Alaska’s performance at the Winter Olympics has been a mixed bag so far: Scott Patterson started strong in cross country skiing, Vicky Persinger’s team was eliminated from medal contention in mixed doubles curling, and figure skater Keegan Messing scrambled to reach Beijing after delays due to a positive COVID test.
CROSS COUNTRY SKIING
Scott Patterson
Patterson, of Anchorage, has struggled to find form after surgery in October on a broken wrist compromised his training and race results. That untimely challenge may be behind him, however, as he placed 11th in Saturday’s 30-kilometer skiathon, the best-ever U.S. men’s Olympic result in that event.
Racing in cold, slow conditions and at high altitude, Patterson was in 20th place at the halfway transition from classic skiing to skating and used the fourth-best freestyle time to work his way within three seconds of the top 10.
“I’m really happy with it,” Patterson told U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “It adds a little bit of confidence and also gets a few of those nerves out of the way. It’s nice to have a good one to start.”
Patterson also placed 11th in the 50K at the 2018 Olympics and looks forward to the upcoming 50K freestyle in Beijing.
“The 50K is kind of the big focus of my Olympics,” Patterson said.
Gus Schumacher
Gus Schumacher, 21, of Anchorage had a tough Olympic debut, finished 39th more than nine minutes behind winner Alexander Bolshunov of Russia.
“I am disappointed,” Schumacher, a junior world champion who has shown promise in his 1 ½ seasons so far on the World Cup, told reporters after the race. “But I want younger people to know that it’s a long process, and there are going to be bad days.”
Schumacher did finish one second ahead of the top-ranked skier in the world, Norwegian multiple gold medalist Johannes Klaebo, after passing him near the end.
“I’m proud of myself for pushing the entire way and finishing. But I’ll have more races, and better races. And I know I just need to be patient,” Schumacher told reporters.
The women’s 15K skiathlon kicked off the cross country skiing schedule late Friday night, with Rosie Brennan of Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center taking 14th place. She even briefly led the pack early on but struggled to maintain her form in the windy, cold weather.
“(There was definitely a little bit of everything today. Some good, some ugly, some in-between,” Brennan told U.S. Ski & Snowboard, adding that four years ago in South Korea she finished near the back while dealing with mono and didn’t race again at those Olympics. “To be in a better place today was a step in the right direction.”
Brennan’s breakthrough on the World Cup came last season, with a win and several podiums. If in peak form, she is considered a medal contender in Beijing.
Hailey Swirbul of APU placed 40th in the skiathlon and looks to improve as the Olympics continue. Along with Brennan, she’s a likely candidate for the women’s 4X5-kilometer relay team.
Jessica Yeaton
Jessica Yeaton, a graduate of South Anchorage High School, was pleased with 31st. She was born in Australia and is representing that country for her second Olympics.
“I’m very proud to come away with Australia’s best ever individual performance at the Olympics,” Yeaton posted on Facebook.
Making their first Olympic appearances late Monday in the freestyle sprint with be Luke Jager of Anchorage, JC Schoonmaker from the University of Alaska Anchorage, Hannah Halvorsen of APU and Mariel Pulles of the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Caitlin Patterson, formerly of Anchorage, has not yet raced.
CURLING
The team of Persinger and Minnesota Chris Plys struggled with consistency and making the big shots in key moments. The result was several close losses and a 3-5 record with one game remaining in the round-robin portion of the tournament.
Only the top four teams advance to the semifinals, and Persinger and Plys were eliminated from medal contention after losing 6-5 to Switzerland on Sunday.
Vicky Persinger
“I hope to bring a little more confidence and less nerves if I get the chance (to come back to the Olympics),” Persinger told USA Curling.
Said Plys: “Looking back on the week, we were right there every single game. It just comes down to one or two shots a game that can turn easily. Unfortunately, we were on the side you don’t want to be on when that stuff happens.”
The men’s doubles tournament begins Wednesday. Colin Hufman, formerly of Fairbanks, is an alternate for the U.S. team, which won gold in 2018 and is against skipped by John Shuster of Wisconsin.
FIGURE SKATING
Keegan Messing
Messing, who grew up in Girdwood, lives in Anchorage and competes for Canada (his mother was born there), tested positive for COVID and was stuck in Vancouver for a week awaiting the necessary negative tests that would allow him to travel to Beijing.
He finally achieved that and is expected to arrive in Beijing on Monday, just a day before the men’s singles short program. He’s already missed the team competition, requiring another teammate to fill in.
Messing placed 12th at the 2018 Olympics and sixth at the 2021 World Championships. These Olympics are expected to be his last.
ICE HOCKEY
In women’s ice hockey, the U.S. is 3-0 and has outscored its opponents 18-2 so far, with an eventual gold-medal showdown against Canada expected. Nick Walters of Eagle River is the team’s video coach and Steve Thompson, formerly of UAF, is the goaltending coach, although Thompson was in quarantine after testing positive for COVID upon arrival in Beijing.
Brian Cooper
In the men’s tournament, the U.S., with Brian Cooper of Anchorage, opens play against host China on Thursday. Mat Robinson, formerly of UAA, skates on the Canadian squad.
BOBSLEDDING
Hunter Church, who spent part of his childhood in Anchorage, starts competition on Monday in the men’s two-man bobsled.