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American Morning

An Incredible Day of Upsets at Olympics

Aired February 22, 2002 - 07:05   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Up front this morning, an incredible day of upsets at the Olympics. Sixteen-year-old honor student Sarah Hughes from Long Island pulled off a near perfect performance last night and captured the gold in the women's skating final. The heavily favored and hugely popular Michelle Kwan made two mistakes during the evening and was given the bronze medal. The heartbroken Kwan said gracefully, "It wasn't meant to be."

CNN's Carol Lin is standing by in Salt Lake City. She joins us now -- good morning, Carol.

CAROL LIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.

Yes, it was a night of shock and surprise. sixteen-year-old Sarah Hughes pulled off the most technically difficult program ever executed at a Winter Olympics game. She landed -- she is the first woman to land two triple-triple combinations. She landed seven triples total in her presentation and she did it because she said she had low expectations. She came into the long program in fourth position and she said she went out there just to have fun.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARAH HUGHES, GOLD MEDALLIST: I really didn't care about the medals for some reason and I don't know why, because every competition I am always, well, I'm like, I'm like oh, I want the gold or I want the silver or I want anything. And after short my whole mind set just changed and I said I'm going to skate because I love to skate and just enjoy the moment. I'll have maybe only one chance at skating in an Olympic games. So, you know, I just really enjoyed it and I enjoyed it even more after.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: No one was more shocked than she that she won the gold. But a disappointment for Michelle Kwan, who may be remembered throughout her spectacular career for the moment when she fell in her long program. It happened in the first minute, where she fell on her first triple flip. Michelle Kwan, always known for her artistry, struggled with her technical program last night. She knew she had to be more athletic than she traditionally was. She knew that she had to take more risks because athletically in a technical program that is where she would lose. And the crowd was urging her on, Paula, throughout, even after that fall. When she met her father at the gate at the end of the program, she whispered to him, "I never gave up." So she gave herself credit for at least trying to pull through and finishing that program.

But another upset yesterday, a real shocker for women's hockey. The women's hockey team for Canada went into this program after eight consecutive losses to the U.S. team and yet in the last moments of the game last night, well, Canada pulls it out and beats the United States three to two. The Canadian forward said earlier in the game, "You could see the fear in the women, in the American women's eyes." And many people are speculating this morning that it's simply because the expectations were so high for the U.S. team that Canada pulled it through in the end -- Paula.

A lot of unexpected action on the ice.

ZAHN: Oh, I know. It's probably one of the more unusual nights at the Olympics.

Before we let you go, what do you make of these reports that the Russians are threatening to pull out of the Olympics because of what they say are bad calls?

LIN: Yes, the Russians are really upset. It started yesterday -- actually, it started in the pairs competition with the controversy between the Canadians and the Russian skaters. But yesterday they, there was a controversy at the cross country run. Basically, the Russian contender was pulled from the competition after her blood test came back at a high hemoglobin level, which may indicate doping. Well, the Russians came out at a press conference yesterday and they are calling the judging overall at this Winter Games with a North American bias. They are saying that the judging is malicious and biased. They're complaining now about the officiating at the men's hockey game and they're also bringing up that controversy on ice with the pairs skater. They're saying they're going to pull out their athletes now and that they're going to boycott Athens in 2004 unless the International Olympic Committee addresses their concerns within the next 24 hours.

And they are joining the South Koreans in a complaint here over judging at the Winter Games.

ZAHN: Well, I'll tell you one thing, it certainly has become a lawyers' Olympics, because now the South Koreans are upset, too. So you'll have to keep us posted on who's upset with whom.

Thanks, Carol. Appreciate the update.

LIN: Sure.

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