International Capsules: Hurdles cleared, Vancouver is ready for Olympics

Somehow, despite a global meltdown and a local thaw, the hosts are ready. Vancouver is abuzz and the stage is set for a Winter Olympics with dazzling settings and story lines.

Bring on Lindsey Vonn, skiing for a slew of gold medals, and the unpredictably intriguing Bode Miller. Anticipate the showdown between Asian figure skaters Kim Yu-na and Mao Asada. Root for, or against, a star-studded Canadian men’s hockey team that knows anything less than gold will crush the home-country fans whose passion for a triumphant Olympics grows by the day.

Odds are high that it will rain at times in Vancouver during the Feb. 12-28 run of the games. On Cypress Mountain, in West Vancouver, crews are combatting unseasonably warm, wet weather by trucking in snow to cover the freestyle skiing/snowboarding venue.

But further north, at the vast ski resort of Whistler, snow abounds on the Alpine courses, and the towering mountains there combine with high-rise, harborside Vancouver to offer perhaps the most stunning mix of scenery ever for a Winter Olympics.

Many of the venues have successfully hosted world-class events over the past few years; the new bobsled/luge track at Whistler has been described as perhaps the fastest in the world.

Canada’s Olympic athletes have had full access to the venues for training, part of the Own the Podium initiative that has set the bold goal for the host country to win the most medals at the games. Germany and the United States, which finished 1-2 in Turin four years ago, would love to thwart that goal

Asked what would make these games special for visitors, the CEO of the Vancouver Organizing Committee, stressed the excitement and sense of unity that they are kindling among Canadians.

"Let the world see what good Canadians can do if they work hard and pull together," John Furlong said in a telephone interview. "It’s really a coming out event for Canada."

Few if any other host cities have faced such an overwhelming and unexpected crisis as VANOC did the past two years in the form of the global recession.

"We never thought we’d be confronted with an economy that went over a cliff," Furlong said. "We took the company, turned it upside down, shook it, and everything that didn’t matter we left out."

Despite staggering financial woes for some of the corporate sponsors, VANOC managed to keep its own budget in order. Ticket sales have been robust, with most events sold out; even the most-hard hit sponsors — including General Motors of Canada — kept their commitments; and the International Olympic Committee has promised to help cover any post-games deficit that might emerge.

One of the biggest victims of the meltdown may turn out to be NBC, which has the U.S. television rights to the games. It expects to lose an estimated $200 million, with advertising revenue not matching the high bid price of $820 million that it committed to in 2003.

The fiscal crisis forced VANOC to become more creative as it trimmed some staff and operational costs without scaling back on the events, festivities and amenities being offered to the Olympic family and the public.

"We had to pay attention to every single tiny thing we were doing," Furlong said. "We didn’t lose anything that anyone else will notice."

Now, on the eve of the games, VANOC has declared itself ready to welcome 5,500 athletes and a projected 350,000 visitors. Trendy restaurants and bars in Whistler and Vancouver’s Gastown district will be bustling; official entertainment acts include DEVO, Usher and Buffy Sainte-Marie.

The influx of visitors will mean some inconveniences. For example, access to Whistler for Alpine events will be strictly controlled, and private cars without parking permits will be stopped at a checkpoint along the 90-mile Sea-to-Sky Highway.

For all events, authorities are advising spectators to arrive at least two hours early to allow time for the screening process.

The security budget for the games, initially projected at $175 million, quintupled to more than $900 million. Personnel will include about 4,500 members of the Canadian military; more than 6,000 police officers, mostly from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police but also scores of other Canadian jurisdictions; and 5,000 screeners hired by a private security consortium to conduct searches, under RCMP supervision, of people entering Olympic venues.

"We want to do this in Canadian style — we’re subtle but we’re ready," said RCMP Cpl. Bert Paquet, a spokesman for the security task force.

For some Vancouverites, there’s concern about the hundreds of surveillance cameras being installed, not only at Olympic venues but also in some other crowd-attracting parts of the city.

Richard Smith, a communications professor at Simon Fraser University in suburban Burnaby, has helped lead a campaign to ensure that all the cameras — whether operated by the city or the Olympic security team — are dismantled after the games.

"I’m concerned that in the enthusiasm to provide security, people go way over the top," Smith said. "Canadians are fairly anti-surveillance — they like their privacy."

In most of Canada, Olympic fever has been high — notably during the torch relay that began in October. By Feb. 12, it will have passed through more than 1,000 Canadian communities — from major cities to Arctic hamlets — over a 28,000-mile route.

Not all Canadians are enthralled, of course. Some activists from Canada’s aboriginal communities have viewed the games as a chance to press political grievances, and on a couple of occasions protesters prompted changes in plans for torch relay legs through native areas.

A rallying cry of these protesters was "No Olympics on Stolen Land" — a reference to the fact that in much of British Columbia, unlike other provinces, treaties were never completed to address the takeover of land by white settlers.

However, the prospect of serious friction diminished once VANOC established official partnerships with the four First Nations whose traditional territories overlap the vast Olympic zone.

Another challenge for organizers has been dealing with Vancouver’s skid-row neighborhood — the Downtown Eastside — an area just a few blocks from the city center that abounds with run-down rooming houses, drifters and drug addicts. Prostitutes from the area were the main targets of serial killer Robert Pickton, serving a life prison term after being charged in 2002 with the deaths of 26 women.

VANOC and an array of civic leaders depicted the Olympics as a chance to uplift the Downtown Eastside, pledging to promote new affordable housing, provide jobs for inner-city residents and patronize local businesses. Some activists say more should have been spent to combat homeless and predict the end result will be gentrification that displaces many down-and-out residents.

Overall, residents of Greater Vancouver have displayed an understandable ambivalence about some aspects of the games. Many are wary of the transportation plan that will curtail driving into downtown, and one recent poll indicated that British Columbians — more so than residents of other provinces — are apt to think that too much money has been spent on the games.

Furlong said he understood why some Vancouverites might have curbed their Olympic enthusiasm to a greater degree than other Canadians, but senses a change as the opening ceremony approaches.

"The debates all took place here," he said. "The whole city has had to do all the work, the planning, and by the time the games start, they might have a different view."

"The community has lived it," he added. "Now they can enjoy the fruits of their labor."

Shani Davis does things his way

Days before the Winter Olympics, where he figures to shine as one of the brightest U.S. stars, a call seeking comment from Shani Davis receives this message:

"You have reached the offices of Team Davis," the voice says. "Sorry, but Shani will not be available to honor media requests at this time."

Call Davis the anti-star.

Everything he does away from the ice — at least in his home country — would seem to indicate this amazing speedskater, the first African-American to win an individual gold medal at a winter games, has little desire to be famous. If anything, he seems to go out of his way to keep a low profile, in striking contrast to other American stars such as Apolo Anton Ohno.

But, as with most things Davis, that’s too simplistic a portrait.

He’s immensely popular in the speedskating hotbed of the Netherlands and seems to relish the attention he receives from the orange-clad Dutch fans. In fact, his mother, Cherie, is often decked out in orange when attending her son’s meets.

Davis is never the odd man out in a country which has long preferred individual pluck over servile team spirit.

"Here, that is really appreciated. The Dutch love that — someone who doesn’t live by the rules, takes care of himself, gets by all on his own," said Ruud Bakker, the leader of Kleintje Pils, a band that travels to most major skating meets and has serenaded the American for years.

Davis basically coaches himself, setting his own training schedule and deciding what works best for him. That means no mention in the U.S. Speedskating media guide, at his request. He has a Dutch agent but no apparent representation in the United States, perhaps missing out on this once-every-four-years chance to cash in on his Olympic exploits.

"I’m not sure he’s a really shy guy, but he keeps his friends close," said Eric Heiden, who won a record five gold medals in 1980 and now serves as team doctor for the U.S. team. "He’s a hard guy sometimes to understand. But once you sort of get past that, he’s a very nice guy."

Indeed, although Davis has largely shunned all U.S. media requests in the months leading up the Olympics, he spent nearly a half-hour chatting with The Associated Press before a qualifying meet in Milwaukee back in the fall.

Sprawled out on the floor of the Petit Center, he talked about his love of old-style hip-hop music — "Public Enemy is amazing" — and how becoming a father had changed him. His son, Ayize, turned 2 in December.

"Parenthood is a new chapter in my life," Davis said. "It’s difficult right now because I’m never there, as much as I would like to be. But I’m looking forward to the day when I’ll be around more, seeing my son grow up. I’m excited about it."

When one sees that side of Davis, it’s hard to understand his usually testy dealings with the American media and reluctance to seek out U.S. sponsors, an icy relationship that apparently stems from controversies at the last two Olympics. Even in promotional spots being shown incessantly by Olympic broadcaster NBC, there are none of those gushy interviews with Davis, only footage from his triumph in Italy.

Going back to 2002, Davis became the first black athlete to make the U.S. speedskating team in short track, but another competitor accused Ohno of throwing a race during the trials to ensure that his friend Davis got a spot. Although the accusations were dismissed, Davis was bitter about the whole episode, especially when he didn’t get a chance to compete in Salt Lake City, where he was an alternate.

Four years later, after failing in his bid to make both the long and short track teams, Davis won a gold and a silver on the big oval at Turin. Again, what should have been his big moment was clouded by antagonism over his decision not to compete in team pursuit.

Fellow American Chad Hedrick, who had hoped to make a run at Heiden’s record five gold medals, was angry because he felt Davis’ absence cost the Americans — and Hedrick — a chance to win the new event. In reality, Davis had never committed to skate pursuit, and most other U.S. skaters said he had every right to sit out a team race in what had always been an individual sport.

"I would like to have one out of three Olympics be a good experience," Davis said a few months ago, his voice tinged with both sadness and lingering anger.

He certainly has the potential to be one of the biggest stars in Vancouver.

Davis is world-record holder and heavily favored to win gold in the 1,000 and 1,500 meters. He’ll also skate two other events, the 500 and 5,000, though he recently decided against competing in the 10,000. If he had, Davis would have been the first U.S. skater since Heiden to attempt all five individual events at a single Olympics.

Of course, mapping out a schedule came with some unexpected twists along the way.

At a World Cup meet in early December, Davis sounded as though he was committed to skating the team pursuit at these games. A few weeks later, he declined to enter his name before the deadline, severely damaging the U.S. hopes of winning a medal. No explanation was given.

Then came another change of heart. Davis moved up to take a spot in the 10,000 that Hedrick had surrendered, giving him a chance to replicate Heiden’s amazing 1980 schedule. But when the mid-January deadline arrived for the U.S. to submit its final team, Davis sent word that he didn’t want to skate the most grueling event. At that point, it was too late for him to go back and join the team pursuit if he had so desired.

Off the ice, Davis declines most interview requests on this side of the Atlantic, though he did make waves when he called Stephen Colbert "a jerk" not long after the popular comedian had stepped in to sponsor the U.S. speedskating program, which had lost its main patron to bankruptcy.

Davis never elaborated on his remarks, then he pulled another surprise: When the host of "The Colbert Report" challenged him to a faux race for the last spot on the U.S. team — Colbert can barely stand up on skates, much less go fast on them — Davis went along with the gag.

The result was a hilarious skit in which Davis took his time getting to the ice — he stopped to sign autographs and get a sip of water — while Colbert stumbled around the Salt Lake City oval, failing to take advantage of his huge head start. Davis finally took off, blazing past the comedian to cover 500 meters in just over 35 seconds. The runner-up’s time was more than 13 minutes behind.

"It was like watching a cheetah on shakes," Colbert marveled.

That side of Davis’ personality is no surprise to the Dutch. They’ve seen it for years.

At the World Cup meet in Heerenveen last November, Davis knew one of his most ardent supporters was celebrating a birthday. So, after winning a race, he walked over to give the fan a most unexpected present.

"He took off his medal and said, ‘That’s for you."’ Wicher Soek recalled recently in a telephone interview. "It totally swept me off my feet."

Soek has been following Davis for years and has always loved his struggle against the odds — an African-American from the south side of Chicago growing up to become a world-class speedskater — as much as his sublime skating style.

"He is total elegance," Soek said. "Just look the way he holds his hand on his back. No other skater does it like him."

In Europe, they see a winning personality who just doesn’t know how to score points in the United States.

"It is the simplicity of the man," Soek said. "He looks you up after the race, always for a chat."

Bakker still remembers a night after a big race when Kleintje Pils was playing at a hotel close to the oval. Suddenly, he saw Davis in the crowd.

"He hung the big sousaphone around his neck, and he was all laughs," Bakker said. "And the next day, he wins a race."

For the Dutch, it’s a total mystery why Davis is not a hot marketing property in the U.S. The small Dutch advertising agency BKB was pleasantly surprised to find out in December that parts of Davis’ suit were still available for sponsorship.

His Dutch manager, Wietze Jongsma, knows that conventional wisdom means little to Davis. In the run-up to Vancouver, he was approached to appear on Oprah Winfrey’s blockbuster show and a children’s program in the Netherlands.

Guess which one he picked?

Yep, the children got the nod over Oprah’s couch.

"I had so many interview request, and we said no to almost all," Jongsma said. "Everybody wants him."

That said, Davis is hardly a recluse.

"He can really open up," Jongsma said. "He does this when he feels in a secure environment. If he is reticent toward the U.S. press, there is cause. It is something like, ‘You write what you want, I am done with this."’

Other U.S. speedskaters and coaches say they admire Davis’ approach.

"He’s just worried about skating his races," said Derek Parra, who won gold at the 2002 Olympics and is now all-around coach for the U.S. team. "He doesn’t get into all that other stuff. He’s been burned by the media before, and he’s a little gun-shy. He just wants to do the races. He’s an amazing talent. He’s got a great chance to win medals. We’ll try to support him in every way we can. We know he’s just there to skate."

Ohno, a good friend and training partner of Davis, has taken the opposite tack. After Turin, he won "Dancing With The Stars." He posts constantly on Facebook. He’s starting up a nutritional supplement company and may look into a possible acting career after he’s done with skating.

He’s talked with Davis about taking a more conciliatory approach in the U.S.

"We’ve discussed it thousands of times," Ohno said. "Shani says, ‘I’m not going to change for anybody.’ He feels like he’s been burned badly in the past. I’ve said, ‘Let people see the real you."’

Maybe we will in Vancouver.

-- Paul Newberry

Rahlves, Puckett get another shot at Olympic medal

ASPEN, Colo. — They prefer to look at it as new business, not unfinished business.

Casey Puckett and Daron Rahlves each have been near the pinnacle of their old sport, Alpine skiing, but never all the way to the peak. They have never stood on an Olympic podium.

This pair of 30-something veterans has one more chance, in the new Olympic discipline of skicross, where the action is rougher but their chances might be better.

"Winning an Olympic medal would be a huge deal for me, to be sure," Rahlves said. "I sacrificed a lot to be an Olympic downhill champion. That didn’t work out for me. This wouldn’t make up for that loss, but it would feel good to win.

"It always feels good to win."

To even get to the starting line, though, both must overcome injuries that are inevitable to one of the most dangerous sports on the Olympic program. In the past month, both have been involved in nasty wrecks that are as much a part of skicross as sweeping is to curling.

Puckett dislocated his shoulder Jan. 13 in a collision at a race in France, then reaggravated it during a qualifying run last week at the Winter X Games. Rahlves, meanwhile, lost balance and careened off the course at the X Games, dislocating his right hip.

Bill Marolt, CEO of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, said he is optimistic both will be healthy enough to compete Feb. 21, when skicross makes its Olympic debut.

When the 37-year-old Puckett left skiing in 2002 and when Rahlves left in 2006, both sincerely thought their Olympic careers were over. Together, they are two of the longest-tenured, most successful skiers in U.S. history.

Starting at 19, Puckett became a regular on the U.S. Olympic Alpine team, making it four times — his best finish a seventh-place in slalom in 1994. He retired from downhill after the 2002 Games.

Rahlves won 12 World Cup events, the 2001 super-G world championship and a pair of medals at worlds in 2005 over a 13-year span. He went to three Olympics, and won the prestigious Hahnenkamm downhill. He is, according to the U.S. Ski Team Web site, "known as the most successful male downhiller" ever in the United States.

"I had had enough," the 36-year-old Rahlves said about his decision to retire.

Both he and Puckett had come to grips with the empty spots in their resumes. But soon after they retired, skicross all but knocked on their back doors.

"I just wanted to explore more of the sport," said Rahlves, who has 2-year-old twins he wanted to see grow up. "And it was convenient, too. It wasn’t like I had to commit a lot of time to being on the road, training camps, going to Europe and being away from home. When I first got into skicross, it was like racing this pro tour that was in Tahoe anyway. I could sleep in my own bed. Be with my own family."

Around the time he was easing back into skicross, it was clear the International Olympic Committee was looking to add events to a winter program that was lacking — especially sports that appealed to younger viewers.

Snowboarding was among the IOC’s attempts to push the Olympics ahead. Soon after snowboardcross debuted in 2006 — four people jostling for position as they speed down a 3,500-foot course with potential trainwrecks at nearly every corner — skicross looked like a natural.

It was added for the 2010 Games, and so, the Olympic quest resumes for two of America’s best skiers.

Puckett got into skicross for much the same reason as Rahlves — because it was convenient and he was good — and immediately started dominating. His curiosity piqued when he was coaching a ski team in his hometown of Aspen, Puckett got back into the sport and quickly started winning — gold at the X Games and dominating on the American tours.

"Put yourself in my shoes," Puckett said. "I’ve been to four Olympics already and come home with no hardware. Now I’m at the top of my sport, and my sport’s going to the Olympics for the first time. I mean, what would you do?"

What Puckett did was suck it up for a couple more years. Now, he has one more chance to win the hardware.

"I like the format, have a lot of fun doing it," said Puckett, involved in a nasty crash in 2008 in which he appeared lifeless, lying on the ground, after being tripped up at the bottom of the course. "It’s a little dangerous, so I’m starting to have second thoughts about going on much further. But coming back, that was a no-brainer for me."

He and Puckett are not alone among the older set extending careers at the Olympics. Including the Americans, six of the world’s top 12 ranked men in skicross are former downhill skiers in their 30s.

That has brought a touch of the Alpine sensibility to skicross — not that everyone’s happy about that.

The main debate is over what racers wear. Part of the notion of "freestyle" is the idea of taking it away from the highly technical mode of Alpine, which includes — among other things — tightly fitted racing uniforms. This season, the International Skiing Federation had to strictly enforce rules to make sure skicrossers wore two-piece uniforms that didn’t have any rubber-like materials and have at least an 8-centermeter gap when pinched around the lower leg.

"It used to just be you’d go out there, have a little fun, race to the bottom, throw some elbows, get wild and crazy," Rahlves said. "Now, there are more rules you have to follow. But whenever there’s a big title on the line, or a medal in the Olympics, everyone’s going to push the envelope, so you have to set rules to make it fair."

In a fair fight, and if they’re both healthy, either Rahlves or Puckett could win a medal — the medal that has escaped them for all these years.

They say they didn’t get back in it just for that.

"It’s not going to kill me if I don’t win," Puckett said. "But it’s certainly something I’d love to accomplish."

-- Eddie Pells

Swedes shooting for rare repeat at Olympics

DETROIT — Swedish star Nicklas Lidstrom can vividly recall the sequence that set up his gold-medal winning goal at the 2006 Turin Olympics.

"It was a 4 on 4, and Saku Koivu broke his stick off the faceoff," Lidstrom said. "Peter Forsberg got the puck, carried it up the left side, over the blue line and dropped it to Mats Sundin.

"I was following up, and Sundin dropped it to me for a one-timer just inside the blue line — slightly to the left. It was a great feeling when it went in. But I didn’t think it would be the winner, because we still had almost 20 minutes left."

It was enough.

The Swedes held on to beat Finland 3-2 and flew home to Stockholm the next morning.

"People were at the airport waiting for us, and then we went right to a big celebration at Medborgarplatsen, a square downtown that was packed with about 100,000 people," Lidstrom recalled with a grin. "It’s great to win gold for your country, then to celebrate it with Swedish fans so quickly afterward was awesome."

Lidstrom, Forsberg, goaltender Henrik Lundqvist and Co. are hoping to create more memories at the Vancouver Games by repeating as Olympic champions.

"If you look back at history, it’s pretty tough to defend it," Lundqvist said. "I don’t know how many times it’s happened."

Since the NHL allowed its players to participate in 1988, it hasn’t happened technically.

The Unified Team of former Soviet Union republics, composed mainly of Russians, won gold in 1992 after the Soviet Union won the Nagano Games. Sweden, Czech Republic and Canada were the next three Olympic champions before the Swedes won it again in a tournament filled with parity and puck luck.

The Swedes are not a popular pick to skate to gold, and that’s just the way they like it.

"I think people still look at Canada and Russia, especially Canada probably being the biggest favorite because it’s in Vancouver," forward Daniel Alfredsson said.

Sweden seems to have an easy path early in the Olympics, competing in perhaps the weakest of the three groups with Finland, Belarus and Germany.

"I don’t think there is much pressure on us," forward Fredrik Modin said. "I think most of the pressure is going to be on Team Canada. It’s their home ice. They always seem to have big pressure on them.

"We’re feeling good about ourselves. We knew what we did last time, and we’re looking to do the same thing again."

Sweden general manager Mats Naslund assembled a 23-man roster that includes 13 players who were at the Turin Games and 19 who are in the NHL.

Naslund’s preliminary roster didn’t include veteran Mikael Samuelsson, who is on pace to surpass his career-high 45 points with the Canucks, or 22-year-old Niclas Bergfors, an NHL rookie of the year candidate playing for the New Jersey Devils.

Samuelsson is one of 22 players in the Triple Gold Club (Olympics, Stanley Cup and world championship), but the Swedes still have five others in the select group: Forsberg, Lidstrom, Modin, Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall.

Forsberg, a former NHL MVP, is trying to regain form after enduring ankle and foot injuries for years while playing for Swedish team Modo. He scored the clinching goal to lift Sweden to gold at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics.

"The one major difference from our last Olympic team is not having Sundin around anymore," Kronwall said. "But we have some young guys that were even better than they were in Turin with four more years of experience, so I think potentially we’re going to be better."

Kronwall went on to rave about how well Zetterberg, Nicklas Backstrom and twin brothers Henrik and Daniel Sedin have been playing this season. Henrik Sedin, who will be playing on home ice for at least some of the games in Vancouver, had an NHL-high 78 points entering play Thursday.

"It’s a good mix with old guys like myself, Lidstrom, (Mattias) Ohlund and Forsberg, and good young guys," Alfredsson said. "Goaltending in a short tournament is very important, and I feel we’re strong in that position as well."

Lundqvist was 5-1 with a 2.33 goals-against average in Turin.

"I don’t know if it gives me an advantage," the New York Rangers standout said. "But what’s good is that I’ve played in other tournaments, and I know what to expect. I remember in that tournament, I had a couple of good breaks. We didn’t play great the whole tournament, but we played good when we had to and there were parts of it where we really stepped up."

Sweden hockey coach Bengt-Ake Gustafsson will be a step above his players at the Olympics one last time.

The Swedish Ice Hockey Association announced last month that Gustafsson would quit after the Vancouver Games and upcoming world championships in Germany, replacing him June 1 with Par Marts.

Gustafsson, who said he looks forward to returning to coach a club team, led the Swedes to the gold in 2006 and world championships.

Some in Sweden have criticized Gustafsson’s lack of success lately, but no one from Stockholm to Sollentuna will forget the gold he helped the country win in Italy.

Nashville Predators forward Patric Hornqvist, a member of the current team, was still living with his parents in Sollentuna as a 19-year-old fan when Lidstrom’s slap shot got past the Finns.

"I missed the first period because I had practice, then I watched the game with just my mom and dad," Hornqvist recalled. "I didn’t leave the couch — until Nick scored. The guys on the TV were going nuts, and my family was, too."

-- Larry Lage

U.S. whips Finland in final tuneup for Olympics

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The U.S. women’s hockey team is right where it wants to be. Well, almost.

The U.S. can’t wait to fly to Vancouver on Sunday and get the Olympic Games started. But as far as the Americans’ physical, mental and emotional state, they’re in a very good place.

Jessie Vetter saved 24 of 25 shots and the Americans wrapped up their 10-game exhibition slate with a 5-1 win over Finland on Thursday night at the World Arena.

Four-time Olympians Jenny Potter and Angela Ruggiero scored for the U.S., which had 57 shots on goal, and Erika Lawler had a goal and an assist during a third-period flurry that turned a close game into a rout.

"We’re definitely playing the best hockey that we’ve played throughout the tour. Hopefully, we’ll have a little extra step in our feet once we get to Vancouver," Vetter said. "We’re happy where we’re at right now. We’re all in a good place and we’re excited."

Although the Americans are currently ranked No. 1 in the world and have won back-to-back world championships, they’re the second seed at the Olympics behind Canada because the Winter Games were seeded based on 2008 world rankings — and Finland is No. 3.

Canada, which is the two-time defending Olympic gold medalist, has beaten the Americans seven times in 10 games during the 2009-2010 season, leaving the U.S. team to embrace an underdog role.

"We’re going to Canada and we’re in their barn, so I think that they’re the favorites right now," Lawler said. "But you know what, I have a lot of confidence in our team and I think we’re in a really good spot."

They’re certainly affable but indisputably antsy.

"We’re sort of in a holding pattern right now. I think everybody’s anxious and excited to get up to Vancouver and get settled in the Olympic village," U.S. coach Mark Johnson said. "So, tonight certainly was a real positive way to finish off the Quest Tour. The next step is to get on the plane and head up."

But not before a scrimmage Saturday night between these teams at the Ice Hall next door, which Johnson acknowledged would present a challenge because it will be played on a back rink with hardly any spectators, and his primary goal will be to keep his players healthy.

"I’m sure it’s going to be in the back of every player’s mind. They’re one step from getting on the plane and actually being an Olympic athlete, going through the Olympic ceremonies," Johnson said. "I’ve been in that situation. We played the Russians in Madison Square Garden and we were almost on the bus."

Johnson scored two goals in the Americans’ "Miracle on Ice" upset of the powerful Soviet Union in the 1980 Winter Games, something he’s occasionally spoken about with the team he’s preparing to take to Vancouver.

The Americans again played without top scorer Hilary Knight, held out as a precaution as she recovers from a lower-body injury that has sidelined her for three weeks. Johnson said Knight, who has 30 points in 22 games, also will skip the scrimmage.

The Americans clung to a 2-1 lead before breaking it open with three goals in the first eight minutes of the third period as the crowd of 5,242 began chanting "USA! USA!"

Along with Sweden, Finland figures it has what it takes to break the North American stranglehold on women’s international hockey despite having been outscored 15-4 in its last four games against the United States.

When these teams meet again Feb. 18 in the final game of pool play, it will be on the NHL-sized rink, not the big ice they played on Thursday night. So, the Americans probably won’t be able to get as many shots off.

"It wasn’t the best of us, we can do so much better," Finland forward Nina Tikkinen said. "But it’s a good lesson for us to learn."

"These games, they can help, but it’s not going to help you win the game the next time you play this team," Johnson said.

Noora Raty, who plays at the University of Minnesota, and has been in the net the last two times the Finnish beat the U.S., kept this one close for two periods.

"It took us a while to get going this season but I think we’re peaking at the right time," said Kelli Stack, who scored the first goal for the Americans and had an interception that led to the third-period barrage.

"To score that many goals against a great goalie that Noora Raty is, that’s awesome for us at this point in the season. We’re getting really excited and can’t wait to get out of here and go to Vancouver."

-- Arnie Stapleton

Whitney, Gleason chosen for U.S. Olympic hockey team

Ryan Whitney of the Anaheim Ducks and Tim Gleason of the Carolina Hurricanes were chosen Thursday to replace injured defensemen Paul Martin and Mike Komisarek on the U.S. Olympic hockey team.

Whitney and Gleason were selected from the pool of players who participated in the team’s orientation camp last summer. The moves to replace Martin and Komisarek were made less than two weeks before the United States’ opening game in Vancouver against Switzerland on Feb. 16.

Team USA general manager Brian Burke said Whitney and Gleason have similar styles to the players they are replacing. That and their previous participation in other international competitions were key factors in their inclusion to the team.

"If you’re on a job site and you break a hammer, you don’t buy a drill you buy another hammer," Burke said during a conference call. "Ryan is a guy that has size, is reliable defensively but also moves the puck well, a la Paul Martin. Tim Gleason is a guy like Mike Komisarek who can kill penalties, block shots, finish checks and chew up some ice time against big bodies."

Final rosters are due Feb. 15 when the U.S. team will conduct its only pre-Olympics practice.

Martin of the New Jersey Devils was already out with a broken forearm when the Olympic team was announced on Jan. 1. Toronto’s Komisarek has been out since injuring a shoulder on Jan. 2 and will have surgery that will sideline him for the season. Both players withdrew from the team earlier this week.

"We have been prepared and we’re still prepared," Burke said. "There is a very good chance we’ll have other conference calls because we’re going to have additional injuries between now and when this tournament begins. We’re on our toes now. We actually talked about the next group of forwards that we would tap if we have a forward injury.

"I don’t like talking about injuries because as soon as you do, someone gets hurt. But we’re trying to be prepared for every eventuality at forward, defense and goal before we get on the plane to go to Vancouver."

Burke, who is also Toronto’s general manager, was placed in the unique position of monitoring up close Komisarek’s quest to rehab in an attempt to return to the Maple Leafs’ lineup as well as get ready to play for the U.S. team in Vancouver.

But he said the lines were never blurred.

"The one ground rule we had clear right off the bat with Mike Komisarek and with Paul Martin was that their NHL teams came first," Burke said. "Mike Komisarek is under contract to this team for five years at a lot of money.

"There is no question that these players’ primary obligation is to their NHL teams."

The 26-year-old Whitney, in his first full season with Anaheim after being traded last February by Pittsburgh, has four goals and 20 assists in 57 games. He played in two World Junior Championships, and took part in the 2001 under-18 championship, as well.

Gleason, 27, had five goals and 10 assists in 48 games this season with the Hurricanes. He has suited up for Team USA three times, including at the 2008 world championships. Gleason was also a two-time member of the U.S. national junior team.

"These are both players who were prominent as far as the original decision in picking the teams," Burke said. "Both character guys. Both have gladly answered the call for Team USA when asked in the past."

-- Ira Podell

U.S. luge vet battles herniated disks

PARK CITY, Utah — Tony Benshoof chose to endure the pain in his lower back rather than get another needle in his spine.

The American slider will be competing with three herniated disks in his lower back in the Olympic luge. He had two epidural cortisone injections to manage the pain during the World Cup season and decided against getting another this week. The treatment does relieve pain, but can’t be used too often.

He’s been dealing with back pain for years. What’s another 10 days?

"It’s got its days, but right now it’s holding up. That’s all I can say," Benshoof said Thursday at Utah Olympic Park, where he and the rest of the U.S. lugers are fine-tuning their sleds before heading to Vancouver next week.

Men’s singles luge opens a week from Saturday. Until then, Benshoof says he will just try to deal with the pain with stretching and strengthening his core muscles and taking anti-inflammatory medication.

"I’m really conservative during training, then I give it hell in the start and cross my fingers," said Benshoof, who is headed to his third Olympics.

Benshoof is in his 21st season with USA Luge and his fourth-place finish at the Turin Games in 2006 was the best by a U.S. singles slider at an Olympics. At 34 years old with a bad back, he’s not expecting another chance.

"I’m getting old and my back is failing. There’s no question about it. It will likely be my last (Olympics), but never say never," Benshoof said. "I don’t think it’s going to change my perspective but I’m definitely going to do my best to enjoy it and see everything I can and have as much fun as possible."

The pain started with one bad disk in his lower back late in 2009. Surgery seemed to fix it, but only temporarily.

"Since then I’ve kind of gone through the gauntlet. Life was great, then the other two (disks) herniated," he said. "It’s got its days, but right now it’s holding up. That’s all I can say."

He had an epidural in late November, then another a month later. A third dose of the powerful steroids to his spine in three months sounded risky enough that he changed his mind this week and decided to gut out the pain.

One thing Benshoof likes about his chances is that the track at Whistler has a steep start, which should put less strain on his back. After that, the G-forces of hurtling down the icy track and using his feet to steer through the twists and turns will still be excruciating.

But if Benshoof can survive four good runs and get a medal, back pain won’t seem nearly as bad.

"You put so much work into it and even with my injuries I’m still one of the top sliders in the world. That’s encouraging," he said. "I’ve kind of been able to learn how to time it right with the combination of rest and anti-inflammatories."

-- Doug Alden

Olympic protesters promise to be loud but peaceful

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Canadian anti-Olympic protesters are promising their voices will be loud but their actions nonviolent during the Winter Games.

Under the banner of the Olympic Resistance Network, a consortium of groups is promising a series of protests starting this weekend.

"We are absolutely a threat to the games," Harjap Grewal of ORN said Thursday. "We are not a threat to the public."

Next week’s protests will culminate in a march on the opening ceremonies Feb. 12. Chris Shaw, of 2010 Watch, said organizers hope thousands of demonstrators will participate.

ORN spokeswoman Harsha Walia said any violence during anti-games protests will not be started by protesters.

"Police violence is a reality," she said, adding Vancouver is being turned into a "police state" before the games. Two blocks away, barricades closed roads as dozens of police officers in fatigues guarded gateways watched by surveillance cameras.

Security for the Vancouver Games is costing Canadians almost $609 million, four times the original estimate.

Assistant Commissioner Bud Mercer of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said that protests will be allowed to proceed as long as they area peaceful and lawful.

Anti-games activists say the billions of dollars spent on the games, including new transportation infrastructure and a convention center, would have been better spent on education, health and social housing.

The ORN held its news conference in the Downtown Eastside, an area plagued with poverty and drug use. Gord Hill of the Kwa-Kwa-Ka’wakw aboriginal nation said 30 percent of the people in the area are aboriginal.

"This is ground zero of the socio-economic impact of the 2010 Olympics," he said.

A tent city for protesters and the homeless also is being established not far from the opening ceremony venue. Walia said protest leaders have had safety training and medical and legal teams will be on standby. Immigration lawyers will also be available, she said.

-- Jeremy Hainsworth

Snowboarder Kevin Pearce moved to Denver hospital

DENVER — Snowboarder Kevin Pearce has been transferred to a Denver hospital specializing in brain injuries.

Pearce banged his head on the halfpipe during practice Dec. 31 and was taken to University of Utah hospital.

An update Thursday says Pearce is making "excellent strides" since the accident left him in critical condition. He has been moved to Craig Hospital — considered to have one of the top rehab facilities for people with traumatic brain injuries.

Doctors at the Utah hospital say Pearce is able to walk and perform daily activities with assistance. They describe his progress as "tremendous."

Pope sends his wishes for peaceful Olympics

VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI has sent his blessing and best wishes to Vancouver’s archbishop for a peaceful Olympics.

In the note sent to Archbishop J. Michael Miller, the pontiff said he hopes sport can be "a valued building block of peace and friendship between peoples and nations."

The pope also made reference to the Paralympics in his message released Thursday.

The Vancouver Games open Feb. 12 and the Paralympics will be held in the Canadian city a month later.

Sailing

Court case over Alinghi’s sail set for Feb. 25

VALENCIA, Spain — The New York supreme court has set a date of Feb. 25 to hear BMW Oracle’s complaint that Swiss rival Alinghi breached America’s Cup rules by having its sails made abroad.

The American challenger alleges that Alinghi’s sails are made in the United States, a breach of the Deed of Gift that calls for boats to be constructed in the country of origin. Alinghi claims its sails are constructed in Switzerland.

The best-of-three grudge match is still scheduled to start as planned on Monday. Talks to resolve the issue broke down several weeks ago.

The 33rd edition of the sailing classic has been mired in legal fights since July 2007.