Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Saturday

U.S. Wins Two Olympic Medals

Aired February 09, 2002 - 18:18   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.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: The Winter Games got under way this morning and the U.S. has already won its first medal of the Olympics and joining us now with the early medal count is CNN's "Sports Illustrated" Phil Jones. He's in Park City, Utah. Phil, there's a couple of U.S. athletes out there with some silver on.

PHIL JONES, CNN SPORTS ILLUSTRATED CORRESPONDENT: Yes indeed, they're celebrating already here, the host nation. Four gold medals in all for today and two American medals, as you mentioned, Catherine. The second of them came from Derek Parra surprising the men's 5,000- meter speed skating. You can see him here in a picture on the left of the photo there.

He knocked 3.75 seconds off the old world record in the process, but that time was later beaten by Dutchman Jochem Uytdehaage who took gold -- still an unexpected silver for Parra. Silver also for American Shannon Bahrke in the women's moguls event. Norway's Kari Traa took the gold there. Bahrke with the honor of being the first American medalist in Salt Lake City.

The first gold of the Games was won by Italy's Stefania Belmondo in the Women's 15 K Cross-Country, her eighth Olympic medal from five games. Now the stringent security has meant that some spectators have found big delays in the events they've gone to today. But the organizers say that that will clear up from now on. They expected teething (ph) problems on the first day, but the flow should improve from here on in Catherine.

CALLAWAY: All right, thank you. That's Phil Jones in Park City, looks a little cold there Phil.

JONES: It is indeed.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com