Hanyu dazzles as Shiffrin flops on day of underdog

Japan’s defending champion Yuzuru Hanyu produced a stunning shortprogramme to lead the men’s figure skating as Mikaela Shiffrin’s bid toretain her slalom title started with her vomiting and ended inheartbreak at the Pyeongchang Olympics yesterday.On a day of mixed fortunes for the biggest stars in Pyeongchang, fanslooking for unlikely heroes found them in an array of colourfulcharacters who came last but not least on a day that gave true meaningto the Olympic spirit. None of them had aspirations for multiple gold medals like ski aceShiffrin. She won the giant slalom gold on Thursday but finished fourthin her strongest discipline yesterday after vomiting at the start gateand initially complaining of virus-like symptoms.After the race was won by Sweden’s Frida Hansdotter, the 22-year-oldShiffrin said that she was pulling out of today’s super-G. The Olympicsin South Korea has been victim of a health scare with more than 200people falling victim to a debilitating norovirus, including two Swissathletes.Initially Shiffrin said the vomiting “almost felt like a virus kind ofpuking”, but later she said that she was well and had been scratchingaround for an excuse for her below-par performance. On a day of drama,when South Korea won a lunar new year’s gold in the skeleton, Norway’sdominance in alpine skiing’s men’s super-G came to an abrupt end. Norwayhave won every Olympic title in men’s super-G since the 2002 Games.But this time the prize went to Austria’s Matthias Mayer, the downhillwinner in Sochi four years ago, with Norway’s best finisher, thedefending champion Kjetil Jansrud, taking a disappointing bronze medal.Switzerland’s Beat Feuz took silver. Hanyu flawlessIn figure skating, Japan’s Hanyu was peerless, dispelling fears that anankle injury which has kept him out of competition since November woulddent his title chances.He will take a hefty four-point lead into today’s decisive free skatingas arch-rival Nathan Chen’s challenge came unstuck in spectacularfashion.“I just felt happy to skate and be on the ice again,” Hanyu toldreporters. “I’m satisfied with every element and I’m really happybecause I was really the feeling the music. I just thought to do mybest. I wanted to say to everyone ‘I’m back’.”Six-time European champion Javier Fernandez of Spain leads the packchasing after Hanyu. “I’m very happy that I skated with no elements Iwasn’t satisfied with,” said the 23-year-old star, who has a cultfollowing home in Japan.Korean new year celebrations, which open yesterday, were given a timelyboost with a second gold medal of the Games for the hosts. Skeletonspeedster Yun Sung-bin dominated the day on the icy chute to win Asia’sfirst medal ever in the daredevil event.Roared on by a vocal home crowd, the 23-year-old stormed to a popularvictory with plenty to spare over Nikita Tregubov, who took silver as aso-called Olympic Athlete from Russia. Dom Parsons took bronze,Britain’s first men’s skeleton medal in 70 years.Ghanaian no-hoper Akwasi Frimpong finished last in the event, but got abig cheer and celebrated just as hard. “I came last but the mostimportant thing is that I won the hearts of the people,” said Frimpong,who finished 30th out of 30.Other losers emerged as unlikely heroes, notably in cross country skiingwhere Tonga’s Pita Taufatofua, the country’s half-naked flag-bearer atthe opening ceremony, kept his clothes on in the gruelling 15km crosscountry race. Taufatofua finished 114th out of 116. Bringing up the rear was MexicanGerman Madrazo, 43, who skied over the line waving a Mexican flag andbeaming widely despite his exhaustion and lowly position. The UnitedStates and Olympic Athletes from Russia rebounded from upset losses withmen’s Hockey triumphs yesterday, adding to the tension of their today’sshowdown.Ryan Donato, a 21-year-old Harvard University forward and son of a 1992Olympian, scored two power-play goals in a 2-1 US victory over Slovakia,following Wednesday’s over-time loss to Slovenia.