NFLNBAMLBNHLWNBAWorld CupGolf
Featured Video
Bold MLB Predictions for Second-Half
Sven Kramer of the Netherlands celebrates after winning the gold in the men's 5,000-meter speedskating race during the flower ceremony at the Adler Arena Skating Center during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2014. Kramer set a new Olympic record. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)
Sven Kramer of the Netherlands celebrates after winning the gold in the men's 5,000-meter speedskating race during the flower ceremony at the Adler Arena Skating Center during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2014. Kramer set a new Olympic record. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)Pavel Golovkin/Associated Press

Olympic 2014 Medal Count: Updated List of Winners from Each Event After Day 1

Timothy RappFeb 8, 2014

On Saturday, the United States got their first medal (and gold!) of the 2014 Sochi Games, added another with a familiar face reaching the podium and watched as several nations dominated particular events.

All in all, it was a great start to this year's Winter Olympics.

Below, we'll recount the list of winners from each event that awarded a medal on Saturday, and provide a quick recap of the action. Let the games begin!

TOP NEWS

Raiders Football

NFL Rookies with Most to Gain ๐Ÿ“ˆ

Atlanta Braves v San Francisco Giants

MLB owners, players open to missing games over labor dispute

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: JAN 09 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Indiana vs Oregon

Indiana FB Lands First 5-Star Ever

BiathlonMen's Sprint 10kmOle Einar Bjoerndalen, NorwayDominik Landertinger, AustriaJaroslav Soukup, Czech Republic
Cross-CountryLadies' Skiathlon 7.5km Classic + 7.5km FreeMarit Bjoergen, NorwayCharlotte Kalla, SwedenHeidi Weng, Norway
SnowboardMen's Slopestyle FinalsSage Kotsenburg, United StatesStaale Sandbech, NorwayMark McMorris, Canada
Speed SkatingMen's 5000mSven Kramer, NetherlandsJan Blokhuijsen, NetherlandsJorrit Bergsma, Netherlands
Freestyle SkingWomen's MogulsJustine Dufour-Lapointe, CanadaChloe Dufour-Lapointe, CanadaHannah Kearney, United States

Recap

The United States got off to an excellent start on Saturday, as Sage Kotsenburg earned gold in the snowboard men's slopestyle (the event which Shaun White famously withdrew from). It was an unexpected win, as Rick Maese ofย The Washington Post writes:

"

โ€œIโ€™m pretty surprised I won, honestly,โ€ [Kotsenburg] said.

How unlikely was Kotsenburgโ€™s gold medal win? Well, consider this: He won a Grand Prix event three weeks ago in Mammoth Lakes, Calif. Before that, he was stuck in a โ€œmega droughtโ€ and by his own recollection hadnโ€™t won a snowboard competition since he was 11.

โ€œComing here and winning, I canโ€™t even describe the feeling,โ€ he said. โ€œItโ€™s so cool.โ€

"

Kotsenburg himself never expected to reach the final, so he was pretty loose heading into his last run. How loose? According to Maese, for the first time ever Kotsenburg attempted (and landed) aย 1620 Japan, a pretty crazy trick that includes four-and-a-half spins.

CNN's Rachel Nichols has more on Kotsenburg:

The other United States medalist was moguls skier Hannah Kearney, who took home the bronze in the event. The defending gold medalist couldn't hold off Canadian sisters Justine (gold) and Chloe (silver) Dufour-Lapointe, but still managed to secure a bronze.

To nobody's surprise, the Dutch began their dominance in long-track speed skating by sweeping the men's 5,000m race. Defending gold medalist medalistย Sven Kramer took first again (and set a world record along the way), and could potentially earn two more golds in Sochi before he's done.

Jan Blokhuijsen won silver, while Jorrit Bergsma took home the bronze.

How much do the Dutch love their speed skating? Consider the following, passed along by Bleacher Report's Dan Levy:

No, the sport probably isn't quite bigger than soccer. But the Dutch certainly take pride in their dominance in the long-track.

Meanwhile, Norway had itself a solid first day, asย Ole Einarย Bjoerndalen won the men's biathlete event, whileย Marit Bjoergenย took gold in the women's skiathlon andย Heidi Wengย took the bronze.

For the full Olympic schedule, be sure to check out Sochi2014.com.

Bold MLB Predictions for Second-Half

TOP NEWS

Raiders Football

NFL Rookies with Most to Gain ๐Ÿ“ˆ

Atlanta Braves v San Francisco Giants

MLB owners, players open to missing games over labor dispute

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: JAN 09 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Indiana vs Oregon

Indiana FB Lands First 5-Star Ever

Los Angeles Lakers v Detroit Pistons

Report: Lakers' New Uni Sponsor Deal Worth $30M+

France v Spain: Semi Final - FIFA World Cup 2026

World Cup 3rd-Place Game Could Be Epic

McGregor Denies Using 'Mind Altering Substances'
Bleacher Reportโ€ข3h

McGregor Denies Using 'Mind Altering Substances'

TRENDING ON B/R