POSTED: Monday February 22nd 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BODE MILLER WINS GOLD; DAVIS & WHITE IN SECOND AFTER TWO ROUNDS OF ICE DANCING; TEAM USA DEFEATS CANADA IN HOCKEY
“A total rewrite of his Torino Olympic nightmare” – NBC’s Tim Ryan on Bode Miller
“This is going to send tremors through all of Canada.” - NBC’s Bob Costas on Canada’s loss to Team USA in hockey
VANCOUVER - Feb. 21, 2010 - Bode Miller won his third medal of these Games, his fifth Olympic medal overall, and his first-ever gold when he won the men’s super combined today, the 10th day of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games. Miller’s five career medals are the second-most all time among men for alpine skiing.
Canada’s Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir lead the ice dancing competition after completing the original dance portion with Team USA’s Meryl Davis & Charlie White right behind in second place. Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto of the US are fourth with Russia’s Oksana Doinina & Maxim Shabalin in third. Ice dancing concludes with the free dance tomorrow night.
Ski cross made its primetime Olympic debut with Switzerland’s Michael Schmid winning the first-ever gold in the sport. Germany’s Andre Lang won his fourth career gold medal in bobsled when he and his brakeman, Kevin Kuske, won the two man. In women’s 1500m speed skating, Ireen Wust of the Netherlands won gold. On CNBC, Great Britain defeated the US, 4-2, in men’s curling.
On MSNBC, the US men’s ice hockey team defeated host nation Canada, 5-3, on the strength of two goals by Brian Rafalski and 42 saves by goaltender of Ryan Miller. The win was Team USA’s third, earning them the top spot in Group A, and bye in the quarterfinals.
NBC primetime joined the game for its conclusion. Host Bob Costas, daytime host Al Michaels and Olympic correspondent Cris Collinsworth offered postgame commentary. Michaels and Collinsworth were at the arena.
Costas: “This is going to send tremors through all of Canada.”
Michaels on the atmosphere in the arena: “When we walked into the building, it was just electric and it stayed that way until the very end.”
Collinsworth on the importance of this game to Canada: “You could take all the emotion from all the other sports all week and put them in one pile. This is the moment that mattered to them.”
Collinsworth on US goalie Ryan Miller’s 42 saves: “Jim Craig was so awesome back in 1980 but if he were better than Ryan Miller, I’d be surprised.”
Costas interviewed Apolo Ohno, now the most decorated US Winter Olympian ever, in studio.
Ohno on his remaining races: “I’m here because I want to win. I’m here because I love competing. And we have two of the most crazy races left in short track. One is the 500m, which is a pure sprint. The other is the 5000m four-man relay. And there’s going to be five teams in that relay final. I’m excited. It’s going to be fun.”
Ohno on if he’ll return for Sochi in 2014. “I don’t know. I’m taking it one week at a time.”
ALPINE SKIING:
Play-by-Play: Tim Ryan
Analysts: Todd Brooker
Reporter: Steve Porino
Brooker on Norway’s Aksel Lund Svindel: “He’s got everything going for him at these Olympics.”
Ryan on Bode Miller: “Capable at any time of medaling.”
Brooker on Miller: “Bode Miller seems to be in the perfect place this year—mentally, physically, emotionally. He’s talked about being inspired by winning and inspired by those great runs. He’s inspired, more than anything, by the Olympics. That’s something we didn’t hear from him in Torino.”
Ryan on Miller: “If Svindal is a comeback story of a horrible injury—Bode Miller is a comeback story in terms of results.”
“He’s loving life.”
Brooker on Miller: “He’s one of the most versatile skiers in history.”
Brooker on Ted Ligety: “I don’t think there’s anybody on tour that can build a more wicked edge with his body.”
Brooker on Croatia’s Ivica Kostelic, who would go on to win silver: “Nothing but composure, rhythm and balance. He is right in the sweet spot of his ski.”
Brooker on Miller’s slalom run: “That was absolutely an outrageous run. His best run of the season.”
Ryan on Miller’s success in Vancouver: “A total rewrite of his Torino Olympic nightmare.”
Bode Miller: “I’ll tell you, I was kind of on fumes. I can’t describe to you how much that takes out of me, the first couple races. I felt awesome about it but it’s still mentally and emotionally exhausting to do that after years and years of not really doing it like that.
“I realized this morning that I got up and I thought, ‘I have one leg that’s injured and one leg’s on my boat already.’ I knew I had to dig deep and get fired up for this race because this is probably my best chance to win. But it takes a huge amount of mental stamina to race to that. You have a full downhill that you know you have to push on. And then you have to rest, get back, recover—which is extra hard to me because of my physical conditioning, and then come out and run.
“You saw the way the slalom is with Kostelic and all those guys are phenomenal slalom skiers too. I had to get fired up to take maximum risk. I went out of the gate crazy again but was completely cashed at the bottom. That last pitch, my legs started to feel real wobbly, I didn’t feel like I was even looking at the gates anymore.
“When I crossed the line, I did my normal thing where I stood for a second and thought, ‘That was unbelievable.’ I can’t ask for anything more. For my first Olympic gold, it’s absolutely perfect.”
Costas on Miller’s performance in Vancouver: “Could he have written his comeback story any better?”
FIGURE SKATING:
Play-by-Play: Tom Hammond
Analysts: Tracy Wilson
Reporter: Andrea Joyce
Hammond on Russia’s Oksana Domnina and Maksim Shabalin, who wore controversial Aboriginal costumes: “Aside from looking ridiculous, does it affect the judges?”
Wilson: “It does come into play.”
Wilson on Davis & White: “That was the performance they were looking for. They pushed it to the edge. They kept the flow throughout the dance. Sophisticated, intricate choreography. A well-delivered routine for Meryl and Charlie.”
White: “Momentum is on our side, definitely, going into the free dance. That definitely gives us the confidence and now we’re very attune to the crowd out there. We’re ready to go out there and skate a great free.”
Wilson on Canada’s Virtue & Moir “I said they had to bring it and they brought their best.”
Wilson on Belbin/Agosto: “They certainly did look good and they delivered a strong performance.”
Wilson on the rivalry between Virtue/Moir, Davis/White and Belbin/Agosto: “They just keep jostling for new heights.”
Scott Moir after his skate: “We really do like our chances. We think Meryl & Charlie and us two, we think that’s the new ice dancing system, that’s the way it has to be. We’re very excited, but we’re really just skating for the moment.”
SPEED SKATING:
Play-by-Play: Dan Hicks
Analyst: Dan Jansen
Reporter: Andrea Kremer
Hicks on the Netherlands passion for speed skating: “That’s how the Dutch treat their speed skaters, like royalty.”
Jansen on Dutch skater Ireen Wust: “That has a good shot for a podium, if not gold.”
Jansen on Ireen Wust winning gold: “The shocks just keep coming here. Just surprise after surprise.”
“It’s going to be another big night at the Holland House.”
FREESTYLE SKIING:
Play-by-Play: Todd Harris
Analyst: Jonny Moseley
Reporter: Tina Dixon
Harris on the course: “The course is bust-out, rock-solid.”
Collinsworth on Canada’s Chris Del Bosco overcoming his destructive past: “He enters these games as a true medal contender, but perhaps more importantly, as a survivor with a message.”
Collinsworth on Del Bosco: “Chris hopes today is the second day of his life. The best day: September 6, 2006, the day he had his last drink.”
Harris on Del Bosco: “Clean, sober, and oh, so fast on skis.”
“Del Bosco goes too big—Chris Del Bosco is down on the course.”
Harris on Swiss skier Michael Schmid: “And complete domination by that man, Michael Schmid, from start to finish.”
“He skied with the precision of a Swiss watch.”
“Michael Schmid goes into the Olympic history books as the first ever Olympic champion in ski cross.”
BOBSLED:
Play-by-Play: Bob Papa
Analyst: John Morgan
Reporter: Lewis Johnson
Morgan: “The Russians are powering themselves to a medal.”
Morgan on Germany’s Andre Lange, who won gold: “This is a legend in the making.”
MSNBC, Men’s Ice Hockey:
USA 5 vs. Canada 3
Bill Patrick (Host), Mike Milbury (Studio Analyst), Jeremy Roenick (Studio Analyst), Mike Emrick (Play-By-Play), Ed Olczyk (Analyst), Joe Micheletti (Reporter)
Olczyk: “What a day this has been. We are lucky because this rink, this day in my mind sees more hockey talent than any tournament than I can ever remember.”
“It’s great to be a part, to be able to bring the greatest game in the world to all of our great fans. I think the city of Vancouver has done a wonderful job hosting these games.”
Olczyk on USA’s Ryan Miller: “Two things have really stuck out in this game with Ryan Miller. His aggressive goaltending when the time presents itself, coming out, cutting down the angles, trusting his defenseman and his forward to help clear out a lot of the rebounds. And second is his handling of the puck. There’s been about four or five times when he’s handled the puck, and he’s moved it right out of harms way and allowed his defenseman to make the right play. Lots of composure.”
Olczyk on Miller: “Sensational goaltending.”
Milbury on Team USA: “Everyone that’s grown up in USA hockey knows that the Olympics is the be all, end all. And in this venue in Vancouver, on this go round, it is going to be their time to shine.”
Roenick on Canada wanting gold: “Here on home soil in Canada that is all they think about from coast to coast. This is everything to them.”
Roenick on Canada’s energy: “They’re intense. The butterflies are going like crazy.”
Olczyk: “Boy, this has been tremendously, tremendous. This has been an outstanding hockey game between Canada and the U.S.”
Emrick: “What a day for hockey this has been in Vancouver.”
Olczyk: “An unbelievable effort by Team USA.”
Olczyk on Canada’s pressure to win gold: “That elephant got a little heavier on the shoulders of Canada.”
USA’s Ryan Miller on beating Canada: “It is Canada and U.S. We are happy to get the win, and we’re happy to get the extra day to rest up because that was a hard game. We are really happy about our progress so far. The biggest thing is to keep building and to learn from this game and look forward to our next test.”
Roenick on “Miracle on Ice” 30th anniversary: “I was 10 years old when ‘80 happened and no question that win alone made me want to be an Olympic hockey player. When Al Michaels said at the end of that game, ‘Do you believe in miracles? Do you believe in miracles?’ It made me believe and it pushed me to get into the NHL and to be an Olympian.”
Patrick on Canada’s Sidney Crosby: “Crosby, of course, the face of Canadian hockey these days. The 22-year-old star from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, Penguins captain, he led that team to the Stanley Cup last season and now the pressure is on to deliver a gold medal for his country.”
Milbury on Crosby: “I think he is now almost immune to the kind of pressure that we are feeling here. This is a big stage, he wants to be here, and he’s dreamed about being here for this particular event. I don’t think Sidney Crosby is feeling butterflies at all. I think he is just scheming on how he is going to beat the Americans.”
Roenick on Crosby: “There is no Canadian player that’s had more hype or more marketability since Wayne Gretzky or Mario Lemieux than Sidney Crosby. This kid can do it all.”
Roenick on USA’s Brian Kesler: “He’s a big, bad body with a lot of speed. This kid can fly. You add his grit and tenacity that makes one tough guy to play against, and he’s going to be a force tonight against Sidney Crosby.”
Roenick on USA’s Zach Parise: “This kid’s got serious, serious skill. Serious speed.”
CNBC, Men’s Curling:
Great Britain 4 vs. USA 2
Fred Roggin (Host), Andrew Catalon (Play-By-Play), Don Duguid (Analyst), Elfi Schlegel (Reporter)
USA’s Jason Smith on changing their lineup: “I think if anything it’s made us all closer.”
Great Britain’s David Murdoch on moving ahead: “We are fighting back now and that’s the important thing. We’ve still got a good chance.”
Catalon on Great Britain’s David Murdoch: “Considered by many to be the most famous non-Canadian Curler in the World.”
Catalon on Team USA: “Well, whatever lineup they put out there, the U.S. is in desperate need of a win. Time is running short.”
Catalon: “Hard fought game, and the Americans come up short. They are now 2-5.”
Canada’s Rick Nash on the game: “Tonight, against a skilled American team, we knew we had to play more physical.”
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