Winter sports

Ronny Hafsas and Marit Bjorgen won the cross-country skiing World Cup openers Saturday on home snow in Norway. Hafsas, who specializes in biathlon, covered the men's 15-kilometer freestyle race in 34 minutes, 42.1 seconds to edge Vincent Vittoz of France by 0.2 seconds. It was his first World Cup victory.

I'm in great shape, but I don't expect to get such a good result there   -Marit Bjorgen

 

Frank Rommel led Germany to a 1-2 finish in the men's skeleton World Cup at Mount Van Hoevenberg on Friday. Rommel finished the two runs in a combined 1 minute, 50.88 seconds to easily beat Sandro Stielicke, who finished in 1:51.36. Martins Dukurs of Latvia, who won the World Cup opener a week ago at Park City, Utah, won the bronze, just 0.01 seconds behind Stielicke. Dukurs' brother Tomass was fourth in 1:51.50.

It’s kind of revenge for last year’s world championships here   -Frank Rommel

 

For the second straight game, the Iowa State hockey team played into a shoot out. In the end though, Arizona State out-scored the Cyclones in the shootout the win the game 2-1. Neither team scored in the first two periods to start out the game.  

If the Timmins Majors want to win this weekend, they're going to have to resemble their elders, their head coach said. Instead of trying to imitate the pros, however, Bob Savard said he wants his players to take a cue from "old-timers' hockey." With three players sitting out due to injury, the Majors will have the use of a short bench and will need to keep their legs fresh.  

The Michigan Snowsports Industries Association (MSIA) is again selling a card this year that allows the holder to ski at 28 different Michigan ski areas this winter for just $189. Called the MSIA White Gold Card, purchasers are entitled to ski or snowboard one time at each of the participating ski areas during the 2009-10 ski season. Also included is one free ski tune-up (edge sharpen and wax) at participating MSIA ski retailers.  

A YOUNG sportsman who lost his leg in a traffic accident is due to get a hi-tech prosthetic limb that will allow him to ski again next week. Jozef Metelka, 23, was on course to coach some of the world's top tennis stars when his motorbike was hit by a car in Twelve Acre Drive, Abingdon, in March. For three weeks, doctors tried to save the Oxford Brookes University student's leg, grafting muscle and skin from his back on to his damaged foot.  

Investic Jersey men's hockey team captain Mark Dicker is confident that Jersey can play well and win their third round Hockey Association Men's Trophy match away to Maidenhead tomorrow. Dicker is hopeful of recovering from a heavy cold in time for the match which will be played on Maidenhead's water-based Astroturf at Altwood. Dicker said: 'Playing against English club side always seems to get the best out of Jersey's players and, continuing to work hard at training, we gel together well in games.  

Discipline, restraint and turning the other cheek aren't words frequently associated with the emotional world of hockey . But the Predators' ability to follow the letter of the law is one of the big reasons they are in the midst of their best stretch of the season. Heading into Saturday night's home game against Columbus , the Predators — who've long prided themselves on playing an abrasive style — lead the league in fewest penalty minutes per game (8.7).  

Nine-year-old Sunderiya Gantumur's cheeks were bright pink by the end of her first ski lesson. "Skier's cheeks," Jim Barr said. Barr is the president of a new media company, SnowSeekers, which promotes snow sports in Western Canada.

Our industry is not doing enough to attract a wider audience.   -Jim Barr