13 February,2014 09:25 AM IST | | AFP
Iouri Podladtchikov performed his signature Yolo flip to help snatch Olympic gold and then revealed yesterday it was inspired by the desire to impress a girl
Impressing a girl led âI-Pod' to gold
Iouri Podladtchikov performed his signature Yolo flip to help snatch Olympic gold and then revealed yesterday it was inspired by the desire to impress a girl. The Swiss rider won gold in the men's halfpipe snowboard competition on Tuesday as he caused a major upset in dethroning the sport's biggest star, Shaun White.
In his gold medal run, Podladtchikov - or I-Pod as he is known in snowboarding circles - finished off with the Yolo (you only live once) flip, a move he himself invented.
The 25-year-old told reporters later that it wasn't Games gold on his mind when he first conjured up the trick, it was a girl. "The original story of the Yolo trick was that I was trying to impress a girl," he said.
Podladtchikov is still hopeful of one day winning over the girl who inspired the Yolo, although he is struggling to make inroads. "Actually she did call me this morning, and I was like, âwill you make out with me?' She was like, âno, you have a gold medal, you are not cool now.'"
Canada's b'day girl Agosta downs US
The Olympics are the gift that keeps on giving for Meghan Agosta who celebrated her 27th birthday yesterday by scoring twice to lead Canada to a 3-2 win over the US at the Sochi Games.
Agosta scored two goals in the third period of the preliminary round contest for Canada who remain unbeaten in the Winter Olympics women's hockey tournament with a 3-0 record. The performance was reminiscent of her 19th birthday at the 2006 Winter Games in Turin when she scored three goals against Russia.
Eyes on the title for speed skater mom
Speed skater Carien Kleibeuker - the only mother who competes on the Dutch team - is determined to keep her focus on the ice in Sochi.
"I just hope we're not only going to be talking about me and my daughter here. I carry my family in my heart, but I'm here to skate," said the 35-year-old. Kleibeuker's five-year-old daughter will be sitting in the tribune when her mother competes in the women's 5,000m. "She'll fly in one day before my race and she'll head back the day after."
