Two US competitors win gold on sixth day of the Winter Olympics

Norway’s Therese Johaug produced a stunning late comeback to clinch the gold medal in the women’s 10km cross-country classic at the Winter Olympics on Thursday. 

The 33-year-old had built up an early lead but was soon reeled in by the Finnish pair of Krista Parmakoski and Kerttu Niskanen.

Niskanen looked on course for gold after breaking away from the pack and at one stage held a lead of 11 seconds over her rivals.

But Johaug fought back to claim a dramatic gold – edging out Niskanen by just 0.4 seconds.

Parmakoski finished in the bronze medal position.

After the race, Johaug said: “I cannot find words for it. It’s so good and it’s so big for me. Today, it was a close race with the Finnish girls, but I was feeling really well at the end of the race and I had a lot of power in the last hill.

“It’s so much more fun to stand at the top of the podium when you know that you have won a big fight out there, so I was giving my best and I’m so happy now.”

It was Johaug’s second individual gold at Beijing 2022 after she claimed top spot in the women’s 7.5km + 7.5km skiathlon on Saturday.

He has been coined ‘Iron Man’ for his choice of helmet, and South Korean skeleton star Yun Sung-bin will require a superhero fightback befitting of his nickname to claw back a disappointing start to Beijing 2022.

The South Korean became a global star four years ago in Pyeongchang when he slid to his country’s first ever skeleton gold, becoming the first athlete from outside Europe and North America to win a medal in a sliding event.

Yet two disappointing heats on Thursday have left the 27-year-old needing a miracle to defend his crown, or even make the podium.

Having placed 13th after the first heat — 1.26 seconds slower than German pace-setter Christopher Grotheer — Yun could only climb one place to 12th after the second of four total heats.

Grotheer leads compatriot Axel Jungk by 0.7 seconds at the summit, with Yun trailing the leader by 2.1 seconds heading into Friday’s final two heats at the Yanqing National Sliding Centre.

“I made so many mistakes, so much lost time,” Yun said.

“I’m not really happy, but I hope tomorrow will be good.

“Very difficult training season with the virus, Covid, so I couldn’t train really much and make this result maybe.”

Chinese slider Yan Wengang holds onto the bronze medal place ahead of Friday’s finale, 0.75 seconds off the top pace.

Team USA’s Andrew Blaser is 21st after the first two heats, his combined time of 2:03.88 leaving him 3.55 seconds behind Grotheer.

After successfully defending her Olympic title in the snowboarding halfpipe, Chloe Kim discusses the pressure she previously put on herself to be “perfect” and how she came to realize, “It’s okay to have a bad day.”

Read more about Kim’s defense of her halfpipe gold here.

Japanese skater Yuzuru Hanyu, who finished in fourth place at this year’s Winter Games, may not have clinched a medal, but his legions of fans still think he’s a winner.

“Yuzuru Hanyu, you are a true warrior, a master; what you do on the ice comes from heaven, unable to be measured by mortals.

“You fought so hard on that ankle, fought hard against fate; you are nothing short of incredible. 

“You are the GOAT, the KING, an EMPEROR, a GOD!” tweeted one social media user.

The official Twitter account for Beijing 2022 also posted a message supporting Hanyu, saying: “We are so touched and inspired by his devotion and commitment. He is a true Ice Prince!”

Yuzuru Hanyu’s most ardent fans — known as “fanyus” — transcend borders and geopolitical tensions. Despite the historic rivalry between Japan and China, in October 2021, China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying tweeted that Japanese Hanyu fans could count on their Chinese counterparts to cheer on the skater. 

“I spotted Japanese fans saying they’d trust in fans here to cheer on Yuzuru Hanyu. Leave it to us! Thanks for understanding China’s Covid-19 measures,” Hua wrote.

Austria’s gold medalist Johannes Strolz said it was a “dream coming true” to win the same event that his father — also an Olympic champion — once won.

His father, skier Hubert Strolz, won the men’s alpine combined 34 years ago.

“When I think about it, all the pictures and the gold medal of my father, it’s hard for me not to cry. It’s just a dream coming true.”

He thanked his family and those who had supported him, saying he reached his win by trusting his coaches, his own abilities and the training he had done over the years.

Chinese fans of the Japanese skater Yuzuru Hanyu flocked to the perimeter of the Olympic bubble on Thursday.

Many carried Winnie the Pooh toys and waved signs saying “You are the best!!!”

Hanyu has a big following in China, where he is known as the “Ice Prince.”

And since he began carrying a tissue box in the shape of the much loved A.A. Milne character back in 2010, fans have regularly carried the bear as a mascot, as well as showering the rink with Winnie-the-Pooh toys after he skates.

The 27-year-old finished in fourth place in the men’s figure skating competition today, behind Team USA’s Nathan Chen and fellow Japanese skaters Yuma Kagiyama and Shoma Uno.

It needed a photo to separate the winners in the men’s snowboard cross big final Thursday as Austria’s Alessandro Haemmerle crossed the line just inches ahead of Canada’s Eliot Grondin.

The official photo finish confirmed Haemmerle as the gold medalist, as Grondin was forced to settle for silver.

Italy’s Omar Visintin took the bronze.

Austria’s Johannes Strolz has won Olympic gold in men’s alpine combined. It comes 34 years after his father, Hubert Strolz, accomplished the same feat in the same event, back at the 1988 Winter Olympics.

Silver goes to Norway’s Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, his second medal of Beijing 2022.

Canada’s James Crawford earns bronze.

Team USA’s Chloe Kim, who won the gold medal at the women’s snowboarding halfpipe final today, has defended her friend and fellow gold medalist Eileen Gu, the US-born Chinese freeskier.

“I don’t want to say too much on the Eileen situation, I think she made her choice, and I’m so proud of her for making that decision,” Kim told reporters on Thursday. “I know it was difficult for her to do.”

Kim added that the two had met three years ago when Gu was 15. Gu had asked Kim —who is of South Korean heritage — how she decided she wanted to compete for the US, Kim said.

She added that she was proud of Gu for all she had accomplished — and for winning gold on her Olympic debut, age just 18. “I’m always here for her when she needs me,” Kim added.

Some context: Gu has been at the center of controversy for much of the Olympics, and even in the months beforehand. Born in San Francisco, she decided in 2019 to switch to compete for China instead of the US — but has never publicly clarified whether she renounced her US citizenship, usually a requirement for Chinese naturalization.