• Winter Olympics

Team GB's bobsleigh crashes out

Nicola Minichiello and Gillian Cooke are pulled out of their bobsleigh at the finish © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Canada claim ice hockey gold
  
• News: Sweden topple Britain in curling
  
• News: Team GB's medal hopes struggle in bobsleigh
  
• Gallery: Winter Olympics: Day 13

Day 13 in pictures

Great Britian's world champion duo of Nicola Minichiello and Gillian Cooke suffered a dangerous crash in their Heat 3 run to crash out of the two-man bobsleigh on Wednesday. Both competitors escaped serious injury but the team could not compete in the fourth and final heat because of the damage to the sled.

Driver Minichiello found trouble in the treacherous combination of turns starting with No.11 and flipped over at the notorious '50-50' turn 13. Both women stayed in the bobsleigh as it slid down the rest of the track and across the finish but Minichiello's head appeared to be sticking worryingly high out of the cabin. In a flip, both racers should tuck their heads down for safety.

But both driver and brakeman were able to climb out straight away with the assistance of course stewards, meaning the biggest damage is likely emotional with the pair failing to live up to expectations even prior to the accident.

"We knew we really had to go for it today and we threw everything into that run," said Minichiello. "We still believed we could do it, even after yesterday. Unfortunately it didn't pay off.

 "We're devastated by what happened, because so much of our focus has been on these Games."

Britain's other pair in the event, Paula Walker and Kelly Thomas, finished 11th, the rank they had started the day. After their third run a Russian crew moved past them into Minichiello and Cooke's previous tenth position.

A German team in contention for a medal also flipped on their last run, proving that this track can get the better of the very best teams.

Canada completed a sensational one-two thanks to Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse's golden run and the silver medal effort by Helen Upperton and Shelley-Ann Brown. Erin Pac and Elana Meyers from the United States took bronze.

There was incredible drama at the women's 3000m short track relay as both the Chinese and Korean teams came in under world record time. Korea crossed the line first but, after a lengthy deliberation, the judges disqualified their team mid-celebration due to a racing incident where their competitor impeded China's racer.

Replays showed it could have gone either way, but there was no doubt about the Korean disappointment and China's elation as the news filtered through. Canada came in for silver while United States was elevated into the bronze position.

Canada was in ecstasy after their men's ice hockey team clinched a 7-3 quarter-final win over one of the tournament favourites in Russia.

Lindsey Vonn fractured her finger after crashing out of the Giant Slalom © Getty Images

Enlarge

Meanwhile, the women's Giant Slalom was put back to Thursday, after thick fog prevented the second run from taking place. Elisabeth Goergl led after the first run with a time of 1:15.12, but the main story focused on Lindsey Vonn as she crashed out. The American overran on an exit and was spat into the safety net. Vonn now has a small fracture in her little finger but she should be able to go for her fourth medal in the slalom on Friday.

Julia Mancuso, the defending champion, was yellow flagged during her run with Vonn on the ground and it clearly unsettled her as she returned to the start but put in a poor first run and finished the race in tears. Britain's Chemmy Alcott made a bright start, but lost her line halfway down the mountain on the first run and lost a bundle of time.

Czech star Martina Sablikova took gold in the 5000 metres speed skating. The world record holder led from flagfall and kept Stephanie Beckert and Clara Hughes at bay in a time of 6:50.91.

Marcus Hellner anchored Sweden to victory in the 4 x 10km relay - the blue riband event of the Cross Country scene. Hellner surged away from the field late in the race, with Norway and Czech Republic taking silver and bronze respectively.

At the women's aerials, Australia's Lydia Lassila grabbed the sun-drenched nation's second gold medal for these Games and second in the history of this event. Lassila blocked a Chinese clean sweep with 2006 silver-medalist Li Nina repeating that effort and Guo Xinxin getting bronze, while final jumper Xu Mengtao couldn't land her final effort, missing out on gold and dropping to sixth.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.