Winter Olympics: Ice Hockey
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.FOR the Soviet Union read Russia. The old superpower won seven of the nine golds on offer from 1956-1988, and then the Unified Team - all Russian - added another one at Albertville.
That team has broken up almost completely, with players heading for the riches of the National Hockey League in the United States (there is no dream team here, no NHL players are in Lillehammer), and has brought the Russians closer to their challengers this time. Their famously grumpy coach, Viktor Tikhonov, is still favourite for a fourth successive championship, although the real incentive for his players - and indeed for any other young hopefuls - is to be talent-spotted and whizzed across the Atlantic.
The event is the Winter Games' daily soap opera, much like the boxing in the summer Games, although probably with more punches. There are 12 teams taking part (Britain did not qualify), divided into two pools. Eight teams will go through from the round-robin stage. Sweden and the United States, who fought out two memorably bruising wars in Albertville, will again be the strongest challengers to Russian hegemony.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments