Page 134 - Ski Boot News Today

Olympian. >> reporter: unavoidable expectations to seize them and become a hero. >> team usa wins! >> reporter: fall short and get this question. >> was there something in particular you were struggling with? >> reporter: the u.s. did rack up some gold in sochi. ice dancers meryl davis and charlie white made history. so did skiers ted ligety and 18-year-old mikaela shiffrin. in ski slope style, the u.s. u.s. men made a full sweep on the olympic stage. shaun white pulled out of snowboard slope st...

Snowboarding. but vic wild celebrated under a different red, white and blue. raised in the u.s., wild competed for russia, frustrated that training money was going to "x" game sports. his russian-born wife won bronze. >> were going to hang out, we got our medals. >> yeah, probably sleep with them. >> reporter: with one day of competition left, russia leads the medals race. american ted ligety was within striking distance in the slalom, but was among the top 13 that didnt finish the second bronze...

Those lucky enough to be in the stands got a great show. and 19-year-old tom walsh did not want to miss it. born and raised in vail, colorado, skiing is in his blood. >> there is nothing more that makes me happy than a blue sky day, a lot of powder and the wind in my face. >> reporter: youre a mountain kid? >> im definitely a mountain kid. >> reporter: the mountain is where he met shiffrin, it is where they both imagined one day they would ski in the olympics, but in high school, walshs life too...

Russia has won 29 medals so far. the u.s. is not far behind in second with 27 medals. so, what kind of day was it for americans? fair warning-- mark phillips is about to tell you. >> reporter: they illuminate the roof of the hockey rink here with the score of the game. it wasnt pretty reading. what had started so well ended so badly. the u.s. hockey team that had beaten the russians and was a tournament favorite until they lost to canada last night dropped the bronze medal game to finland. now, ...

>> reporter: the big question tonight. who will win ma medal count. the mens hockey team, 5-0. >> reporter: the defeat etched on their faces tonight. u.s. mens hockey team shocked the russians last week. but lost this gut-wrencher to canada last night. the american team finished 4th. and on the slopes gold medal winner, ted ligety did not finish his event missing a gate. and disqualified. it was the first day without a medal for the u.s. and one more real chance for the bobsled tomorrow. 16 days...

Because her school didnt have one. >> reporter: she was your prom date? >> yes. >> reporter: that is fantastic, i love it. when she made the olympic team, walsh vowed he would cheer her on. >> i want to go watch the olympics. >> reporter: but getting to sochi was difficult and expensive, so he turned to the make-a-wish foundation, the group that has granted wishes for decades for sick children, made another one come true, sending the wall walshs to russia, all expenses paid. after her gold medal...

An injury. now, though, mikaela shiffrin is the new star, and its no accident, no fluke. shiffrins life has been dedicated to skiing. she was the subject of a "60 minutes sports" profile on showtime last month. shes a prodigy, put on skis at the age of two by her skiing parents, trained continuously since. thats what it takes these days. the reward is an olympic gold, and this: >> when you travel the world and ski people worship the snow you ski on, dont they? ( laughter ) >> i... i suppose so. ...

Put your name and your reputation on the line for it. >> reporter: tonight, the u.s. struck gold on the mountain, 18-year-old mikaela shiffrin winning the womens slalom. >> you wish you could win every day. >> the youngest skier ever to do so. no surprise to her father, jeff. >> when you have confidence you can do it the nerves dont get to you as much. >> reporter: these games have heart. the skiers who cleaned the halfpipe offered this tribute to canadian sarah burke, who died in a training acc...

Her program, lipnitskaya crashed hard. she completed her routine, but was visibly upset, finishing fifth. minutes earlier, the steely nerved reigning olympic champion, ewe yuna kim, triump triumphed. her signature move at last years world championship -- a triple lutz-triple toe loop combination. watch again. launching off the ice. her shoulders and hips in complete alignment, the faster she goes, the higher she jumps. helicoptering over 25 feet from start to finish. yuna leads the pack today, g...

Country, and on this kind of scale it is huge. >> reporter: among those watching, the 1984 slalom gold medallist, phil mahre. on this day 30 years ago he won his gold medal. today, he saw ligety claimed second. the first alpine mens skier to do so. >> he embraces the work that it takes to be the best in the world and continues to do it. he strives to be the best. >> reporter: and more history on the bobsled track. for the first time, two u.s. women medal. jamie greubel and aja evans taking bronz...