Klug helps Americans build record medal count

SALT LAKE CITY -- American athletes rolled a lucky seven Friday -- as in seven straight days of collecting at least one medal -- in the Winter Olympics as they again exploited the home field advantage they held for the first time since Lake Placid in 1980.

"I got the bronze here in front of all my friends and family and all the American people," said snowboarder Chris Klug, bronze medalist in the parallel giant slalom. "They're awesome."

Klug's medal was the 14th earned by the Americans in the first week of competition, one more than their previous Winter Games best set eight years ago in Lillehammer, Norway, and equaled in 1998 in Nagano, Japan.

In the luge doubles, the U.S. team swept to a silver and a bronze -- equaling their previous best effort, and giving Chris Thorpe his second medal in as many Olympics.

Germany remained atop the medals chart with 16 (5 gold, 7 silver, 4 bronze). The Americans were second with 14 (3-6-5), followed by the 10 medals of Norway (5-5-0) and Austria (1-2-7).

Also Friday, for the second straight Olympics, the American luge teams finished 2-3 -- just missing out on an elusive gold. The Americans have never won a luge gold in either singles or doubles.

That didn't matter to the silver medal team of Mark Grimmette and Brian Martin, who made up for a poor first run to wind up in second. They were followed by Chris Thorpe and Clay Ives, who won the bronze and immediately announced their retirement.

"It is our last race," said Thorpe, a four-time Olympian who became only the second slider to win Olympic medals with different partners. He won at Nagano with Gordie Sheer, who retired two years ago.

The gold went to Olympic rookies Patric Leitner and Alexander Resch of Germany. Since luge was added to the Winter Olympics in 1964, the Germans have won nine of the 11 doubles gold medals.

SNOWBOARDING: Nineteen months ago, Chris Klug was a liver transplant patient. On Friday, he was an Olympic medalist.

"It's a miracle," Klug said after taking the bronze medal in the giant slalom. "I'm so lucky to be here today. And for it to have turned out like this is pretty special."

Philipp Schoch of Switzerland, the second-slowest rider in qualifying Thursday, won the gold, defeating Sweden's Richard Richardsson, who took silver.

After winning his bronze, Klug hit his fist against his heart, then pointed over to his father, his girlfriend and the dozens of other overwhelmed friends and family who came to see him.

MEN'S HOCKEY: The NHL has arrived in Salt Lake City -- although the Canadians apparently weren't ready to play yet.

The Canadian team, with executive director Wayne Gretzky watching in dismay, were walloped 5-2 by Sweden as a shaky Curtis Joseph allowed four goals in the second period -- an inauspicious start for a team seeking its first gold medal since 1952.

The Russians, led by a goal and an assist from NHL star Sergei Fedorov, scored a 6-4 victory over outmanned Belarus. All but one of the Russians play in the NHL; Belarus is the only remaining team with no NHL forwards in its lineup.

The United States debuts against Finland later Friday.

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING: Russian Larissa Lazutina won a silver medal in the women's cross-country pursuit, bringing her overall Winter Games total to 9 -- just one short of a Winter Olympic record held by former Soviet cross-country skier Raisa Smetanina.

The gold went to surprise winner Olga Danilova of Russia, while the bronze went to Canadian Beckie Scott.

CURLING: The U.S. men's curling team beat winless France 8-3 on Friday, keeping the Americans in contention at the Olympic tournament with a 3-3 record.

In other games, Finland beat Britain 6-4, Canada beat Germany 9-7 and Norway beat Denmark 9-4. The Canadians lead the men's tournament at 5-1 while Norway is 4-1.