Sunbathing at the Winter Olympics -- On the Scene

A Winter Olympic First

Despite balmy temperatures and bright sun overhead, course conditions held up as Switzerland’s Dominique Gisin and Slovenia’s Tina Maze raced to a tie in the ladies’ Olympic downhill.

It was the first time in Olympic history that two alpine ski racers are awarded a gold medal.

"It’s something special. It was so close and, at the end, it’s two happy faces," Maze said.

Check out the full story from ATR reporters Brian Pinelli and Mark Bisson, who were on the scene today at the downhill.

What to Do in a Tie

When there is a tie, such as in the women's downhill, how do organizers ensure there are enough medals? Do they award a medal reserved for later in the Games?

Thankfully for athletes, the answer is no.

Adamas, the Russian jeweler that made the medals, minted a surplus of medals for the Games.

The surplus allows for enough medals, regardless of ties.

But the work doesn’t stop there.

For the Winter Olympics, each medal is engraved with the winner’s sport on the reverse. Adamas engraves each medal 24 hours afterwards—just in time for the medal ceremony—in a "mobile engraving center" shipped to Sochi from Moscow.

Sunbathing at the Winter Olympics

Weather conditions at the Sochi Olympics will remain more like spring or early summer through the weekend, it appears.

Temperatures during the day in the mountains will be above freezing, while at the coastal cluster of venues in the Olympic Park, conditions could top 17 degrees Celsius on Thursday.

It’s already warm enough for a bit of sunbathing by media on the grassy strip in front of the Main Media Center.

Women’s Hockey Showdown

Besides the stunning tie in the women’s downhill, the other highlight of Wednesdays sports action in Sochi could be the women’s hockey match between the U.S. and Canada. Either squad is expected to be in the gold medal round February 20.

There is some bad blood between the two sides after players came to blows in their last international match last year. But Canadian Olympic Committee president Marcel Aubut tells Around the Rings that he expects a clean contest today.

"We will fight with goals," he said earlier in the day.

Remembering Nodar

Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili will be honored in a ceremony near the spot where he died in a crash on a training run four years ago today, just hours before the 2010 Winter Olympics opened in Vancouver.

An offering of flowers will be laid at the luge track near Whistler from the IOC. Officials with the IOC and the International Luge Federation held what’s being called a moment of reflection earlier today to mark the anniversary.

Still No Pins in Olympic Park

Sochi 2014 officials still do not know when officially licensed Olympic pins will appear in the Super Store or other stores within the Olympic Park.

Two days after Around the Rings inquired about pins, spokeswoman Alexandra Kosterina said in Wednesday’s press conference that they "should be up already in the main Olympic store in the park."

However, ATR found no pins later in the day at the Super Store or the official store in the Main Media Center.

An employee at the Super Store said "tomorrow or maybe the day after" for pins.

At MMC, they said "maybe next week" but promised there will be "a lot"

The pins are manufactured and distributed by Federal State Unitary Enterprise, a Russian company.

Pins are considered "the currency" of the Games because people use them to barter for favors or items, even hotel rooms. They are also called the Olympic spectator sport because they give fans a connection to the Games.

However, people who are not affiliated with NOCs, media, or sponsors must rely on buying pins in order to stock up and have something to trade. London 2012 offered 2,012 of varieties of pins.

Kosterina said pins are sold in local shops and the airport in Sochi, but that doesn't help people who are based near the Olympic Park and just want to have some fun trading.

She said she did not know the reason for the delay in the park stores.

"I didn’t ask them about that," she said. "I asked them to make sure that the pins are always there, because that’s definitely the most popular artifact of the Games."

Sochi 2014 is also disappointing collectors on the program front. There is no souvenir program, nor are there daily programs.

Wo ist Thomas?

IOC president Thomas Bach returns from the mountains Wednesday where he spent last night sleeping in the Olympic Village. His schedule for the day includes a stop at the Iceberg arena in the Olympic Park for the pairs figure skating free program.

Written by Ed Hula, Ed Hula III, and Karen Rosen

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