AS IT HAPPENS: Day ten from the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver

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Posted: Sunday 21st February 2010 | 18:21

MVP: Hosts Canada will need star-man Sidney Crosby on top form when they take on North American rivals USA on Sunday night
MVP: Hosts Canada lost out to a rampant USA team at the Canada Hockey Place with Vancouver Canuck Ryan Kesler putting the final nail in the coffin (Getty Images)

Winter Olympics Vancouver 2010 KEEP REFRESHING FOR REGULAR UPDATES FROM VANCOUVER

 

23:35 (-8 GMT): That brings an end to all the live action from day ten of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. But be sure to join us tomorrow when the figure skating ice dance medals will be decided andthe curling competitions really hot up

23:30 (-8 GMT): It's all over at Canada Hockey Place and Sweden have wrapped up a comfortable 3-0 over Finland to finish top of Group C with three wins from three

23:15 (-8 GMT): The picture gallery from the USA's historic ice hockey victory over Canada is in - and it's well worth a look

22:52 (-8 GMT): The third period has just started at Canada Hockey Place and it's 3-0 to Sweden. Loui Eriksson bagged his second of the game at the end of the second 

22:50 (-8 GMT): More woe for Eve Muirhead and her British rink - China have edged out Canada, ensuring it's that much harder for the Brits to reach the last four

22:30 (-8 GMT):  British bobsleigh world champions Nicola Minichiello and Gillian Cook have been making strides in training at the Whistler Sliding Centre - read more here

22:03 (-8 GMT): We're going swiftly over to Canada Hockey Place where Sweden have doubled their advantage courtesy of Washington Captials ace Nicklas Backstrom

21:50 (-8 GMT): Women's curling results are in and Sweden have downed the USA 9-3, Germany clung on for a 7-6 victory over Japan and China and Canada are currently in an 11th end, locked a 5-5

 Great Britain's Eve Muirhead could really do with Canada winning that one to keep Japan in touching distance

21:33 (-8 GMT): It's the first intermission at Canada Hockey Place - Sweden still lead Finland by a solitary goal

21:13 (-8 GMT): Sweden versus Finland is underway at Canada Hockey Place and it is defending Olympic champions Sweden who draw first blood - Loui Eriksson has bagged on 6:41 minutes

20:55 (-8 GMT): There's a potential shock on the cards at the Vancouver Olympic Centre. I say shock....China are world champions but Canada have been irrepresible thus far. Anywho, China's Bingyu Wang is 4-3 up on home skip Cheryl Bernard

20:38 (-8 GMT): There's a bit of a lull in live action the moment, other than the curling, but stayed tuned. There's a repeat of the 2006 men's Olympic ice hockey final on its way as Sweden do battle with Finland

20:30 (-8 GMT): Curling update for you now - no Brits in action but Canada's dominance continues as Cheryl Bernard and her rink are 4-3 over China after six ends

Meanwhile, Germany lead Japan 4-1 and Sweden are 3-2 up on the USA 

20:00 (-8 GMT): Sinead and John Kerr have admitted this is almost certainly their last Olympics - read more here 

19:44 (-8 GMT): Fourth best for Belbin and Agosto - they score 62.50 and stay fourth overall on 103.33. It's all setting up nicely here for a big bang in the free dance tomorrow!

Virtue and Moir lead the way, Davis and White right behind them! Canada v USA again!

In the two other Canada v USA matches today, Canada's Cheryl Bernard won the women's curling this morning.

And a Brian Rafalski-inspired USA men's ice hockey team beat Team Canada in their group match - read what Canada captain Scott Niedermayer had to say about it here.

19:42 (-8 GMT): Zero spark for the Americans. Compared to Virtue and Moir, I was falling asleep.

Nothing really wrong with it but it looked like they were trying too hard, trying to fit in too many nuances and it just didn't enthrall. As Gordon Ramsay would say, don't overcomplicate things - concentrate on doing the important things right.

19:40 (-8 GMT): Moldavian Folk Dance apparently for the Americans - I thought they were wearing space-age outfits but I guess not!

19:37 (-8 GMT): It's huge. Oh, it's huge! 68.41 is a season's best and puts them first on 111.15. Deserved in my opinion.

USA's Belbin and Agosto are the final pairing but they haven't quite been with it this season. Can they turn around their fortunes here?

19:34 (-8 GMT): The curve lift was perfect there - they're so smooth. Massive reaction from the crowd and Scott Moir is pumped.

First twizzle was a bit out of time but the rest of it was, frankly, dazzling. What do the judges think - expect big boos from the crowds if it's not first!

19:32 (-8 GMT): 55.24 for the Greek couple and they go eighth. Virtue and Moir up next - the big Canadian hope and my tip for gold. They're dancing a Spanish Flamenco. Ole!

19:26 (-8 GMT): They're performing a Jewish Folk Dance. Music reminded me a little bit of a scene from Wedding Crashers, which I'm not going to pretend was a bad thing, and they come home quite well.

An early mistake from Roman will cost them a few marks and it wasn't particularly challenging compared to the top couples.

19:24 (-8 GMT): 59.99 for the French is a good score and they move ahead of the Kerrs into fifth on 96.12.

Next up is Greece's Alexandra and Roman Zaretsky. They're tenth at the moment.

19:21 (-8 GMT): They've gone with American theme as well - dodgy costumes, dodgy music, fluid routine though.

Shame about the twizzles at the end but a decent showing. They may go ahead of the Kerrs with that, which would be a blow.

19:19 (-8 GMT): The judges absolutely love it. 67.08 is the best original dance score so far and they go top on 108.55. Next up are the French couple Pechalat and Bourzat.

19:15 (-8 GMT): They're original dance is clearly Indian-themed and again, not sure if it quite rings true. They've got a fantastic energy though.

Elements were good as well and Davis is very elegant on the ice - potentially best marks so far coming up.

19:12 (-8 GMT): Final group are ready at the Pacific Coliseum. US champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White go first.

Meanwhile, the final session of today's curling has started. There's three matches on there.

18:57 (-8 GMT): Canada were putting their big guns into this competition but will have to contest a play-off for a last eight place - nobody would have predicted that before the Games.

18:55 (-8 GMT): USA have done it - they're taking this competition seriously and that is their best result so far. They controlled the majority of the game and that's sweet revenge for their defeat in the final eight years ago.

Brian Rafalski, who played in the Salt Lake City final, scored twice for the Americans while Vancouver Canuck Ryan Kesler made sure of the win in the last minute. USA go straight to the quarter finals.

18:53 (-8 GMT): Game over. USA have just got a fifth goal. And of anyone to score, it's Ryan Kesler - the Vancouver Canuck who was quoted as saying he hates Team Canada.

Couldn't have been anyone else really - with Canada's goaltender pulled, Kesler takes advantage from a narrow angle. It's 5-3.

18:51 (-8 GMT): Massively tense at the ice hockey - it's like 5 on 3 there as Canada fire in shot after shot.

18:50 (-8 GMT): Canada have pulled one back in the ice hockey. The comeback is on. It's 4-3 with 2:34 minutes left on the clock.

Domnina and Shabalin go top with that effort - they're on 106.60. There's a break for resurfacing before the final group.

18:47 (-8 GMT): Not a great reception from the crowd. It's hard not to say good things about it because the dance was perfectly timed from the couple.

But the choreography just looks a little wrong for me. Robin Cousins has described it as caricature, not character and I have to agree. All looks a little wrong and the music was very dodgy. Still, dancing was well-timed.

18:44 (-8 GMT): It will be interesting to see how the crowd react to this - it's the Russians Domnina and Shabalin dancing their controversial aboriginal-inspired original dance. The costumes have been toned down a bit but still........

Italy's Faiella and Scali have gone top on 100.06.

18:37 (-8 GMT): The Kerrs go second ahead of Russia's Khokhlova and Novitski. They scored 56.76 and are on 93.78 overall.

18:35 (-8 GMT): It's 4-2 to USA in the ice hockey - the young American team are in control there. Jamie Langenbrunner scoring on the power play at the beginning of the third period.

18:34 (-8 GMT): The crowd love it - but when do they not love the Kerr's routines - but there were a few issues for John on the twizzles there. Won't be a personal best unfortunately.

18:32 (-8 GMT): KERR TIME! They're up in Vancouver dancing to Johnny Cash. Yee-haw.

18:28 (-8 GMT): They looked very secure out there but the music went a little bit too quick for them at the end. They've scored 58.68 to go first - they're on 96.67.

Germany's Andre Lange tied up the two-man bobsleigh title in Whistler - that's the first half of his double defence complete.

18:27 (-8 GMT): The French pair of Delobel and Schoenfelder are dancing to the can-can. This will go down a storm if they pull it off.

18:16 (-8 GMT): Zubkov goes into lead!

18:13 (-8 GMT): We're at intermissions in the ice hockey and figure skating. 3-2 USA at the Canada Hockey Place and Samuelson and Bates on top at Pacific Coliseum.

Ivo Rueegg leads the bobsleigh with the top three still to go.

18:12 (-8 GMT): The judges didn't really like that but the crowd loved it! 46.33 sees them climb a place into ninth. Not as good as their European score and the crowd respond with boos to the judges' decision.

18:08 (-8 GMT): Coomes and Buckland go for GB and they start well, lose a bit of synchronicity before regaining a bit of gusto for the end.

Nice Irish music but not the most energetic performance - lifts were good though. Let's see what the judges think.

18:01 (-8 GMT): GOAL FOR USA - Chris Drury puts the USA 3-2 up!

17:57 (-8 GMT): Huang and Zeng have just done their original dance to the Zorba spinning plates song! Wasn't great though. The music didn't really suit the performers. Samuelson and Bates still in charge.

17:52 (-8 GMT): End to end stuff at the Canada Hockey Place - still 2-2 but Canada are pressing.

Here's a PICTURE GALLERY of Bode Miller's historic super combined win earlier today

17:40 (-8 GMT): GOAL FOR CANADA. That's another equaliser. They're looking better in this period and Danny Heatley has scored.

The medal run of the two-man bobsleigh is underway.

17:35 (-8 GMT): The American country theme went down well in that first group - that's Sinead and John Kerr's favoured music as well so hopefully that will bode well for the British couple.

The second British couple, Penny Coomes and Nick Buckland, are up in this second group.

Face off at the ice hockey - USA continue to dominate.

17:26 (-8 GMT): 2-1 to USA in the first interval. Resurfacing at the Pacific Coliseum.

17:16 (-8 GMT): Former world junior champions Ekaterina Bobrova and Dmitri Soloviev have just fininshed. A couple of errors - 50.61 for their original dance.

17:09 (-8 GMT): Emily Samuelson and Evan Bates with a good fun country-themed dance. Season's best 53.99 takes them into first overall on 85.36.

17:03 (-8 GMT): That's a nice showing from Hungary's Hoffman and Zavozin. They score 51.22 to go second behind Italy's Cappellini and Lanotte.

17:01 (-8 GMT): Rafalski goes straight down the other end to make it 2-1.

17:00 (-8 GMT): EQUALISER for Canada. Eric Staal scores it.

16:55 (-8 GMT): Estonia's Irina Shtork and Taavi Rand have a couple of falls - but they're still very young (Irini is 16, Taavi is 17)

16.52 (-8 GMT): After meeting Sir Richard Branson moments after her skeleton victory, Amy Williams is now getting to hang out with the second man to walk on the moon.

16:47 (-8 GMT): 1-0 USA - first minute. Brian Rafalski's long range effort finds a way through. The USA have quite a young team but it's one of their stalwarts who grabs the opener.

The Red Wings star was part of the silver medal winning team in Salt Lake City.

16:44 (-8 GMT): It's time - USA and Team Canada are about to face off in the ice hockey. Incredible atmosphere in the Canada Hockey Place.

The ice dancers have just started their original dance routines at the Pacific Coliseum as well.

16:40 (-8 GMT): David Murdoch beats John Shuster's USA 4-2 in the men's curling round robin. He should qualify now with two matches remaining.

16:31 (-8 GMT): Gold to Ireen Wust - Nesbitt fell away in that last lap. She just couldn't keep up with the pace.

The Canadian started using her arms on that backstraight and just fell away at the end.

Wust wins, Canada's Kristina Groves silver and Czech Republic's Martina Sablikova bronze.

16:30 (-8 GMT): Andre Lange in control of the two-man bobsleigh - the medal run starts at 17:20 in Whistler.

16:26 (-8 GMT): To the cheers of the Richmond Olympic Oval, Canada's Kristina Groves promised much but falls away in her final lap and slots into second. One pairing remaining.

16:19 (-8 GMT): Ireen Wust takes over from Boer at the top. Two Dutch skaters to finish on the podium?

16:16 (-8 GMT): The Netherlands' Margot Boer is the new leader in the women's 1500m speed skating - 1:58.10 minutes is 0.10 seconds faster than Nao Kodaira.

16:13 (-8 GMT): A couple of stars of the Vancouver Games have been speaking out recently.

Germany's Magdalena Neuner has already seen her star rise in Vancouver, scooping two golds and a silver - she's admitted the stress of winning gold has been bringing her down somewhat!

Meanwhile, Japan's Mao Asada's time will come in the figure skating later this week - she insists she's in the form of her life.

16:11 (-8 GMT) Japan's Nao Kodaira nails her last lap to take over the lead - 1:58.20 minutes.

Germany's Monique Angermuller was flying early on but didn't have the stamina to hold on and is sixth.

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