The Bigger They Are Battered Tomba Withdraws From Slalom, Makes Quiet Exit From Olympics

The earth shook. The emperor was watching. All was in place for Alberto Tomba’s triumphant farewell to the Olympics.

But it wasn’t to be. Instead, his back hurting from the spill he took two days earlier in the giant slalom, Tomba skied to an achingly slow 17th place in the first run of the men’s slalom, then quietly withdrew from the competition.

One of the most gregarious, outgoing Olympians of all time didn’t say a word into the microphones and tape recorders thrust in front of him. Instead, he returned to his hotel with his sister and watched the final run on television.

This was not the kind of farewell Tomba, the first skier to win medals in three Olympics, had envisioned.

The slalom, the final event of the Alpine competition at the Nagano Games, was his best chance for a fourth medal.

Tomba’s time of 57 seconds was 1.94 seconds slower than the leader, Thomas Sykora of Austria. Tomba had come from 1.84 seconds behind to win the silver at Lillehammer.

Late Friday, Hans-Petter Buraas, a 22-year-old from Norway, rallied on the second run to win in a total time of 1 minute, 49.31 seconds.

Norwegian teammate Ole Christian Furuseth won the silver medal in 1:50.64. Sykora’s time was 1:50.68.

Shimer plagued again

Four years ago at Lillehammer, Brian Shimer became the first man in Olympic history to be disqualified for having sled runners that were too warm, which gives a team a sliding advantage.

Now the weather was giving Shimer fits. A steady rain and temperatures in the mid-30s Friday made things difficult for the 35-year-old, four-time Olympian.

Although Shimer guided USA 1 into fourth place after one run of the four-man bobsled, he could have done much better.

“It was a nightmare for me,” said Shimer, who finished the first run in 52.93 seconds, before the second run was canceled because of the weather. “I’m sure I had to be worse than anybody else that came down in the top 10.”

When the competition resumes today, Shimer will resume his quest to lead the United States to its first bobsled medal since Arthur Tyler won the four-man bronze at Cortina, Italy, in 1956.

Shake, rattle, roll

People from the ski slopes of Shiga Kogen to the media village at Nagano felt an earthquake Saturday morning (Friday night PST). It was centered 12 miles underground in Niigata state on the Sea of Japan coast in central Japan, the Meteorological Agency said.

One injury was reported in Niigata state, north of Nagano in central Japan, where the quake was centered; part of a highway was buried by a landslide, and service on Japan’s “bullet” train was halted for about 2 hours.

J-Rod? She’s Florida’s new star

American coach Gerard Kemkers was asked Friday by a European reporter for the top story of these speedskating Olympics, and Kemkers immediately jerked a thumb at the woman standing a few feet away.

“Right there, no doubt,” he said, as Jennifer Rodriguez, fresh off her 10th-place finish in the 5,000-meter race, broke into a smile upon hearing this. “You can’t believe the number of people who have come up to me and offered congratulations for the way she’s skated.”

“You mean she’s the top story for the whole competition?” the reporter asked.

“Yes, without a doubt,” Kemkers answered. “She came into the Olympics ranked something like 100th overall in the world. After the Olympics, she’s in the top six. She now is a name people will be watching.”

Rodriguez, the first South Florida resident to compete in the Winter Olympics, was expected to finish between 16th and 24th in her four races. Instead, she had three top-10 finishes - including a fourth-place in the 3,000-meter race - and a 13th in the 1,000 meters.

“It’s been a totally, magical experience,” Rodriguez, 21, said. “This is the only time and place I’ve wanted to be, and it’s everything I imagined and more.”

Granato to be flag bearer

Cammi Granato, a forward on the women’s hockey team, will serve as flag bearer for the U.S. team during the closing ceremony.

Granato was picked Friday night in a vote by the U.S. team captains of the eight Olympic winter sports.

“I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I would receive such an honor,” said Granato, of Downers Grove, Ill. “I am really living out all of my dreams, and the whole Olympic experience has been the most amazing thing that has ever happened in my life.”

Granato and her teammates beat Canada, 3-1, to win the first Olympic gold medal in women’s hockey.

Keep looking up

If the emperor and empress show up at an Olympic venue, it’s perfectly OK to gaze - just as long as they aren’t perched below you.

Journalists peeking through the windows of the second-floor news conference room at the Snow Harp cross country venue were told to stop as the royal couple talked to volunteers at the stadium’s entrance.

The curtains were promptly drawn, for the most part keeping the imperial guests out of view.

“The police told us that no one can look at the emperor from a higher vantage point and requested us to do this for security reasons,” one volunteer said.