ROSA KHUTOR, Russia (Feb. 8) – One kick-out at the top of a rugged moguls course stole gold from Olympic champion Hannah Kearney (Norwich, VT). The veteran Kearney reigned in a wild run to earn an Olympic bronze medal during a fierce women’s moguls super final at the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games Saturday night. While she didn't win a cherished second gold, she joined Shannon Bahrke as the second double medalist in her sport. Canadian Justine Dufour-Lapointe won the gold medal while her older sister Chloe Dufour-Lapointe took silver. This year’s competition featured a new format that required a total of three final rounds for the top six skiers. The women’s final will air on NBC’s primetime Olympic coverage Saturday at 8:00 p.m. EST.
HIGHLIGHTS
- One kick-out at the top of a rugged moguls course stole gold from Olympic champion Hannah Kearney (Norwich, VT).
- The veteran Kearney reigned in a wild run to earn an Olympic bronze medal during a fierce women’s moguls superfinal at the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games Saturday night.
- While she didn't win a cherished second gold, she joined Shannon Bahrke as the second double medalist in her sport.
- An emotional Kearney fought bravely through tears at the post event press conference, expressing her sorrow at missing her goal but pride in becoming a two-time Olympic medalist.
- Canadian Justine Dufour-Lapointe won the gold medal while her older sister Chloe Dufour-Lapointe took silver.
- Eliza Outtrim (Hamden, CT) also advanced to the final, finishing sixth in her first Olympic appearance.
- Heather McPhie (Bozeman, MT) qualified for the semifinal Saturday but just missed the bump up to the 12-person final, finishing 13th.
- This year’s competition featured a new format that required a total of three final rounds for the top six skiers.
- On Saturday the top 20 athletes, based on previous qualifications, skied a run apiece with the top 12 of that round advancing to finals. Then the top six from the first final round advanced to the super final round to compete for the podium.
- The women’s final will air on NBC’s primetime Olympic coverage Saturday at 8:00 p.m. EST.
- The men take to the moguls venue Monday Feb. 10, and the event can be streamed live on NBCOlympics.com at 9:00 a.m. EST.
QUOTES
Hannah Kearney
I wanted that gold medal. And I skied great. But I made a few mistakes. And you don't win the Olympics when you make mistakes. I'm proud to contribute to the medals count for Team USA at the Olympics. But right now I'm very disappointed.
You don't prepare for this moment - you prepare for success. But life does not always go according to plan. Usually there is a reason. And you learn from it.
I knew if I didn't win a gold I would be very disappointed. It meant I did something incorrectly. I worked really hard the last four years. Probably even tomorrow morning I'll feel a lot better.
I didn't realize the mistake was that bad. I was off balance. I'm strong. So I pulled it back together. I hopefully showed some mental strength by cleaning up the rest of my run. I'll have to treat this bronze medal as a reward for fighting and not perfection.
Eliza Outtrim
I think my best run was in the first final, unfortunately. This new format is a huge game of consistency, so I think it was hard for me to keep that consistency all the way through. And this course is not forgiving at all. You get a little bit off and it’s really hard to get back, and I was pretty much just saving myself in that last run.
It’s been a great experience and I have no regrets. I think I skied as hard as I could have. I was trying not to get ahead of myself before each run. I was really just trying to focus on what I need to do that time, and I think that worked in my favor because I kept moving onto the next round. That last run I had–I haven’t skied like that all week. So I think it was a little bit of bad luck. I really haven’t skied that sloppy and all over the place all week.
Those bumps coming out of the top air are firm and big, so they were throwing people a little bit today. Hannah was going much bigger on the top air than most of the other girls. So when she came out of that top air she hit that first bump and I think she was a little backseat on it, but I think she still skied great.
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