OLYMPICS roundup

ICE DANCING

American duo makes cut for South Korea

Two Americans who are representing South Korea in the Pyeongchang Olympics have made the cut for the free dance competition.

Yura Min has Korean heritage, and her partner, Alexander Gamelin, passed a citizenship test to become eligible.

Min bawled when she saw the short dance numbers from the judges.

She says, “All we could ask for was to put out our best performance, and we did. It’s the most amazing feeling.”

Min had a wardrobe malfunction during the team short dance, with a hook popping at the beginning of the routine. She fought through, keeping the costume up for the entire program despite having thoughts of stopping.

No such worries this time, and she’s thrilled to be remembered for something else at these Olympics.

HOCKEY

Wisniewski’s father has contracted norovirus

U.S. men’s hockey player James Wisniewski says his father has contracted norovirus while attending the Pyeongchang Olympics.

Wisniewski says his dad, Jim, who is 62, is now in quarantine after beginning to show symptoms on Saturday and needing to be taken by ambulance to the hospital.

Officials have told men’s and women’s hockey players to fist bump each other rather than shaking hands to prevent transmission of norovirus, which is highly contagious. The local organizing committee on Monday reported 283 confirmed cases at the Olympics between Pyeongchang and Gangneung, where the hockey tournament is taking place, with 49 people still in quarantine.

Wisniewski is making sure he and other family members stay away from his father because they don’t want the disease to spread.

U.S. men’s players say they’re listening to recommendations, while International Ice Hockey Federation President Rene Fasel says some women’s teams have decided to continue shaking hands.

Women’s tournament will expand to 10 teams

The women’s hockey tournament will expand from eight to 10 teams for the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.

International Ice Hockey Federation President Rene Fasel confirmed the change at a news conference Monday. Fasel says the Beijing organizing committee requested the expansion.

IIHF council chairwoman Zsuzsanna Kolbenheyer says the quality of women’s hockey around the world is good enough for this step. She pointed to Japan beating Sweden 2-1 in overtime Sunday in the classification round and no team scoring more than eight goals in a game as signs of progress.

Beijing will be the seventh Olympics with women’s hockey since it was added in 1998 in Nagano. Either the United States or Canada has won the gold medal each team and are expected to meet in the final again in South Korea.

NORTH KOREA

As athletes struggle, leader dreams of glory

Kim Jong Un wants to turn his country into an international sports power — think East Germany in the 1970s and 80s.

The North Korean leader is pouring resources into training and infrastructure, athletes are getting more recognition than ever and the country now even has an all-sports television channel, though it’s not clear how many citizens are able to actually watch it.

But while Kim’s decision to send a team to Pyeongchang made a political splash, North Korea’s athletes have battled for dead last in most of their competitions. It appears Kim’s country has a lot of work to do.

North Korea has participated in nine Winter Olympics, starting at Innsbruck in 1964.

It has won only two medals: a silver and a bronze, in speedskating and short-track speedskating.

Associated Press