Sochi 2014: 10 Coolest Photos from Day 3 of the Winter Games
The Russian sun has set on Day 3 of Winter Olympics competition. The Dutch and Canadian contingents enjoyed particularly strong runs and now sit at first and second position, respectively, at the overall medal table.
As we are starting to remember now, the Winter Olympics are a visually stunning sports landscape, literally and figuratively, with the snow and ice in the background and a bright array of athletic feats to the fore.
With that in mind, here are some of the best and brightest photographs from Day 3 in Sochi.
The Thrill of Victory...
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Canadian speedskater Charles Hamelin wastes no time celebrating with girlfriend Marianne St-Gelais—herself an Olympic speedskater—after capturing a gold medal in the 1,500-meter short-track race.
I give his flailing leap into the stands low marks for technical achievement. Big points for artistic interpretation, though.
...The Agony of Defeat
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Japanese men's moguls skier Sho Endo sits dejected after his Monday run. Endo finished 15th in the final standings on a day that was dotted by crashes at Rosa Khutor Extreme Park.
A Gold Streak
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French biathlete Martin Fourcade races toward his first medal of the Games, a gold for winning the men's pursuit.
Fourcade, generally regarded as the world's top-ranked biathlete coming into the games, was shut out in his first attempt at a Sochi medal in the men's sprint. In that event, he fell by the wayside as Norwegian Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, who is—and this can't be said enough times—the Michael Jordan of the biathlon, won top honors at the ripe old age of 40.
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Indeed
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I know it's corny, but now I can't get Buster Poindexter out of my head.
The action is always unfolding at a scorching pace on the luge track, where speeds can approach 100 miles per hour. See, it's "hot, hot, hot," even though it's "cold, cold, cold." Know what I'm saying?
On Monday, the women's singles event took center stage. Not surprisingly, the Germans are running first and second heading into Tuesday's medal runs.
A Dutch Treat
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Speedskaters from the Netherlands swept the medal podium clean after the men's 500-meter short-track race.
Twin brothers Michel and Ronald Mulder took gold and bronze, respectively, in the event, while countryman Jan Smeekens captured the silver.
Smeekens is the one on the left in the photo, in case you were confused. Speaking of corny 1980s pop songs, I had the "cassingle" of Nelson's "Love and Affection" back in the day. Great to see the guys aging so well.
It's a Brutal Sport
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During the men's moguls event, Russian Sergey Volkov was one of several competitors to suffer a big wipeout. Somehow, Volkov walked away from this epic, head-over-heels crash.
He's a tougher man than I, especially given that I probably would have lasted slightly longer on the moguls than I would atop a Brahma bull.
Nice Pants
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The Norwegian men's curling team outdid themselves once again, rocking some typically outlandish threads en route to defeating the Americans in the qualifying round on Monday.
You might even say the duds were "right on the bull's-eye," if you will. I apologize. Letting myself out now.
A Goal's-Eye View
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Team USA forward Jocelyne Lamoureux (left) crashes into the opposing goal during the Americans' 9-0 drubbing of Switzerland in the women's hockey Group A preliminary round. Lamoureux tallied two assists during the game.
Two Different Winning Reactions
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Germany’s Maria Hoefl-Riesch (left) and Team USA's Julia Mancuso react upon winning the gold and bronze medals, respectively, in the women's super-combined slalom.
Those reactions, both great in their own ways, couldn't be any different if they had talked about it beforehand.
Mancuso's bronze was her fourth Olympic medal; she has now won twice as many than any other U.S. woman in Alpine skiing.
Curling Action: It's Fantastic
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A Danish men's curling competitor gently encourages the stone toward its desired resting place during qualification rounds on Monday.
Whatever this guy was doing worked at least a little, as the team finished 1-1 on the day, losing to China but besting Russia.
Team Canada is favored to repeat as Olympic champions but finished 1-1 on Monday after defeating Germany and losing to Switzerland.
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