Coach Andrea Fuentes immediately noticed something was wrong and dove into the pool to save Alvarez from drowning.

Coach draws on previous experience to stage rescue

Fuentes swam underwater and put her arms around Alvarez, lifting her to the surface of the water. Another person worked with Fuentes to get Alvarez out of the pool.

“I jumped into the water again because I saw that no one, no lifeguard, was jumping in,�Fuentes told Spanish newspaper Marca. “I got a little scared because she wasn’t breathing.�/p>

As Fuentes alluded to, this wasn’t her first time leaping into the pool to help Alvarez. A similar situation took place last year in Spain at an Olympic qualifying event. In that case, Alvarez lost consciousness at the end of a pairs routine with partner Lindi Schroeder. Fuentes and Schroeder pulled Alvarez above water together.

Medical staff treated Alvarez at poolside on Wednesday. Fuentes said that Alvarez went about two minutes without breathing. She added that doctors had checked her vitals and that “everything is normal.�/p>

The 25-year-old Alvarez hails from Buffalo, New York. She has twice represented the United States at the Summer Olympics, in both 2016 and in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (which took place in 2021). USA Artistic Swimming named her athlete of the year in 2021.

While Alvarez hasn’t won an Olympic medal, she won two bronze medals â€â€?one each in women’s duet and women’s team â€â€?at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima.

Alvarez “okay and healthy�after medical treatment

On Thursday, USA Artistic Swimming thanked Fuentes for her efforts in a statement.

“Anita has been evaluated by medical staff and will continue to be monitored. She is feeling much better and using today to rest,�the statement read. “Watching yesterday’s medical emergency of 2x Olympian Anita Alvarez and subsequent rescue by coach Andrea Fuentes was heartbreaking for our community. She gave an exceptional solo performance and competed brilliantly in four preliminary and three final competitions across six days.�/p>

Alvarez ultimately finished in seventh place in the individual final. She may still swim in the free team final on Friday, contingent on how she feels and whether medical staff clear her to do so.

Alvarez posted to her Instagram story on Thursday to let fans know she was doing well after the incident.

“Will give a brief update soon,�Alvarez wrote. “But in the meantime, know that I am okay and healthy!�I appreciate all of the messages of support and hope everyone can respect that my team and I still have two more days of competition to be focused on here in Budapest.�/p>

In a clear sign that Alvarez was in good shape, Fuentes made a joke about the situation.

“It was her best performance ever,�Fuentes told reporters. “She just pushed through her limits and she found them.�/p>

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Edin won bronze in 2014 and silver in 2018, and will look to complete his medal collection by finally bringing home gold to Sweden.

Edin, Mouat boast impressive resumes

The 36-year-old skip has won five world championships, seven European titles, and three Grand Slam events. But he has never captured curling’s biggest prize.

Sweden booked its place in the gold medal match by beating Canada 5-3 in their semifinal.

“It’s going to be a super, super interesting final,�Edin told reporters after the semifinal win. “I think it might be nerve wracking to play, but I think it’s going to be a super well played game.�/p>

Sweden will face off against a Great Britain squad that hails from Scotland. Mouat can’t boast the same resume as Edin �few can �but he has positioned his team as one of the best in the world over the past two years. He has captured two European Championships and medaled twice at worlds. Most impressively, he has won four Grand Slam titles, including three in 2021.

Great Britain defeated defending champion John Shuster and the United States 8-4 to guarantee the nation its first medal of the Winter Olympics and keep its gold medal dreams alive.

“The last two weeks, especially for myself, has been a bit of a roller coaster, so this is very special,�Mouat told BBC Sport. “I’m so excited to be able to share the moment with the guys and the celebration at the end was pure elation. I don’t think I can sum it up any other way.�/p>

Great Britain favorite in men’s curling showdown

Great Britain enters the final as a -143 pick to win the gold medal in men’s curling, according to PlaySugarHouse.com. Sweden is pulling +115 odds as the slight underdog.

Those odds reflect how well Mouat and his team have played throughout the Olympic tournament. Great Britain put up an 8-1 record in round robin play. They also beat Sweden 7-6 in their head-to-head encounter.

“It’ll be some party back home if we do [win gold],�Great Britain lead Hammy McMillan told reporters. “It would mean the absolute world to everyone if we do.�/p>

The semifinal results sent the United States and Canada to the men’s curling bronze medal game. Both countries were seeking their only curling medals of the 2022 Olympics �an especially surprising result for Canada, long the leading international powerhouse in the sport. Canada prevailed in the bronze medal matchup by an 8-5 final.

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This marks the sixth time the two women’s hockey powerhouses have faced off in the gold medal game in seven Olympic tournaments since the sport joined the Winter Games program in 1998.

Canada favored after round-robin triumph

Canada has won three of the previous six gold medal encounters. However, the United States prevailed 3-2 in a shootout to win gold in PyeongChang in 2018.

Still, Canada comes into this matchup as a -215 favorite over Team USA (+172) at FanDuel Sportsbook. The Canadians established themselves as the favorites after beating the United States 4-2 during the round-robin portion of the tournament.

“These are the games that we live for,�USA captain Kendall Coyne Schofield told reporters after the United States beat Finland 4-1 in their semifinal. “Everyone’s been so resilient through the pandemic with the ups and downs, the cancellations, postponements and finding ways to train, and it’s for this moment. We’re going to empty the takes, and this is what we came here to do.�/p>

Canada has faced little opposition in the tournament so far. It outscored the opposition 33-5 in four round-robin games before blasting Sweden 11-0 in the quarterfinals and handling Switzerland 10-3 in the semis.

“I think we’re taking the game to new heights now,�Canadian forward Sarah Nurse told reporters. “We’re playing a style of hockey that’s never been seen in our tournament before. And so, in five to 10 years, other countries are going to be playing our style of play, and we’re going to keep pushing the envelope and keep making our sport better.�/p>

Players look forward to biggest rivalry in women’s hockey

The United States hasn’t exactly had a rough time in Beijing either. Other than that loss to Canada, the Americans are unbeaten, and defeated their other three round-robin opponents by an 18-2 margin. Team USA has faced a bit more resistance in the knockout rounds: the Czech Republic managed to keep the game tied at 1-1 after two periods before the United States pulled away for a 4-1 quarterfinal win.

This is the rivalry. This is what it's all about.@TeamUSA vs. Canada.

Wednesday night. 11PM ET. @NBC and @PeacockTV. #WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/tnx1sgBVQ7

— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 16, 2022

That set up an always tricky matchup with Finland. The Americans handled their business against the eventual bronze medal winners to set up another rematch with Canada. And while some may bemoan the two-team North American dominance over women’s hockey, the players on both sides can’t wait to suit up against their biggest rivals one more time.

“I think it’s wonderful hockey. It’s the most beautiful rivalry in sports,�American forward Hilary Knight said of the gold medal matchup. “It gets the best and the worst out of both of us at the same time. And it’s just a wonderful game.�/p>

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Slovakia advanced to the final eight with a decisive 4-0 win over Germany in their Tuesday playoff matchup.

Young Team USA impresses in Beijing

The United States is undefeated so far in Beijing, the only men’s team to get this far without at least dropping a point by going to overtime. It’s an impressive performance for a team that came together at the final hour after the NHL pulled its participation in the Winter Olympics over COVID-19 disruptions to its own schedule.

Team USA began with a relatively simple 8-0 win over host nation China. It then surprised Canada 4-2, before wrapping up round-robin play with a 3-2 victory over Germany. The perfect record won Group A and earned the Americans a bye to the quarterfinals.

“We have a lot of young guys, but we’re a mature team,�forward Nathan Smith said after the win over Germany. “Our leadership group of older guys do a really good job of getting the younger guys going for games.�/p>

The United States enters its quarterfinal matchup as a -235 favorite over Slovakia (+190). While Slovakia dropped its first two games to Finland and Sweden, it defeated Latvia 5-2 in its final game to improve its playoff seeding. That set up a date with Germany in the playoffs.

While Team USA may enter as the favorite, the Americans will be wary of a Slovakian side that handled the same German team that gave the United States trouble.

“Everyone feels pretty good about their game,�defenseman Nick Abruzzese told reporters. “There’s obviously room for improvement for all of us. And I think, you know, when it comes down to it, the coaches do a great job of letting us know what we can do.�/p>

Canada, Sweden battle in Olympic hockey quarterfinal

All four men’s Olympic hockey quarterfinals will take place on Wednesday in Beijing.

On the USA’s side of the bracket, Sweden will battle Canada in a matchup between two traditional hockey powers. Canada eased past China 7-2 in the playoff round, and will now face a Swedish team that went 2-1 in Group C play, dropping an overtime decision to Finland. Sweden enters a slight -115 favorite over Canada (-105).

In the other half of the bracket, the Russian Olympic Committee (-475) will take on Denmark (+360). The ROC team looked to be the favorite heading into the tournament, and can advance to the medal rounds if they turn aside a pesky Danish team that knocked off Latvia 3-2 to get to the quarterfinals.

Finland (-330) faces Switzerland (+255) in the last semifinal. Switzerland defeated the Czech Republic 4-2 to get through the playoff round, while Finland earned a bye to the quarterfinals by topping Group C.

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Finland has won three Olympic bronze medals in women’s hockey, and has now played in the bronze medal game in six of the seven tournaments.

Finland, Switzerland best of the rest in women’s hockey

Meanwhile, Switzerland also has a bronze medal in its past, finishing third in the 2014 competition.

That’s not to suggest that the United States and Canada haven’t dominated women’s hockey at the Winter Olympics. They two have met in the gold medal game fives times, and will do so again in Beijing. Canada enjoys a +46 goal differential in its six games; the United States has only lost once, in the round-robin to Canada.

The rest of the field knew to expect those results. And while they held high hopes of competing for medals, they suspected the gold medal game wasn’t in their futures.

“If we played for a gold medal, it’s going to be a miracle on ice,�Swiss goaltender Andrea Braendli told reporters ahead of the Olympics.

Odds favor Finns despite round-robin upset

That means the bronze will have to do for either Finland or Switzerland. Finland has enjoyed more success in women’s hockey in recent years, and comes into the final as a 2.5-goal favorite over Switzerland, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. The Finns are -800 on the moneyline over the Swiss (+520).

That level of confidence comes from Finland’s women’s hockey pedigree. The country won silver in the 2019 World Championships, and came close to beating the United States in the final, losing only in a shootout. Finland has also won bronze on 13 occasions at worlds, including in 2021. Meanwhile, Switzerland has just one World Championship bronze medal from 2012.

But the Swiss have reason to believe they can beat Finland. In the round-robin portion of the tournament in Beijing, Switzerland scored a surprise 3-2 victory over Finland, showing these teams aren’t as far apart as some might think.

The overall numbers show why Finland remains a strong favorite, however. In the round-robin, Finland put up a -9 goal differential, compared to -21 for Switzerland. And while the Swiss got by the Russian Olympic Committee 4-2 in the quarterfinals before losing 10-3 to Canada, Finland beat Japan 7-1, then fought hard against Team USA, falling just 4-1.

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Goggia won gold in the women’s downhill at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.

Goggia completes successful training run

DraftKings Sportsbook lists Goggia as the +225 favorite to repeat as champion in Beijing. Just the fact that she’s competing is an accomplishment after her crash.

“I’m upset,�Goggia said after her crash. “It’s not a break that I needed in such an important time of the season but I’m already going to start physical therapy in the coming hours, with the aim of trying to defend the Olympic title in the event that I love most.�/p>

Goggia skipped the super-G competition on Friday. But she was able to successfully complete a training run on the downhill course on Saturday, bolstering her hopes of a strong run in the event.

“I was just glad I could finish my run and that I could approach it the way I did,�Goggia told reporters after her training run. “There was no guarantee that I could be here and it is already a success that I am here. So I don’t see any reason why I shouldn’t be as happy as I am today, after my first downhill.�/p>

Priska Nufer ran the fastest time in the first training run, with Goggia coming in 1.55 seconds behind her. Still, Goggia remains confident heading into the actual downhill competition.

“We will see,�Goggia said of her chances. “But slow I am not.�/p>

Shiffrin running Olympic downhill for first time

American Mikaela Shiffrin (+1600) will make her first career start in an Olympic downhill event after a disappointing first week at the Olympics. Shiffrin, who won the slalom gold medal in 2014 and another gold in giant slalom at Pyeongchang four years ago, failed to complete either of those events. She then finished ninth in the super-G.

While Shiffrin has won some World Cup downhill competitions, it is her weakest event. She has never won a downhill medal in a World Championship. But after a solid practice run, she’s prepared to aim for the podium on Tuesday.

“My times are pretty good,�Shiffrin told NBC’s Todd Lewis after her practice run on Monday. “I felt confident on my skis. I feel like I know where I am on the course, and those pieces are all pretty good. It’s just important that I take any practice that I can get.�/p>

During Sunday’s final practice, Switzerland’s Joana Hahlen (+2200) posted the fastest training run. But for the top contenders, practice is more about learning the course and getting comfortable than putting up an impressive time.

After Goggia, Swiss skier Lara Gut-Behrami (+300) is the leading contender in the women’s downhill, just ahead of teammate Corinne Suter (+450). Germany’s Kira Weidle should also be in the mix, with DraftKings giving her +700 odds of winning gold.

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The panel of three arbitrators met for about six hours on Sunday, hearing from Valieva and others about the doping case that has rocked the Olympic figure skating competition.

CAS sees ‘irreparable harm’ in banning Valieva

The controversy centers around an anti-doping test sample from Dec. 25 at the Russian national competition. Valieva tested positive for trimetazidine, a heart drug that may also improve endurance for athletes. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) considers trimetazidine a banned substance.

The results of that test only emerged about a week ago, just after Valieva helped the Russian Olympic Committee team win the team figure skating gold medals. It’s unclear why the Swedish lab’s results didn’t come to light for six weeks, though the omicron variant of COVID-19 may have played a role in delaying work by causing staffing shortages.

When the results arrived, the Russian anti-doping agency (RUSADA) suspended Valieva. However, they lifted that ban just a day later.

The CAS panel considered the fact that Valieva, just 15 years old, is considered a “protected person.�Generally, athletes under 16 face less harsh punishment for anti-doping violations, as officials don’t hold them responsible for such actions. Instead, investigations focus on coaches, doctors, and other officials surrounding such young athletes.

“The panel considered that preventing the athlete to compete at the Olympics would cause her irreparable harm in the circumstances,�CAS director general Matthieu Reeb said after the ruling.

Valieva now rates as the clear favorite to win gold in women’s figure skating. The SugarHouse online sportsbook lists Valieva as the -715 pick for gold, ahead of ROC teammates Anna Shcherbakova (+550) and Alexandra Trusova (+650). The three Russians could sweep the podium, with Kaori Sakamoto (+1900) of Japan their nearest competition for a medal.

Russians favored for women’s figure skating podium

However, the ongoing nature of Valieva’s case makes things far more complicated. The International Olympic Committee has already ruled that if Valieva medals �a near certainty �then it will not hold a medal ceremony until after her case resolves.

“Should Ms. Valieva finish amongst the top three competitors in the women’s singles skating competition, no flower ceremony and no medal ceremony will take place during the Olympic Winter Games,�the IOC said in a statement.

The IOC also confirmed that there would be no medal ceremony for the team figure skating event.

Olympic officials from other countries questioned the decision to allow Valieva to compete.

“It is the collective responsibility of the entire Olympic community to protect the integrity of sports and to hold our athletes, coaches and all involved to the highest of standards,�USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland said in a statement. “Athletes have the right to know they are competing on a level playing field. Unfortunately, today that right is being denied. This appears to be another chapter in the systemic and pervasive disregard for clean sports by Russia.�/p>

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Russian newspaper RBC reported that 15-year-old Kamila Valieva tested positive for trimetazidine, a medication used to treat angina and vertigo but which is a banned substance in international competition.

Russian officials defend Valieva

The World Anti-Doping Agency bans the drug because it could potentially increase blood flow efficiency and endurance in athletes.

The ROC team won gold in the team figure skating event on Monday, ahead of the United States and Japan. However, officials postponed the medal ceremony on Tuesday night and have yet to hold it.

“A situation arose today at short notice which requires legal consultation with the ISU [International Skating Union],�International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams told reporters on Wednesday.

Reports soon emerged that Valieva stood at the center of the delay due to a test from December. However, officials have not been able to identify her, as the World Anti-Doping Code protects minors from identification.

Russian officials have so far backed Valieva without hesitation.

“[The reports] flared up among those who did not have verified information,�Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “As usual, not knowing the details, everyone began to yell far and wide. We will not join this orderly row of yellers.�/p>

Sportsbooks take down figure skating odds

It is unclear whether or not Valieva will compete in the women’s figure skating competition. Valieva practiced with her teammates on Thursday. She spent about a half-hour on the ice with coaches, then left the ice without taking questions from reporters.

With Valieva’s status unclear, online sportsbooks have largely taken their odds for the women’s figure skating competition off the board. Sites such as DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and SugarHouse all have odds on most Olympic events, but not the women’s competition.

When odds were up earlier during the Winter Olympics, Valieva stood as an imposing favorite. SugarHouse rated her as the -1250 pick to win gold, with her Russian teammates Anna Shcherbakova (+600) and Alexandra Trusova (+900) her closest competitors.

If officials strip the ROC of its team figure skating gold medal, the United States would then top the podium. Japan would move up to the silver medals, with Canada slotting into the bronze position after finishing fourth.

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DraftKings Sportsbook is offering just -1000 odds on van der Poel, who is the reigning world champion and world record holder in the 10,000m speed skating event.

Dutch lobbying causes speed skating controversy

Van der Poel set the world record at the 2021 World Championships in the Netherlands, beating silver medalist Jorrit Bergsma of the Netherlands by nearly 13 seconds. The Swede went on to win every race on the World Cup circuit this season.

That makes van der Poel a massive favorite. However, the 25-year-old has concerns at the Beijing Olympics. He has pointed to comments by Dutch sports scientist Sander van Ginkel that suggested the Dutch team might be lobbying for favorable ice conditions that would benefit the Netherlands over its rivals, such as van der Poel.

“I try to create as favorable conditions as possible for our skaters,�Van Ginkel said, according to an article at Schaatsen.nl.

Van der Poel blasted those comments in a pre-event press conference in Beijing.

“I want to say I have the biggest respect for the Dutch speed skaters and the ice makers in the oval but we have to discuss fair play in our sport and this is far from fair play, this is corruption,�Van der Poel told reporters. “It’s embarrassing not only for the federation but also for the riders. This is the biggest scandal in our sport. We’ve had doping cases and I don’t see this as less serious.�/p>

Van der Poel says that the Dutch skaters prefer fast ice, while he has a bigger advantage over them when the speed slows down.

“Different riders benefit from different types of ice,�he told Eurosport. “The Dutch are used to a very high quality of ice. They want it to be good ice so there are fast times so they can take more medals.�/p>

Van der Poel hard to beat under any conditions

The Dutch Olympic Committee played down van Ginkel’s comments.

“There is only one party that decides on the ice quality, on the temperature, and that is the [International Skating Union],�said Maurits Hendriks, technical director of the Dutch Olympic Committee. “There’s nobody else who can influence that. The same goes for the Dutch.�/p>

If anyone can catch van der Poel, it’s likely to be someone from the Netherlands, long the world’s leading speed skating power. Bergsma comes in as a +700 pick to win gold after earning gold in 2014 and silver in 2018. Dutch teammate Patrick Roest comes in at +1100, with Canadians Ted-Jan Bloemen (+1500) and Graeme Fish (+1700) also in the mix for a podium finish.

As much as van der Poel brought up what he sees as Dutch corruption, however, he says it shouldn’t influence the result if he skates his best race.

“I think I’ll be very hard to beat on Friday,�van der Poel said. “If something strange doesn’t happen I’ll perform a very good time. I don’t think it’s the conditions of the ice that’ll decide the competition, I have great trust in the organization here, that it’ll be fair.�/p>

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White fell in his first of two qualifying attempts, putting up a 24.25 score that would have left him far out of the top 12 who qualify for the final.

White among 12 to qualify for halfpipe final

However, only the best of each athlete’s two runs count for qualifying. White delivered an 86.25 score in his second attempt, nailing two double cork 1080s and a Double McTwist to easily advance in fourth place.

The run came with added pressure, as White is in his final Olympic Games. White won gold in 2006, 2010, and 2018.

“I thought about my friends and family back home watching on TV,�White said afterwards. “I was thinking a lot about, if that run went terribly, doing this press line, talking to everyone over and over about how ‘I’m still happy to be here, but sucks I can’t go to finals.’�/p>

White and the other 11 qualifiers will not get three runs on the halfpipe to put up their best scores in the finals. DraftKings sportsbook rates White as a +500 pick to walk away with the gold medal. That’s good enough to make White the third choice in the event.

“I’ll have bigger and better tricks I want to pull out for finals, and that’s the best part of it,�White told reporters. “I’m going to be giving it my all every run, putting pressure on the other riders because I drop in before them.�/p>

Hirano, James among gold medal favorites

White will be competing against a litany of Japanese and Australian snowboarders looking for their own halfpipe medals. Ayumu Hirano stands out as the +150 favorite after qualifying first with a 93.25 score in his second qualifying run. Hirano once landed a triple cork, considered the toughest trick in men’s halfpipe at the moment, though nobody has used it in an event winning run just yet.

Australia’s Scotty James (+250) rates as the second choice for gold. James qualified in second with a 91.25 run, just behind Hirano. The 27-year-old won bronze on the halfpipe in 2018, and has three world championships and four Winter X Games gold medals in this event as well.

Japanese snowboarders Ruka Hirano (+850) and Yuto Totsuka (+850) are also top contedners, with Kaishu Hirano (+2000) rounding out Japan’s contingent. Australia is also represented by Valentino Guseli, who qualified in fifth position.

There are two other Americans in the field as well. Taylor Gold rates as a +2500 pick to win the men’s halfpipe after qualifying in seventh place, while Chase Joey (+5000) snuck into the 12th and final qualifying position thanks to a 69.50 on his second run.

The 12 remaining competitors will take their final runs on Friday. Only the best score from each athlete will count in the rankings.

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