Ohno, Vonn take last stabs at glory

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – She breezes down the slopes, her blonde hair flapping. He scoots around the short track sporting that famous soul patch, navigating tight quarters in every speedskating race.

Big names already when the Vancouver Olympics started, Lindsey Vonn and Apolo Anton Ohno have lived up to the hype, fighting through occasional adversity to win a couple of medals apiece.

Yet each has some unfinished business.

“I’m still here. The Olympics isn’t over yet,” Ohno said earlier this week. “I am representing the USA. I want to race my best all the way through.”

Ohno competes today in the 500 meters and the 5,000 relay, his last two events of the Vancouver Games. Vonn’s swan song is today when she skis in the slalom. Both events will be aired in prime time by NBC.

Also today, American Tim Burke competes in a biathlon relay, hoping to salvage what has been a disappointing Olympics. That race is also the final chance for Norway’s Ole Einar Bjoerndalen to win gold at the 2010 Games.

Meanwhile, Canada and the United States are inching toward a dramatic matchup for the gold medal in men’s hockey. The U.S. plays Finland in one semifinal, and Canada takes on Slovakia in the other.