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Winter Olympics Day 1 Roundup

February 10, 2018

Gold medals for biathlete Laura Dahlmeier and ski jumper Andreas Wellinger bookended an impressive start for Germany in Pyeongchang. There was also joy for the hosts but the united ice hockey team didn't fare so well.

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Germany’s Laura Dahlmeier took gold in the women's biathlon 7.5km sprint
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Kappeler

And that's it for the first day of the 2018 Winter Olympics. An 8-0 loss for the combined Korean ice hockey team dominated the later stages of the day, more for political than sporting reasons. 

But there was better news for South Korea earlier in the day when Lim Hyojun won gold in the 1500m short track speed skating, handing the hosts their first medal of the Games.

Germany top the early medal table after they picked up a pair of golds on Saturday. Biathlete Laura Dahlmeier, 24, got the party started when she hit all 10 targets to win the women's 7.5-kilometer sprint.

"The coach told me I had to fight for every second because there are some athletes behind me, and that I should run for my life," the elated athlete said after her win.

Then, as the clock ticked past midnight, Andreas Wellinger dramatically claimed ski jump gold for Germany, pipping a pair of Norwegians to the top of the podium.

We’ll see you again in about eight hours or so, when we’ll have snowboarding, alpine skiing, speed skating and plenty more. Thanks for your company.

As it happened

16:23 - GERMAN GOLD! Everyone was looking for his teammate Richard Freitag but Andreas Wellinger has won the men's ski jump. The 22-year-old watched as Poland's Stefan Hula failed to match him and made it two gold for Germany on the opening day.

16:16 -  Another Norwegian takes the lead, Robert Johansson now in gold medal position.

16:08 - It's officially gone midnight in South Korea, which means it's technically day 2 of the Games. Still 10 jumpers to go in the men's ski jump.

15:55 - That lead has now gone, with Norway's Daniel-André Tande landing a huge effort.

15:40 - The ski jump, today's final event, is nearing its conclusion. Slovenia’s Peter Prevc is currently in the lead.

14:43 — Women's Ice Hockey: Switzerland increases their lead over Korea to 6-0 in the second period.

14:00 — Speed Skating (Oval): The Netherlands have swept the podium in the Women's 3000m. Carlijn Achtereekte collects the gold, Ireen Wust the silver and Antoinette De Jong the bronze.

Germany's Claudia Pechstein, who still holds the Olympic record, finished ninth.

 

Olympische Winterspiele 2018 in Südkorea Eisschnelllauf Claudia Pechstein
Image: Reuters/J. Silva

13:48 — Women's Ice Hockey: Not a great debut for the unified Korean women's hockey team. They are currently losing to Switzerland 3-0 in the first period of their preliminary round match.

13:34 — Short Track Speed Skating: Lim Hyojun gets the first medal for hosts South Korea, winning the Men's 3000m, setting a new Olympic record in the process!

Men's 3000m Final A results...

  • Lim Hyojun (South Korea) — 2:10.485 *Gold *Olympic record
  • Sjinkie Knegt (Netherlands) — 2:10.555 *Silver
  • Semen Elistratov (Olympic Athlete from Russia) — 2:10.687 *Bronze
  • Samuel Girard (Canada) — 2:11.176
  • Shaolin Sandor Liu (Hungary) — 2:11.520
  • Itzhak de Laat (Netherlands) — 2:12.362
  • Thibaut Fauconnet (France) — 2:53.150
  • Hwang Daeheon (South Korea) — Did not finish
  • Charles Hamelin (Canada) — Out after penalty

13:25 — Short Track Speed Skating: Men's 3000m Final B results...

  • Han Tianyu (China) — 2:26.281
  • Seo Yira (South Korea) — 2:26.346
  • Pascal Dion (Canada) — 2:26.412
  • Roberto Pukitis (Latvia) — 2:26.525
  • Aaron Tran (United States) — 2:27.127

13:13 — Speed Skating (Short Track): Women's 3000m relay finals seeds...

  • Final A: China (4:05.315), Italy (4:05.918), South Korea (4:06.387), Canada (4:07.627)
  • Final B: Netherlands (4:05.977), Hungary (4:09.5555) Japan (4:12.664), Olympic Athletes from Russia (4:21.973)

13:10 — Speed Skating (Short Track): ANOTHER new Olympic record! China tops South Korea's mark in the second heat of the Women's 3000m relay with a time of 4:05.315!

13:03 — Speed Skating (Short Track): South Korea has set a new Olympic record in the semifinals of the Women's 3000m relay with a time of 4:06.387!

12:46 — Speed Skating (Short Track): Men's 1500m finals...

  • Final A: Semen Elistratov (Olympic Athlete from Russia), Charles Hamelin (Canada), Lim Hyojun (South Korea), Hwang Daeheon (South Korea), Itzhak de Laat (Netherlands), Sjinkie Knegt (Netherlands), Thibaut Fauconnet (France), Shaolin Sandor Liu (Hungary), Samuel Girard (Canada)
  • Final B: Seo Yira (South Korea), Roberto Pukitis (Latvia), Han Tianyu (China), Pascal Dion (Canada), Aaron Tran (United States)

12:30 — Biathlon: Laura Dahlmeier collects Germany's first gold medal in Pyeongchang! She wins the 7.5-kilometer sprint with a time of 21:06.2.

Women's 7.5km sprint results:

  • Laura Dahlmeier (Germany): 21:06.2 *Gold
  • Marte Olsbu (Norway): 21:30.4 *Silver
  • Veronika Vitkova (Czech Republic) *Bronze

12:25 — Speed Skating (Short Track): Results of the semifinal heats for the Men's 1500m (top three qualify for the finals)

  • Semifinal 1: Semen Elistratov (Olympic Athlete from Russia), Charles Hamelin (Canada), Seo Yira (South Korea), Roberto Pukitis (Latvia), Andy Jung (Australia), Samuel Girard (Canada) — J.R. Celski (United States) out after penalty
  • Semifinal 2: Sjinkie Knegt (Netherlands), Thibaut Fauconnet (France), Pascal Dion (Canada), Aaron Tran (United States), Shaolin Sandor Liu (Hungry), Jens Almey (Belgium) — John-Henry Krueger out after penalty
  • Semifinal 3: Lim Hyojun (South Korea), Hwang Daecheon (South Korea), Itzhak de Laat (Netherlands), Han Tianyu (China), Sebastien Lepape (France), Xu Hongzhi (China) — Shaoang Liu (Hungary) and Wu Dajing (China) out after penalties.

12:22 — Biathlon: Germany's Franziska Hildebrand begins her 7.5-kilometer sprint, the 14th competitor out of the gate.

12:15 — Biathlon: the women's 7.5-kilometer sprint has commenced with Austria's Lisa Theresa-Hauser the first out of the gate. Germany's Denise Herrmann starts third.

12:02 — North Korean fans are in full force for short track speed skating.

11:48 — Speed Skating (Short Track): Results of the preliminary heats for the Women's 500m (top two qualify for the quarterfinals):

  • Heat 1: Kim Boutin (Canada), Natalia Maliszewska (Poland)
  • Heat 2: Arianna Fontana (Italy), Andrea Keszler (Hungary)
  • Heat 3: Sofia Prosvirnova (Olympic Athlete from Russia), Yara Van Kerkhof (Netherlands)
  • Heat 4: Elise Christie (United Kingdom), Qu Chunyu (China)
  • Heat 5: Fan Kexin (China), Faam Biney (United States)
  • Heat 6: Martina Valcepina (Italy), Han Yutong (China)
  • Heat 7: Marianne St. Gelais (Canada), Anna Seidel (Germany)
  • Heat 8: Choi Minjeong (South Korea), Petra Jaszapati (Hungary)

11:14 — Speed Skating (Short Track): Results of the preliminary heats for the Men's 1500m (top three qualify for the semifinals):

  • Heat 1: Shaolin Sandor Liu (Hungary), Samuel Girard (Canada), Semen Elistratov (Olympic Athlete from Russia)
  • Heat 2: Charles Hamelin (Canada), Jens Almey (Belgium), Aaron Tran (United States)
  • Heat 3: Hwang Daeheon (South Korea), Itzhak de Laat (Netherlands), Wu Daijing (China)
  • Heat 4: Lim Hyojun (South Korea), Sebastien Lepape (France), Shaoang Liu (Hungary)
  • Heat 5: Seo Riya (South Korea), Roberto Pukitis (Latvia), J.R. Celski (United States)
  • Heat 6: John-Henry Krueger (United States), Thibaut Fauconnet (France), Sjinkie Knegt (Netherlands)

10:46 — Sweden's women's hockey team beats Japan 2-1 in the first preliminary match. Japan was unable to force overtime despite an empty net and a power play advantage in the final 30 seconds.

10:16 — Sweden retakes the lead! Sara Hjalmarsson scores to put her country back ahead 2-1.

10:12 — Women's Ice Hockey: Faceoff for the third period of the first preliminary round game between Sweden and Japan. The score is tied 1-1.

9:59 — Women's Ice Hockey: End of the second period. Sweden and Japan locked at 1-1 after goals from Fanny Rask and Rui Ukita.

9:51 — Women's Ice Hockey: Japan has leveled the score 1-1 against Sweden in the second period, Rui Ukita capitalizing on a defensive mistake from Sweden and slotting it home just outside the crease. 

9:39 — Women's Ice Hockey: Sweden leads Japan 1-0 in the second period in the first game of the preliminary round. Fanny Rask scored in the first period to give Sweden the lead.

8:55 — Cross Country Skiing: Carlotte Kalla of Sweden collects the first gold medal of the Pyeongchang Olympics, winning the Ladies' 7.5 km + 7.5 km skiathlon. Marit Bjoergen of Norway gets the silver and Finland's Krista Parmakowski the bronze in a Scandinavian sweep. 

8:46 — Cross Country Skiing: Marit Bjoergen leads the field as the skiers enter the quarter of the race. 

8:37 — Cross Country Skiing: Three Norwegians — Heidi Weng, Invild Flugstad Oestberg and Marit Bjoergen lead as the skiers reach the pit stop ant change courses. Germans Katarina Hening and Victoria Carl in 16th and 17th respectively.

8:26 — Cross Country Skiing: German Victoria Carl leads the first half of the first 7.5-kilometer leg.

8:15 — Cross Country Skiing:The ladies' 7.5 km + 7.5 km skiathlon has just started! Skiers must do two laps around two different courses, each course 3.75 kilometers. The skiers switch skies between the two.

8:11 — The medal events that will take place today...

  • Cross Country Skiing: Ladies 7.5-kilometer + 7.5-kilometer skiathlon (8:15)
  • Biathlon: Women's 7.5-kilometer sprint (12:15)
  • Speed skating: Ladies' 3000-meter (12:00)
  • Short track speed skating: Men's 1500-meter (13:22)
  • Ski Jumping: Men's normal hill individual (14:35)

8:00 — Good morning! The Winter Olympics are kicking into full gear after the opening ceremony in Pyeongchang. Below is some of the imagery from the opening festivities!