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While you were sleeping: USA hockey lose, Biney flames out, Kreuger nabs silver

alex baker

As the PyeongChang Games continues into their second week, the Olympic drama showed no sign of slowing down. You may have been sound asleep, but in South Korea, there was plenty of action taking place on the ice and on the snow. Here are a few of highlights of the late night and early morning action you might have missed while you were sleeping.

Maame Biney’s trailblazing run comes to an end

Maame Biney made history as the first African-American to qualify for the woman’s Olympic speed skating team. However, Biney’s trailblazing run at the Games came to a disappointing end on Saturday. Four days after finishing last in the quarterfinals of her signature event, the 500-meter short-track, the 18-year-old came in dead last again in a 1,500m short track heat, effectively ending her Olympic journey.

Maame Biney of the United States competes during the Ladies’ 500m Short Track Speed Skating quarterfinal on day four of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Gangneung Ice Arena on February 13, 2018 in Gangneung, South Korea. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Maame Biney of the United States competes during the Ladies’ 500m Short Track Speed Skating quarterfinal on day four of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Gangneung Ice Arena on February 13, 2018 in Gangneung, South Korea. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Christie crashes again

The same race that saw Biney’s Games come to an end saw Great Britain’s Elise Christie progress to the semifinals of the 1,500m race. Unfortunately for Christie, the poor run of Olympic luck that saw her crash out of the 500m finals earlier this week and get disqualified from three events at the Sochi Games, continued. Christie was in second place on Saturday when she collided with Chinese speed skater Li Jinyu and went skidding into the boards. Christie was penalized and carried off in a stretcher. The good news? Nothing was broken and despite a little bruising, the 27-year-old may not be out of medal running yet, as she still has the 1,000m to skate in on Tuesday.

Elise Christie of Great Britain falls after a crash with Jinyu Li of China during the Short Track Speed Skating Ladies’ 1500m Semifinals on day eight of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Gangneung Ice Arena on February 17, 2018 in Gangneung, South Korea. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Elise Christie of Great Britain falls after a crash with Jinyu Li of China during the Short Track Speed Skating Ladies’ 1500m Semifinals on day eight of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Gangneung Ice Arena on February 17, 2018 in Gangneung, South Korea. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

U.S. loses to OAR in men’s hockey

The U.S. men’s hockey team suffered a 4-0 rout at the hands Olympic Athletes from Russia in its final group stage game. Two goals each from Ilya Kovalchuk and Nikolai Prokhorkin were enough to effectively sweep Team USA aside. Despite outshooting the Russians 29-26, the USA continued to struggle for goals and with just four scores in three group stage games, the U.S. will progress as the lowest-scoring team in Group B. In order to advance to the quarterfinals the USA will have to win a qualification game on Tuesday.

Alexander Barabanov #94 of Olympic Athlete from Russia looks back for the puck during the Men’s Ice Hockey Preliminary Round Group B game against the United States on day eight of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Gangneung Hockey Centre on February 17, 2018 in Gangneung, South Korea. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Alexander Barabanov #94 of Olympic Athlete from Russia looks back for the puck during the Men’s Ice Hockey Preliminary Round Group B game against the United States on day eight of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Gangneung Hockey Centre on February 17, 2018 in Gangneung, South Korea. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Kreuger wins short-track silver for U.S.

After a two-day medal drought Team USA returned to the podium Saturday night as speed skater John-Henry Kreuger took silver in the 1,000 meter short-track event. In an action-filled final at the Gangneung Ice Arena that saw Hungary’s Shaolin Sandor Liu wipe out and take South Korea’s Seo Yira and Lim Hoyjun with him, Kreuger finished the race just behind Canadian gold medalist Samuel Girard. Kreuger’s silver medal was the ninth overall medal for Team USA at the PyeongChang Games.

John Henry Krueger of United States celebrates second place in the Men’s 1000m Final during the Short Track Speed Skating. (Getty)
John Henry Krueger of United States celebrates second place in the Men’s 1000m Final during the Short Track Speed Skating. (Getty)

Lizzy Yarnold wins gold in skeleton for Team GB

Great Britain’s Lizzy Yarnold won gold in the women’s skeleton final on Saturday, claiming her second Olympic gold medal in the event. Yarnold, who won gold four years ago in Sochi, posted a time of 3:27.28 on her fourth run, becoming the first British athlete to successfully defend an Olympic gold medal, and the first woman to defend an Olympic title in the skeleton. Yarnold was joined on the podium by her Team GB teammate Laura Deas, who won the bronze medal, and Jacqueline Loelling of Germany who won silver. Yarnold and Deas’ success marked the first time two British athletes had ever occupied the podium together in an Olympic event.

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