Bilodeau gives host first Olympic gold at home

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – A pair of gold medals managed to brighten up the Vancouver Olympics on Sunday, the first bringing a sense of relief to the tragedy-stricken sport of luge and the second helping host nation Canada to finally win at home.

Felix Loch, a 20-year-old German, sped safely down the shortened track at the Whistler Sliding Center and won in a four-heat time of 3 minutes, 13.085 seconds – only two days after a Georgian competitor was killed on the same stretch of ice. A few hours later, Alexandre Bilodeau became the first Canadian to ever win an Olympic gold medal on home soil in the men’s moguls.

“I don’t think I really realize it,” Bilodeau said. “It’s too good to be true.”

In Canada’s two previous Olympics – the 1976 Montreal Summer Games and the 1988 Calgary Winter Games – the country failed to climb to the top of the podium.

The euphoria that spread over Canada was far different than the somber mood at the luge venue, with many still mourning the death of Nodar Kumaritashvili. The 21-year-old Georgian luger died Friday after crashing and hitting a steel girder while on a training run. Luge officials then changed the start position to try to prevent another accident.

“It was the right decision,” Loch said. “I was worried that I wouldn’t do so well, but it’s OK. It’s great.”

In figure skating, Chinese husband and wife Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo set a world record in winning the opening pairs short program.

The two-time bronze medalists were the first skaters of the night – usually a disadvantage – and managed 76.66 points, .70 ahead of two-time world champions Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy of Germany, who skated last.               (AP)