Monthly Archives: March 2014

Freestyle Skiing, Olympics, Recaps, Sochi 2014

Sochi Freestyle Skiing Recap: Great Success as Nine Events Produces Seven Medals and Three Golds

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Freestyle skiing was a major success story for the US in Sochi. It’s not the traditional Winter Olympic sports at all, but freestyle skiing is a growing discipline that debuted four new events in Sochi. The US won three of those four events and took a silver in the other.

Men’s Aerials

Mens Aerials

Men’s aerials was not expected to be a strong event for the US but Mac Bohonnon had a great Olympics. After squeaking into the finals field with the sixth and final spot on the second qualification jump Bohonnon went on to advance in the first round of the final and finished fifth overall after narrowly missing out on a spot in the final four with his best jump of the day. The fifth place finish was a bit of a bump back down from 2010 but with Bohonnon still not yet 19 he’ll be a big time challenger in 2018.

Mens Aerials Yearly Best

Women’s Aerials

Womens Aerials

The US women started off the aerials competition great with both Ashley Caldwell and Emily Cook advancing on their first jump. They couldn’t duplicate those marks later on though as Caldwell was eliminated on the first jump of the final and Cook was eighth of eight on the second jump. Still the eighth place finish by Cook was the best for the US in the event since Nagano when Nikki Stone won gold.

Womens Aerials Yearly Best

Men’s Halfpipe

Mens Halfpipe

Making it’s Olympic debut was the freestyle skiing version of halfpipe. The US only had one skier perform really well in the qualification round, David Wise. He was second in the qualification round with Aaron Blunck also sneaking into the final in 12th. Both improved with Blunck finishing seventh and Wise winning the first ever gold in the event.

Women’s Halfpipe

Womens Halfpipe

On the women’s side all four of the US women advanced to the final with three in the top five (Brita Sigourney, Angeli Van Laanen, and Maddie Bowman). In the final only one of them could make a run at the medals, Maddie Bowman, and her two runs were both good enough to win the first ever gold in the event.

Men’s Moguls

Mens Moguls

Moguls had produced a men’s medal for four straight Olympics for the US. They couldn’t quite make that five as Patrick Deneen came up short in the last round of the final. After a poor first run Deneen had a good event overall moving steadily up the field and reaching the final six. Bradley Wilson was the other competitor for the US and after a good first run in qualifying couldn’t duplicate it in run one of the final and was eliminated there. It was the first time since 1994 that the US didn’t medal.

Mens Moguls Yearly Best

Women’s Moguls

Womens Moguls

the women’s moguls event saw a bit more success for the US than the men’s side. Heather McPhie was eliminated in run one of the final but missed out on moving on by a single spot. Both Eliza Outtrim and Hannah Kearney made the final with Outtrim ending up sixth and Kearney taking home a bronze. It was a bit of a letdown after Kearney’s gold in 2010 but it was only the second time that the US had medaled in back-to-back Olympics in the event and the first since the first two moguls competitions in 1992 and 1994.

Womens Moguls Yearly Best

Men’s Slopestyle

Mens Slopestyle

Of all the events debuting in Sochi, heck of all the events in Sochi, none went better for the US than men’s slopestyle. The US placed three of their four in the top five on the qualification round and all four into the final. Then in the final the US went even better grabbing all three medals in a sweep of the podium by Joss Christensen, Gus Kenworthy, and Nick Goepper. In most events in Sochi Bobby Brown’s ninth place finish would have been strong for the US, in this event if was the fourth best among his countrymen. It was the third ever medal sweep by the US and first since sweeping halfpipe snowboarding in 2002.

Women’s Slopestyle

Womens Slopestyle

The US placed all three of their women into the final in women’s slopestyle as well. They couldn’t duplicate the 1-2-3 of the men though as Keri Herman and Julia Krass finished 10th and 11th. Devin Logan did add another medal to the US count with a silver as the US medaled in all four of the new freestyle skiing events in Sochi.

Men’s Ski Cross

Mens Ski Cross

The only event in freestyle skiing where the US didn’t have a top-eight finisher was men’s ski cross. Well, they didn’t have anyone in women’s ski cross so that’s not totally true. Still men’s ski cross didn’t go as well. Ski cross can be very hit or miss and for John Teller what was a decent run that had him in contention to move on into the quarterfinals quickly turned into a DNF as he and another skier were vying for position and he was forced off course. Hopefully the US will have some success in ski cross in the future but part of the issue is the lack of competitors as seen by the US only having one man and no women in Sochi.

Mens Ski Cross Yearly Best

Previous Olympic Recaps

Curling
Nordic Combined
Figure Skating
Ski Jumping
Skeleton
Luge

ATP Tour, Tennis, WTA Tour

Two American Women Advance in Qualifying as 14 Men About to Start at BNP Paribas Open

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Previous BNP Paribas Open Coverage

Women’s Singles

All four American women who started qualifying were unseeded facing seeded opponents in the first round. The US went 2-2 in those matches with Madison Brengle beating Romina Oprandi 6-4, 6-1 and Allie Kiick with an impressive 6-3, 6-0 win over Mandy Minella. They both need wins on Tuesday to reach the main draw. 18-year-old Kiick seemingly has the better chance as her opponent, An-Sophie Mestach, was also unseeded.

Womens Singles Qualifying - 3-3-14

Men’s Singles

Things will get underway for the men on Tuesday with qualifying beginning with 12 spots up for grabs. There are 14 American men involved and ten of the 12 spots have an American among the four men who could grab it. There are three potential USA-USA matchups in the second round of qualifying but there’s also one in the first round as #23 seed Bobby Reynolds takes on Clay Thompson. Other than Reynolds only two other Americans are seeded, Alex Kuznetsov (#11) and Wayne Odesnik (#12). Five of the US men are wildcard entries into the field.

Perhaps the most interesting story belongs to Robert Kendrick. Kendrick is a former top 70 player in the world who was banned for a year after a positive drug test at the 2011 French Open. He came back after that and played for about a year before retiring. He did play in a tournament in Sacramento in September losing 6-7 (5), 3-6 in the first round. He’s a player who once nearly beat Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon in 2006 but lost in five sets when Nadal was ranked #2. If he could get through qualifying it’d be interesting to see if he could make some noise in the main draw. He is now 34 so time is certainly ticking on any career he may hope to have.

Mens Singles Qualifying - 3-3-14

WeSupportTheUS.com will have coverage of the BNP Paribas Open all tournament long. The women’s singles main draw starts play on Wednesday with 12 Americans already in it and the potential for two more. Check back tomorrow morning for an update on men’s qualifying and a preview of the women’s first round.

Schedule:

  • March 4th
    • Women’s Qualifying
      • Approx. 4 PM ET – Madison Brengle vs. #5 Camila Giorgi
      • Approx. 6 PM ET – Allie Kick vs. An-Sophie Mestach
    • Men’s Qualifying
      • 2 PM ET – Stefan Kozlov vs. #22 Samuel Groth
      • 2 PM ET – Daniel Kosakowski vs. #16 Thiemo De Bakker
      • 2 PM ET – Greg Ouellette vs. #15 Jimmy Wang
      • 2 PM ET – Nicolas Meister vs. #20 Illya Marchenko
      • Approx 4 PM ET – Jesse Witten vs. #8 Evgeny Donskoy
      • Approx. 8 PM ET – #23 Bobby Reynolds vs. Clay Thompson
      • Approx. 8 PM ET – Raymond Sarmiento vs. #10 Paul-Henri Mathieu
      • Approx. 8 PM ET – Austin Krajicek vs. #17 Damir Dzumhur
      • Approx. 8 PM ET – #12 Wayne Odesnik vs. John-Patrick Smith
      • Approx. 8 PM ET – Robert Kendrick vs. #24 Rik De Voest
      • Approx. 10 PM ET – Robby Ginepri vs. #9 Jan Hajek
      • Approx. 10 PM ET – #11 Alex Kuznetsov vs. Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela
      • Approx. 10 PM ET – Marcos Giron vs. #4 Stephane Robert
Soccer

USA U-23 Women’s Soccer Goes to 2-0 in Six Nations Tournament With 2-1 Win Over Sweden

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Previous Six Nations Tournament Coverage

Details are still a little sketchy since there is very very little coverage of this tournament but according to multiple soccer score websites online the US got a 2-1 victory today over Sweden to go to 2-0 in the three game tournament. The only goal scoring details we have are from @asacj1, who has been tweeting from the tournament, and apparently the US goals were in the 17th minute by Chioma Ubogagu and 31st minute by Frances Silva. Sweden got one back in the 61st minute but the US held on for the 2-1 win.

The win didn’t move the US to the top of the table as a 4-2 win by Germany over England gave them a superior goal differential. On the third and final day of the tournament (Wednesday) the US will take on Norway (who Germany beat 3-2 on the first day) while the Germans take on Sweden. Check back to WeSupportTheUS.com on Wednesday evening for a final wrap-up on the tournament. Additionally the main women’s national team will be taking on Japan on Wednesday at roughly the same time. I’ll have a brief preview of that one on Tuesday night.

Six Nations Tournament 3-3-14

Schedule:

  • March 1
    • USA 1-0 Japan
    • Germany 3-2 Norway
    • England 1-1 Sweden
  • March 3
    • Norway 1-2 Japan
    • Germany 4-2 England
    • USA 2-1 Sweden
  • March 5
    • 7 AM ET – USA vs. Norway
    • 10 AM ET – England vs. Japan
    • 1 PM ET – Germany vs. Sweden
FIS Ski Jumping World Cup, Ski Jumping

Qualifying in Kuopio, Finland postponed to Tuesday, Nick Alexander and Anders Johnson Will Look to Reach First Round

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Previous FIS Ski Jumping World Cup Coverage

Things were supposed to get started in Kuopio, Finland on Monday with a qualification round for Tuesday’s main event. Instead heavy snowfall caused the qualifying to be delayed so it will be held on Tuesday night right before the first round. After failing to qualify in Lahti on Sunday both Nick Alexander and Anders Johnson will be in the field and have a chance to improve on that result. WeSupportTheUS.com will have coverage of the results Tuesday evening.

Schedule:

  • March 4th
    • 9:30 AM ET – Qualification Round
      • Anders Johnson
      • Nick Alexander
    • 11 AM ET – First/Final Round
Curling, Olympics, Recaps, Sochi 2014

Sochi Curling Recap – US Fails to Make a Mark at the Olympics

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There was some hope going into Sochi that the US curling teams could have a strong Olympics and perhaps make a real mark on Sochi. Instead the men and women combined to go 3-15 in a very disappointing Olympics.

Men’s Curling

Mens Curling

The US men went just 2-7 but it was not by a super wide margin as they were only outscored by 11 in the the nine matches. The ninth place result was a step up from Vancouver where they finished 10th but the US has not come close to matching their 2006 Olympics when they finished third. The sport has a cult following during the Olympics but the US hasn’t been able to turn that into success.

Mens Curling Yearly Best

Continue reading Sochi Curling Recap – US Fails to Make a Mark at the Olympics →

Tennis, WTA Tour

Four American Women to Begin Qualifying at BNP Paribas Open

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Previous WTA Tour Coverage

Four American women will start the qualifying event at the BNP Paribas Open on Monday. This is a WTA Premier Mandatory event, one of the biggest on the tour outside of the Grand Slams, and being on American soil in Indian Wells, California this is a good opportunity for young US players trying to improve their international standing.

All four Americans in the qualifying draw are unseeded and facing seeded players in the first round. The highest ranked American in qualifying is 23-year-old Irina Falconi. 19-year-old Grace Min is a former US Open Junior title winner and Allie Kiick is just 18 years old and has already won three times on the ITF Tour.

Womens Singles Qualifying - 3-2-14

Things will get underway for the women on Monday with the men’s qualifying starting on Tuesday. WeSupportTheUS.com will have coverage of the BNP Paribas Open all tournament long so come back tomorrow night for a look at the men’s draw and how women’s qualifying is going.

Schedule:

  • March 3rd
    • 2 PM ET – Irina Falconi vs. #5 Camila Giorgi
    • 2 PM ET – Madison Brengle vs. #24 Romina Oprandi
    • 6 PM ET – Allie Kick vs. #19 Mandy Minella
    • 8 PM ET – Grace Min vs. #1 Barbora Zahlavova Strycova
Cycling, World Championships

Sarah Hammer Wins Second Straight Omnium World Championship With Lowest Point Total in History

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Previous 2014 Track Cycling World Championships Coverage

Sarah Hammer came into the day with a six point lead at the top of the omnium standings and maintained that lead all day en route to her second straight women’s omnium World championships. Hammer started things off with a win in the individual pursuit by over a second over Laura Trott. That took some of the pressure off as she held a seven point lead on Trott with just two events left.

2014 Track - Womens Omnium - Individual Pursuit

2014 Track - Womens Omnium - Scratch Race

Next up was the 10km scratch race. Hammer didn’t come tops, in fact Xiao Juan Diao had a great race and gained a lap on the field. Still Hammer finished ahead of Trott all but sealing the title with an eight point lead. In the final event, the time trial, Hammer came in fourth which was more than enough to give her the omnium title.

2014 Track - Womens Omnium - Time Trial

2014 Track - Womens Omnium - Standings - 3-3-14

 

Hammer’s title this year was even more dominant that last year as she accumulated just 14 points this year after 20 last year. Her margin of six was also better than the four point win she had last year and the 14 point total was the first time in the six-year history of the event that someone finished with less than 20 points.

This ends the major track cycling events for the 2013-14 season. The next Track Cycling World Cup will begin with an event at a location yet to be announced on November 7th-9th. Next year’s world championship will be held from February 18th-22nd but the location for that has not been announced either. The next cycling on our schedule is the start of the Mountain Bike World Cup in Pietermaritzburg on April 10th-13th. Check back then for more cycling coverage on WeSupportTheUS.com.

Archery, World Championships

Disappointment for US As They Fail to Win an Individual World Championship in Indoor Archery for First Time Ever

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Previous 2014 World Archery Indoor Championship Coverage

This was the 12th Indoor World Championships held and this will go down as the first where the US failed to win one of the individual titles. While the US has not won much in the recurve competitions (just one women’s title) they had won ten of the 11 compound men’s titles and six of the 11 women’s titles. They had competitors in both the men’s and women’s final today and both finals were tied 4-4 after four sets of arrows. Both of the fifth sets went against the US though with Reo Wilde dropping set five 30-29 and Christie Colin losing her third set 29-28.

Compound Women Individual - Elimination Rounds - 3-2-14

Jesse Broadwater was vying for a bronze and a third place finish in the men’s compound on Sunday as well. His matchup with Stephan Hansen was tied 5-5 after five sets and he lost a one arrow shootoff for third.

Compound Men Individual - Elimination Rounds - 3-2-14

The only US winner on Sunday in the final matches was Brady Ellison who took home a bronze after defeating Taylor Worth in the final 6-2. It’s the second straight indoor bronze for Ellison who also finished third in Las Vegas in 2012.

Recurve Men Individual - Elimination Rounds - 3-2-14

 

The next archery coverage on WeSupportTheUS.com will be in April when the Outdoor World Cup begins with the first stage in Shanghai from April 22nd-27th. Indoor archery won’t be back until November when the Indoor World Cup begins in Marrakesh, Morocco on November 8th and 9th.

 

FIS Ski Jumping World Cup, Ski Jumping

Jessica Jerome Soars Towards the Top, Lands First Top 2 Finish at Ski Jumping World Cup Event in Rasnov

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Previous Rasnov FIS Ski Jumping World Cup Coverage

Rasnov - First Round #2Jessica Jerome had her best event in a long time as she moved way up from a 15th place finish on Saturday at Rasnov. In the first round Jerome took advantage of some helping wind to put up a really strong distance score and accumulate 104.2 points and place fifth. She then improved on that in the final round going event farther with the wind in her face this time. Jerome scored a 115.8 on her second jump and moved all the way up to second overall where she finished with a 220. She wasn’t real close to first, 10 points back, but she also had a large gap on third place of eight points. It was the first time in the top three for Jerome in over two years and her best ever finish in a World Cup event.

Rasnov - Final Round #2

The women have four more events this season and the next one will be in Oslo, Norway on Saturday, March 8th. Check back later in the week to WeSupportTheUS.com for coverage of that event.

FIS Ski Jumping World Cup, Ski Jumping

Nick Alexander and Anders Johnson Fail To Advance From Qualifying at World Cup Ski Jumping Event in Lahti, Finland

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Previous Lahti – FIS Ski Jumping World Cup Coverage

Things didn’t last long for Nick Alexander and Anders Johnson on Sunday at the latest World Cup ski jumping event. Both men had their lowest scoring competitive jumps since the Olympics. The field overall had lower scores than the event on the same hill on Friday so they did move into the top 50 in the qualifying round. Alexander had the better distance of the two and was only 4.4 points away from qualifying in 47th place. Anders Johnson was right behind Alexander in 48th but was over five points behind him.

Lahti - Qualification Round #2

The next event on the ski jumping World Cup circuit is less than 200 miles away in Kuopio, Finland. It’ll begin with a qualification round on Monday with the main event on Tuesday. WeSupportTheUS.com will have coverage of that event later on Sunday once we have a start list.