the country to nurture his talents.
He was in fourth place after the first group of six at the men’s free skate, with a total score of 218.13.
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Chloe Kim grabbed the lead after the first run of the women’s halfpipe as she tries to defend her Olympic title.
Kim performed two 1080s, three spins, and was so ecstatic over her performance she covered her mouth following her finish. She had the highest amplitude of any rider.
Her score of 94 topped Sena Tomita of Japan. In third place after the first run was Cia Xuetong of China.
There are three runs and the winner is whoever has the best score on any of the runs.
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Olympic figure skating favorite Kamila Valieva tested positive for a banned heart medication before her arrival at the Beijing Olympics, the Russian newspaper RBC reported, putting in jeopardy the team gold medal that she helped win earlier this week.
The sample was reportedly obtained in December, when the 15-year-old Valieva was still in Russia but did not come to light until after she had helped her team win the gold medal with dynamic performances in her short program and free skate.
The drug, Trimetazidine, is used to to treat angina — a type of chest pain marked by reduced blood flow to the heart — and is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency as a stimulant. It is the same drug that was involved in a Russian bobsled case at the 2018 Olympics that ended in a settlement and an athlete accepting an eight-month ban.
It is unclear whether Valieva has any heart problems.
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