Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Sunday

U.S. Team Claims First Olympic Gold Medal

Aired February 10, 2002 - 18:15   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 Olympics are well under way in Utah, and the U.S. team struck gold today. CNN/SPORTS ILLUSTRATED correspondent Tom Rinaldi is there and has an update.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM RINALDI, CNN/SPORTS ILLUSTRATED CORRESPONDENT (on-camera): A very big day on the slopes and ramps at the Winter Olympics here in Utah. It turns out to be a golden day for the United States, as the U.S. claims its first gold medal. It comes in snow boarding, in the Women's Half Pipe competition. The gold medal goes to 18-year-old Kelly Clark who won on the final run of the day.

The silver in that competition goes to Doriane Vidal of France and the bronze is claimed by Fabienne Reuteler of Switzerland. Again, the U.S. claims its first gold medal and it comes in the Women's Half Pipe.

Well, many are still buzzing about a performance Saturday by an American, Derek Parra who claimed a silver medal as a surprise medalist on the podium, at 5,000 meters in the Long Track Speed Skating competition. Parra was 15th in the world coming in these Olympics, and in fact, he is the first medal winner at 5,000-meters since Eric Hideen.

DEREK PARRA, OLYMPIC SPEEDSKATER: It's been a long road getting here. I came from a different sport and I moved I don't know how many times. My wife has put off her college for I don't know how many years. We just had a baby. It's just been just crazy for this to come up. A surprise like this is just unbelievable.

RINALDI: Not only did Parra leave his wife and child behind to come to Utah to train for this Olympiad, he also found a flexible work schedule at Home Depot. And he plans to take his silver medal back there to show coworkers as a way to say thank you.

At the Winter Olympics in Utah, I'm Tom Rinaldi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CALLAWAY: All right, thank you, Tom. Let's take a look now at medal count. As you can see, Austria leading right now with a total of five medals. Right behind Austria, the United States tied with Germany with three. Norway and Finland have two each. You've got to remember this is early in the games. Right now, Austria leading the way, the U.S. close behind.

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