U.S. wins medals on first full day

SALT LAKE CITY -- The U.S. Olympic team wanted a fast start in the Winter Olympics -- and with a pair of silver medals, they got one.

Speedskater Derek Parra just wishes it was four seconds faster.

Parra set a world record in the 5,000-meter speedskating, then stood helplessly as the Netherlands' Jochem Uytdehaage smashed his mark by about 3 1/2 seconds to take the gold medal and leave the American with a silver on the first full day of Olympic competition.

Earlier Saturday, Shannon Bahrke won the first American medal with a silver in the women's freestyle moguls as the U.S. team -- at home for the Winter Games for the first time in 22 years -- delivered for the vociferous Utah crowds.

Parra, skating on the Utah Olympic Oval ice that many skaters believe is the world's fastest, appeared on his way to a gold after his record-setting run. But the Dutchman, skating in the next to last pair, made sure Parra's record was short-lived. Jens Boden of Germany took the bronze in 6:21.73.

The surprising medal bodes well for the diminutive Parra -- he stands just 5-foot-4 -- since his best event lies ahead in the 1,500. Parra's time was 15 seconds better than his previous best in the 5,000.

"To be on the medal podium for a 5K is definitely a surprise for me," Parra said.

Ten countries won medals. Austria and the United States were the only countries with two.