Russia Olympic hockey coach done after poor Sochi showing

By Nick ZaccardiMar 5, 2014, 7:55 AM EST

Zinetula Bilyaletdinov is finished as the Russian national hockey team coach, as expected after the host nation lost in the Olympic quarterfinals.

Bilyaletdinov told media he was ready to leave after meeting with the Russian hockey federation executive committee Wednesday, according to the International Ice Hockey Federation. His contract had expired Saturday, according to R-Sport.

Russian hockey president Vladislav Tretiak said there would be a search for a new coach without naming potential replacements.

“The Executive heard Bilyaletdinov’s progress report and liked it due to his careful analysis of games and the explanation of reasons for the poor performance of the team during the Olympics,” Tretiak said in a statement, according to Voice of Russia. “But the Executive naturally decided Bilyaletdinov’s coaching effort proved unsatisfactory, since the Russian team won no medals.

“We decided to thank Zinetula Bilyaletdinov for his work. He really tried hard, but unfortunately failed to attain the objective. The Federation is now negotiating the invitation of another head coach.”

Bilyaletdinov at first was opposed to leaving, according to Voice of Russia.

“But then I thought better of it and decided to tender my resignation,” he said, according to the report.

Bilyaletdinov, 58, led a Russian team hoping to win its first men’s hockey Olympic gold in Sochi.

But it stumbled after an opening 5-2 win over Slovenia, losing 3-2 to the U.S. in a shootout and needing another shootout to defeat Slovakia 1-0.

Russia blanked Norway 4-0 in the qualification playoffs but fell 3-1 to eventual bronze medalist Finland in the quarterfinals.

Bilyaletdinov had a memorable press conference with Russian reporters after the elimination. He said, among other sound bytes, “eat me alive right now.”

Star Alex Ovechkin has apologized for the team’s performance.

Bilyaletdinov, the Russian coach since June 2011, played for the Soviet Union team that won silver in 1980 (losing the Miracle on Ice game) and gold in 1984.

He also led Russia to a World Championship in 2012.

Paralympics broadcast schedule

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2023 World Figure Skating Championships results

By OlympicTalkMar 22, 2023, 7:50 AM EDT

2023 World Figure Skating Championships in Saitama, Japan, top 10 and notable results …

Women (Short Program)
1. Kaori Sakamoto (JPN) — 79.24
2. Lee Hae-In (KOR) — 73.62
3. Mai Mihara (JPN) — 73.46
4. Isabeau Levito (USA) — 73.03
5. Loena Hendrickx (BEL) — 71.94
6. Niina Petrokina (EST) — 68.00
7. Nicole Schott (GER) — 67.29
8. Bradie Tennell (USA) — 66.45
9. Ekaterina Kurakova (POL) — 65.69
10. Amber Glenn (USA) — 65.52

FIGURE SKATING WORLDS: Broadcast Schedule

Pairs (Short Program)
1. Riku Miura/Ryuichi Kihara (JPN) — 80.72
2. Alexa Knierim/Brandon Frazier (USA) — 74.64
3. Sara Conti/Niccolo Macii (ITA) — 73.24
4. Deanna Stellato-Dudek/Maxime Deschamps (CAN) — 72.81
5. Emily Chan/Spencer Howe (USA) — 70.23
6. Lia Pereira/Trennt Michaud (CAN) — 65.31
7. Alisa Efimova/Ruben Blommaert (GER) — 65.23
8. Maria Pavlova/Alexei Sviatchenko (HUN) — 64.43
9. Ellie Kam/Danny O’Shea (USA) — 63.40
10. Brooke McIntosh/Benjamin Mimar (CAN) — 63.33

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Kaori Sakamoto leads figure skating worlds; U.S. in medal mix in women’s, pairs’ events

By OlympicTalkMar 22, 2023, 7:49 AM EDT

Getty

Defending champion Kaori Sakamoto of Japan topped the women’s short program at the world figure skating championships, while Americans are in the medal mix in the women’s and pairs’ events going into the free skates.

Sakamoto, trying to become the first Japanese skater to win back-to-back world titles, tallied 79.24 points, taking a significant 5.62-point lead over South Korean Lee Hae-In going into Friday’s free skate in Saitama, Japan. It’s the largest lead after a women’s short program at worlds since 2015.

U.S. champion Isabeau Levito is in fourth, one year after winning the world junior title. Levito, 16, can become the youngest world medalist since 2014.

Fellow Americans Bradie Tennell and Amber Glenn are eighth and 10th, respectively.

FIGURE SKATING WORLDS: Results | Broadcast Schedule

Earlier, Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara won the pairs’ short program, distancing defending champions Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier of the U.S., who placed second despite Frazier’s fall on their side-by-side triple toe loops.

Miura and Kihara, the world’s top-ranked pair this season, can become the first Japanese pair to win a world title, a year after taking silver behind Knierim and Frazier.

Knierim and Frazier, who will likely retire after this season, are trying to become the first U.S. pair to win multiple world titles. They’re skating without their primary coaches, Jenni Meno and Todd Sand, who didn’t travel after Sand had a heart attack three weeks ago.

“Todd’s condition is very serious, so it’s difficult to train when you feel broken inside, when your person is not there,” Knierim said, according to the International Skating Union. “However, that person is the one who instilled fight in us, so we’re able to work hard every day to make him proud, and I think we did a good job of that today.”

In fourth place are Canadians Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps. Stellato-Dudek, the 2000 World junior silver medalist in singles, came out of a 15-year retirement in 2016 and can become, at 39, the oldest world championships medalist in recent memory.

Worlds continue Wednesday night (U.S. time) with the pairs’ free skate, followed Thursday morning with the men’s short program, live on Peacock and USA Network.

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