Four years ago, American skaters Mirai Nagasu and Adam Rippon were upset that they failed to make the Olympic team. They drowned their sorrow in hamburgers that they ate on the roof of Nagasu’s house, Rippon told NBC News.
Now, the 24-year-old Nagasu and Rippon, who is 28, are roommates at the Olympic Village and they both delivered strong performances Monday, enabling the United States figure skaters to win the bronze medal in the team event.
Nagasu, of Montebello,California, became the first American woman – and the third overall – to land a triple axel in the women’s free skate in the team competition. She accomplished the feat 21 seconds into her routine and the crowd gave her a standing ovation.
Rippon, the first openly gay man to compete in the Olympics, nailed two triple axels in his free skate turn.
Canada took home the gold medal in team figure skating, while the Russians earned the silver.
Meanwhile, the U.S. won its second gold medal and it was in snowboarding, again.
Jamie Anderson defended her title in Olympic women’s slopestyle snowboarding. She was one of the few able to navigate the tricky series of rails and jumps safely as the wind wreaked havoc on the field.
She is the first woman to win multiple Olympic gold medals in snowboarding.
Laurie Blouin of Canada came in second, Ennie Rukajarvi won third.
Seventeen-year-old Red Gerard, from Silverthorne, Colorado won gold for the U.S. in men’s slopestyle snowboarding Sunday in his debut Olympics.
In the men’s luge, Austria’s David Gleirscher took the gold while Chris Mazder won the silver to give the U.S. its first men’s singles medal in the event. Germany’s Johannes Ludwig took the bronze.
The frigid weather at the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang is causing some schedule changes.
On Monday, the below freezing temperatures caused the postponement of the women’s giant slalom less than three hours before it was supposed to start. That followed Sunday’s postponement of the men’s down hill.
Both races will be held Thursday, but on different slopes.
Signs are everywhere around the Olympics reminding people to wash their hands in the fight against the norovirus that has broken out.
Another 19 cases of norovirus have been reported, bringing the total to 177 since February 1.
The Centers for Disease Control says the norovirus is a very contagious virus that can be transmitted from an infected person, contaminated food or water, or by touching contaminated surfaces. The agency says the virus can lead to stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting.
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