5 to Watch Recap: Knierims Struggle; US Women Battle Canada
The eighth day of competition at the 2018 Winter Games brought some of the heaviest hitters in the Olympics’ biggest sports
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Katie Kim has your latest five to watch from Pyeongchang.
The women’s 10-kilometer cross-country skiing event is over! Did Jessie Diggins end Team USA's medal drought to make Olympic history?
The eighth day of competition at the 2018 Winter Games brought some of the heaviest hitters in the Olympics’ biggest sports, but few made it to the podium.
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Gold medalist Shaun White of the United States shows his emotion during the victory ceremony for the Snowboard Men's Halfpipe Final on day five of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics at Phoenix Snow Park on Feb. 14, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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Gold medalist Shaun White of the United States shows his emotion during the victory ceremony for the Snowboard Men's Halfpipe Final on day five of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics at Phoenix Snow Park on Feb. 14, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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An impersonator of Kim Jong-un, President of North Korea during the Ice Hockey Women Preliminary Round match between Korea and Japan at Kwandong Hockey Centre on Feb. 14, 2018, in Gangneung, South Korea.
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South Korean police and venue staff escort a man impersonating North Korean leader Kim Jong Un after he appeared before North Korean cheerleaders attending the Unified Korean ice hockey game against Japan during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Kwandong Hockey Centre in Gangneung on Feb. 14, 2018.
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Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt of Germany celebrate at the finish as they win gold during the Luge Doubles on day five of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics at the Olympic Sliding Centre on Feb. 14, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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Will Borgen #20 of the United States controls the puck against Marcel Rodman #22 of Slovenia during the Men's Ice Hockey Preliminary Round Group B game on day five of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics at Kwandong Hockey Centre on Feb. 14, 2018, in Gangneung, South Korea.
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Gold medalist Shaun White of the United States poses during the medal ceremony for the Snowboard Men's Halfpipe Final on day five of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics at Medal Plaza on Feb. 14, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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Gold medalist Shaun White of the United States drags the American flag as he celebrates during the Snowboard Men's Halfpipe Final on day five of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics at Phoenix Snow Park on Feb. 14, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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Shaun White of United States celebrates after winning the Men's Halfpipe Final at Phoenix Snow Park on Feb. 14, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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A shirtless fan cheers during the Snowboard Men's Halfpipe Final on day five of the 2018 Winter Olympics at Phoenix Snow Park on Feb. 14, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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Shaun White's fans celebrate after he wins his third gold medal at the Men's Halfpipe Snowboard at the Phoenix Snow Park during day five of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in South Korea.
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Yuto Totsuka of Japan crashes during the Snowboard Men's Halfpipe Final on day five of the 2018 Winter Olympics at Phoenix Snow Park on Feb. 14, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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Alexa Scimeca Knierim and Chris Knierim of the United States compete during the Pair Skating Short Program on day five of the 2018 Winter Olympics at Gangneung Ice Arena on Feb. 14, 2018, in Gangneung, South Korea.
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Alexa Scimeca Knierim holds up a valentine alongside Chris Knierim of the United States after their routine during the Pair Skating Short Program on day five of the 2018 Winter Olympics at Gangneung Ice Arena on Feb. 14, 2018 in Gangneung, South Korea.
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United States supporters hold up a sign that reads "Good Luck Alexa & Chris" during the Pair Skating Short Program on day five of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics at Gangneung Ice Arena on Feb. 14, 2018, in Gangneung, South Korea.
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Anna Borgqvist (18) of Sweden reacts after scoring a goal against Switzerland during the Women's Ice Hockey Preliminary Round Group B game on day five of the 2018 Winter Olympics at Kwandong Hockey Centre on Feb. 14, 2018 in Gangneung, South Korea.
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Tina Hermann of Germany trains during the Ladies Skeleton training session on day five of the Winter Olympics at the Olympic Sliding Centre in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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Valentina Marchei and Ondrej Hotarek of Italy compete during the Pair Skating Short Program on day five of the 2018 Winter Olympics at Gangneung Ice Arena on Feb. 14, 2018, in Gangneung, South Korea.
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Sabina Kuller (14) of Sweden controls the puck against Emma Nordin (27) of Sweden during the Women's Ice Hockey Preliminary Round Group B game on day five of the 2018 Winter Olympics at Kwandong Hockey Centre on Feb. 14, 2018 in Gangneung, South Korea.
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Vanessa James and Morgan Cipres of France compete during the Pair Skating Short Program on day five of the 2018 Winter Olympics at Gangneung Ice Arena on Feb. 14, 2018, in Gangneung, South Korea.
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Valentina Marchei and Ondrej Hotarek of Italy celebrate after their program during the Pair Skating Short Program on day five of the 2018 Winter Olympics at Gangneung Ice Arena on Feb. 14, 2018, in Gangneung, South Korea.
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Shaun White becomes the 100th gold medalist for the United States in the Winter Olympics, as well as the first three-time gold medalist in snowboarding, with his gold medal win on Feb. 14, 2018, in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
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Shaun White of the United States crashes in his second run during the Snowboard Men's Halfpipe Final on day five of the 2018 Winter Olympics at Phoenix Snow Park on Feb. 14, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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Yuto Totsuka of Japan is attended to by medical staff after crashing in the during the Snowboard Men's Halfpipe Final on day five of the 2018 Winter Olympics at Phoenix Snow Park on Feb. 14, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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Jan Scherrer of Switzerland crashes during the Snowboard Men's Halfpipe Final on day five of the 2018 Winter Olympics at Phoenix Snow Park on Feb. 14, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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Anna Duskova and Martin Bidar of the Czech Republic compete during the Pair Skating Short Program on day five of the 2018 Winter Olympics at Gangneung Ice Arena on Feb. 14, 2018, in Gangneung, South Korea.
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Paige Conners and Evgeni Krasnopolski of Israel compete during the Pair Skating Short Program on day five of the 2018 Winter Olympics at Gangneung Ice Arena on Feb. 14, 2018, in Gangneung, South Korea.
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Paige Conners and Evgeni Krasnopolski of Israel compete during the Pair Skating Short Program on day five of the 2018 Winter Olympics at Gangneung Ice Arena on Feb. 14, 2018, in Gangneung, South Korea.
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Chase Josey of the United States competes during the Snowboard Men's Halfpipe Final on day five of the 2018 Winter Olympics at Phoenix Snow Park on Feb. 14, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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Scotty James of Australia warms up ahead of the Snowboard Men's Halfpipe Final on day five of the 2018 Winter Olympics at Phoenix Snow Park on Feb. 14, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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Shaun White of the United States celebrates after his first run during the Snowboard Men's Halfpipe Final on day five of the 2018 Winter Olympics at Phoenix Snow Park on Feb. 14, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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Ayumu Hirano of Japan competes in the Snowboard Men's Halfpipe Final on day five of the 2018 Winter Olympics at Phoenix Snow Park on Feb. 14, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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Peetu Piiroinen of Finland crashes in the during the Snowboard Men's Halfpipe Final on day five of the 2018 Winter Olympics at Phoenix Snow Park on Feb. 14, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
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Paige Conners and Evgeni Krasnopolski of Israel react after their routine during the Pair Skating Short Program on day five of the 2018 Winter Olympics at Gangneung Ice Arena on Feb. 14, 2018, in Gangneung, South Korea.
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Kristina Astakhova and Alexei Rogonov of Olympic Athlete from Russia compete during the Pair Skating Short Program on day five of the 2018 Winter Olympics at Gangneung Ice Arena on Feb. 14, 2018, in Gangneung, South Korea.
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Tae Ok Ryom and Ju Sik Kim of North Korea react after their routine during the Pair Skating Short Program on day five of the 2018 Winter Olympics at Gangneung Ice Arena on Feb. 14, 2018, in Gangneung, South Korea.
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North Korean cheerleaders wave flags during the Pair Skating Short Program on day five of the 2018 Winter Olympics at Gangneung Ice Arena on Feb. 14, 2018, in Gangneung, South Korea.
Here are five things you might have missed from Pyeongchang Wednesday night and Thursday morning (CT).
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1. The Knierims Skate With Heavy Hearts, Finish 15th in Figure Skating Pairs
Married pairs figure skaters Alexa Scimeca Knierim and Chris Knierim finished 15th in the final. Germany won gold, China took silver and Canada earned bronze.
The Knierims became the first Americans to land a quad twist in an Olympic competition when they hit the four-revolution element in the pairs free skate.
The rest of their program didn’t go nearly as well — they were out of synch on their combination spin and a bit shaky on their throw triple flip.
But the couple revealed they skated right after seeing the news of the deadly Florida high school shooting, and it made it hard for them to focus. Alexa said she was “emotionally drained” as she broke down in tears after the performance.
2. Women’s Hockey Grudge Match, a Gold Medal Preview?
The United States women got an early third period goal from local hero Kendall Coyne, but it wasn't enough as they lost 2-1 to Canada on Thursday.
The American squad had numerous chances to tie things up late in the third period, but they couldn't put the puck in the back of the net as they dropped their fifth straight Olympic game to their most bitter rival.
The U.S. squad will be off until Monday when they play in the semifinal round to set up a potential gold medal game rematch with the Canadian squad.
3. Shiffrin Wins Giant Slalom Gold in Pyeongchang Debut
Team USA’s Mikaela Shiffrin had a golden Pyeongchang debut.
She used a hard-charging final run to win her second career Olympic gold medal. Noway’s Ragnhild Mowinckel earned silver and Italy’s Federica Brignone took bronze.
Shiffrin seeks gold in as many as five events at these Games. She was a favorite in the giant slalom and will be in the slalom, scheduled for Thursday night. But skiing two races in two days shouldn’t be a problem for Shiffrin — World Cup races are often held on consecutive days.
4. Jessie Diggins Falls Short of Cross-Country Skiing History
Jessie Diggins was on a quest to make history but fell heartbreakingly short of reaching the podium in the women's 10-kilometer cross-country skiing event.
Looking to become the first American woman to medal in cross-country skiing, Diggins finished in fifth place, less than four seconds out of medal contention.
Rgnhild Haga of Norway took gold, with a time of 25:00.5, and Sweden's Charlotte Kalla finished 20.3 seconds behind her to claim silver. Norway's Marit Bjorgen and Finland's Krista Parmakoski tied for bronze - leaving Diggins, who finished just 3.3 seconds behind them - so close, yet so far from making history.
Having won silver in the same race during the 2015 World Championships, Diggins was Team USA's best hope to end the 42-year medal drought. Thursday's event marked her third top-six finish at the Olympics.
Diggins will have three more chances to reach the podium: in the women's 4x5-kilometer relay, the men's and women's team sprint, and the women's 30-kilometer mass start event.
5. Men’s Snowboard Cross Final: Two Americans Nearly Made the Podium
France's Pierre Vaultier successfully defended his gold medal in men's snowboard cross, becoming the second athlete to win back-to-back gold medals in the discipline. Australia's Jarryd Huges earned silver and Spain's Regino Hernandez took bronze.
American snowboarders Nick Baumgartner and Mick Dierdorff finished fourth and fifth, respectively, after crashing on the same jump during the big final. Australia's Alex Pullin also went down on the same part of the course and finished sixth.
