Russia suffer ice hockey heartbreak

Tuukka Rask makes 37 saves as Finland beat Russia 3-1 to reach the semi-finals of the ice hockey event in Sochi.

Tuukka Rask's 37 saves were instrumental in Finland's 3-1 win over the hosts [AFP]

Finland eliminated Russia from the Olympic men’s ice hockey with a 3-1 victory, putting a stunning end to the Russians’ enormous expectations at home.

Teemu Selanne scored an early goal and Tuukka Rask made 37 saves as Finland crushed the Russians’ dreams of winning hockey gold in front of their own fans.

Russian teams have won eight gold medals in hockey but none in the last 22 years.

Finland will face top-seeded Sweden in the semi-finals on Friday after Henrik Lundqvist made 19 saves for his second shutout of the Sochi Games, helping Sweden rout upstart Slovenia 5-0.

Giant slalom

Patrizia Kummer of Switzerland has won gold in women’s snowboarding parallel giant slalom.

Kummer cruised to victory when Tomoka Takeuchi of Japan missed a gate midway through the second run of the finals.

Alena Zavarzina of Russia won bronze just minutes before her husband, former American racer Vic Wild, now competing for Russia, captured gold in the men’s event.

Kummer’s run gave Switzerland its sixth gold medal in Sochi, tied with the United State and the Netherlands for the third-most in the games.

Wild rolled to victory in the final, overcoming a half-second deficit against Switzerland’s Nevin Galmarini to win in front of a largely pro-Russian crowd.

Zan Kosir of Slovenia earned bronze.

Bjoergen’s feat

Marit Bjoergen gave Norway a dominant victory in the women’s cross-country team sprint for her fifth career Olympic gold medal.

Norway won by 9.09 seconds ahead of Finland, which took silver. Sweden took bronze after Stina Nilsson won a sprint against Germany’s Denise Herrmann.

Source: AP