Miller leads US to silver, bronze in super-G
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Two races, two medals. Bode Miller is putting together one heck of a Vancouver Olympics.
Miller picked up a silver in the super-G Friday to go with the bronze he won in the downhill.
Andrew Weibrecht surprisingly finished right behind Miller, plopping another medal onto the United States' growing pile.
The U.S. Alpine team already has won six medals, their most ever, and we're not even halfway done in the mountains.
"Our kids love to compete in the big show," said Bill Marolt, head of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association.
CURLING
After an 0-4 start, out went 2006 bronze medalist John Shuster and in came alternate Chris Plys, with vice skip Jason Smith throwing the last rock. The result was a 4-3 victory over France, which came in with only one win.
The women were 0-3 until skip Debbie McCormick bumped out a Russian stone with her last rock, giving the U.S. a 6-4 victory - its first after an 0-3 start that had put her stewardship in jeopardy, too.
SKELETON
Noelle Pikus-Pace, the 2007 world champion, finished third in the women's event, just 0.10 seconds from bronze.
Zach Lund, who was kicked out of the last Olympics because a banned substance was in a hair-restoration product he took, was fifth, 0.52 from a medal.
MEN'S HOCKEY
The Czech Republic and Sweden joined the United States as the only 2-0 teams so far.
Jaromir Jagr and Tomas Plekanec helped the Czechs take a 3-0 lead over Latvia before even allowing a shot, then rode the big start to a 5-2 victory.
BOBSLED
Two Swiss competitors have withdrawn from events following scary crashes, including a strong medal contender.
Swiss driver Daniel Schmid, who was not a medal favorite, pulled out of the two-man and four-man bob for "safety reasons" after two practice crashes. On Friday, his sled overturned during training and his brakeman was taken from the track in an ambulance, then flown to Vancouver for observation. A team doctor said there were no serious injuries.
Beat Hefti, a World Cup champion, withdrew from two-man because of a concussion in a crash Wednesday. He hasn't decided whether to race in the four-man, which starts next Friday.
SKI JUMPING
Normal hill winner Simon Ammann of Switzerland can keep using the modified bindings that anchor his boots to his skis.
He can keep his gold medal, too.
The International Ski Federation dismissed complaints by the Austrians that Ammann was breaking the rules, and gave him permission to stick with the equipment for Saturday's large hill event.
SHAUN WHITE
Having already won two halfpipe gold medals, Shaun White would love the chance to double his collection at the 2014 Olympics.
White said he'd consider competing in halfpipe and slopestyle if that event was added to the mix for the Sochi Games.
In slopestyle, riders do huge tricks while going down the mountain and through "features" - rails, big jumps and bumps. At ski resorts, slopestyle is widely thought of as an easier way for amateur snowboarders to do cool tricks than on a halfpipe.
White likes the idea of being in the spotlight a little longer. Odds are NBC would like to have him around more, too.
"It's a strange thing going to the Olympics, where so many people have four, five events and we just have the one big night," he said.