Gut eyes Olympic super-G gold, US and Russia renew hockey rivalry
Sochi (Russia) (AFP) - Switzerland's Lara Gut looks to convert her World Cup super-G domination into Olympic gold on Saturday while the United States and Russia renew their titanic ice hockey rivalry.
Gut, 22, was third behind joint gold winners Tina Maze of Slovenia and teammate Dominique Gisin in Wednesday's dead-heated downhill, and she is desperate to take top spot especially having missed the 2010 Vancouver Games through injury.
"It's like you're happy, but you're happy on the inside," she said after her third place finish in the downhill.
"When you're an athlete and you know you can win more medals, one is not enough -- even if it's gold."
The fact she didn't top the podium obviously irked.
"You cross the finish line and you're leading, and you think no one is going to do that for the next four years," she added.
"You finish not leading and you think you have to wait four more years to do it again."
Maze, Gisin and super-combined champion Maria Hoefl-Riesch are also likely to feature although the Sochi Games have, so far, proved unkind for most favourites up on the Rosa Khutor slopes.
In men's ice hockey, there are no medals at stake but there will be plenty of historical overtones when the USA and Russia clash.
Russia are seeking to win their first gold medal since the 1992 Albertville Games while the Americans are hoping for their first gold since the "Miracle On Ice" victory over the Soviets at the Lake Placid Olympics in 1980.
In 1980, an underdog American team, consisting of mainly college players, posted one of the biggest Olympic upsets of all-time by beating the Soviet Union "Red Machine" who had won almost every world championship and Olympics since 1964.
The USA went on to claim the gold medal by beating Finland in their final match of the tournament, while the Soviets won the silver.
Since 1980, USA and Russia have met five times with the United States winning just once, and one match ending in a tie. In their most recent meeting, Russia won 5-4 at the 2006 Turin Olympics.
In all seven golds will be decided on Saturday.
World record holder Shani Davis of the United States races in the men's 1500m speedskating event as he aims to make up for his disappointment in failing to take a third successive Olympic gold in the 1000m on Wednesday.
Poland's Kamil Stoch aims to become only the third ski jumper to win both the normal and large hill golds at the same Olympics.
Swiss ski jumper Simon Ammann, twice a double gold medallist, is seeking a record fifth gold.
Latvian brothers Martins and Tomass Dukurs are among the favourites in the men's skeleton while short track titles will be decided in the women's 1500m and men's 1000m.
In Nordic skiing, the women's 4x5km relay will be contested.
