In the group stage, both the Soviet and U.S. teams were unbeaten; the U.S. achieved several surprising results, including a 22 draw against Sweden,[1] and a 73 upset victory over second-place favorite Czechoslovakia. Johnson's second goal came on the power play after Dave Silk took a hit to make a play and the puck bounced through a Soviet defender's skates right onto Johnson's stick. Goalie Coach: Warren Strelow. In the final game the U.S. would face Finland, a team that had beaten the Czechs in the other semifinal. Over 1,100 athletes from 37 countries participated in the 1980 Winter Games, but the only ones most people will ever remember are 21-year-old American speed skater Eric Heiden, who won five individual gold medals, and the U.S. hockey teama bunch of college kids (average age 22) who beat the unbeatable . Mark Johnson's last-second goal was equal parts hustle and skill as he completely fooled Tretiak with a split-second decision to hold the puck just a tick longer before depositing it in the net. However, theIIHF declined the request after the Soviets complained that it would cause the game to air at 4 a.m. Moscow Time, as opposed to 1 a.m. Asa result, ABC decided not to broadcast the game live for the U.S. audience and tape delayed it for broadcast during its primetime block of Olympics coverage. All advanced data in this story is from Sznajder and Peters. And the 1980 games stand alone today as the cleanest on record -- the first . Just like in Lake Placid in 1980, the Americans . By wiskcie. Since that milestone game in 1980, hockey in the United States has grown significantly at the professional and amateur levels. League Search Page -> Intl -> 1979-80 -> U.S. Olympic Team -> Roster & Statistics. That's some serious opportunism. As the players went nuts on the ice, Brooks, ever the psychologist, quickly put his players back in their place. The story first needs a Goliath, and even the most cursory look at the Soviets shows their might. [14][15] The situation even led to Canadian withdrawal from the 1972 and 1976 Olympics, but the IOC did not change the rules until the late 1980s. The U.S. did not have a controlled exit of its zone until the fifth attempt and failed to get out at all on two of those early attempts. 1980 USA Olympic Hockey Team Autographed Sports Illustrated JSA COA (16) Brooks . Even when the U.S. had NHL players playing for it in the 1976 Canada Cup, it lost to the Soviets twice (outscored 9-2). The Moscow Games were the 19th occurrence of the modern Olympic Games. In the waning seconds of the first period, Dave Christian fired a slap shot on Tretiak from 100 feet (30m) away. Listen here , "I scored a goal against the Soviets in the exhibition game, almost the exact same place and the exact same spot in Madison Square Garden. Their chances were almost always one and done. United States Were 1000-1 Underdogs To Defeat the Soviet Union at 1980 Winter Olympics Published on November 12th, 2019 2:20 pm EST . The Americans were the best-conditioned team in any game they played and used their depth to their advantage. That's where skill comes into play. "[77] Two days after the Miracle on Ice, the Soviet team defeated Sweden 92, winning the silver medal. The ranking was: Soviet Union (1), Czechoslovakia (2), Sweden (3), Canada (4), Finland (5), West Germany (6), United States (7), Poland (8), Netherlands (9), Romania (10), Norway (11), Japan (12). Late Friday afternoon of the Olympic semi-final game on February 22, 1980, ten thousand people crammed into the Lake Placid ice arena. The metrics do help us better understand what those American 20-somethings were up against and how they overcame it. The Brown Journal of World Affairs. He continuously stumped the Soviet offense. The original sports were alpine and cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating. The U.S. had 19-year-old Mike Ramsey, while the Soviets had 35-year-old Boris Mikhailov playing in his third and final Olympics.) [41] Confusion reigned immediately after as the game clock showed 0:00 since it could not be stopped in time after Johnson's goal. "The thing that has stuck in my mind all these years is the brilliance of Herb and his master plan," said Craig Patrick, Team USA's assistant coach in 1980 and a Hockey Hall of Famer. [34] Before the game aired, ABC's Olympics host Jim McKay openly stated that the game had already occurred, but that they had promised not to spoil its results. We have a great online selection at the lowest prices with Fast & Free shipping on many items! You were meant to be here. $100.00 They defeated Japan 160, the Netherlands 174, Poland 81, Finland 42, and Canada 64 to easily qualify for the next round, although both the Finns and the Canadians gave the Soviets tough games for two periods. The Winter Olympics, which began in 1924 in Chamonix, France, included a men's ice hockey tournament, and it has been part of the Winter Games ever since. The 1980 US Olympic Hockey team is synonymous with overcoming what can seem like insurmountable odds. After an emotional speech between the intermission from Brooks, reminding players ever so eloquently that they would regret this moment for the rest of their lives if they let it slip away, the U.S. came out inspired and tried to make history. That's it. Nations that did not participate in the Lake Placid Olympics were invited to compete in the inaugural Thayer Tutt Trophy in Ljubljana, Yugoslavia. Brown.edu. Twenty minutes to score two goals, all while holding off the Soviet offensive attack? "They were really mentally tough and goal-oriented," added Brooks. [23] President Carter eventually decided in favor of the boycott. The men's ice hockey tournament at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, U.S.A., was the 14th Olympic Championship. Official results of the ice-hockey ice hockey men event at the Lake Placid Winter Olympics. 11 seconds, you've got 10 seconds, the countdown going on right now! "That was a goal scorer's goal," Vairo said. The United States won its second gold medal, including a win over the heavily favored Soviet Union that became known as the "Miracle on Ice". In 1999, Sports Illustrated named the "Miracle on Ice" the top sports moment of the 20th century. The 1980 United States Olympic Hockey Team will forever remain etched in thememories of sports fans as one of the greatest sporting events of all-time. After two periods the Soviet Union led, 32. America's top hockey hotbeds The final ten seconds, however, and his "Do you believe in miracles? He ended up the team's leading scorer in the tournament with 11 points. While Poland finished 8th place in Pool A, the Netherlands, winners of Pool B, were ranked 8th while Poland was ranked 9th going into the Olympics. According to our manually tracked data, the Soviets accounted for 20 scoring chances at 5-on-5 (unblocked shots that come from within a more dangerous area of the ice). . "Having played international hockey for so many years, it gives me an awfully warm feeling to be selected as head coach for the 1980 Olympics," Brooks said of his new job. We were a fast, creative team that played extremely disciplined without the puck. The Soviets, who had outscored their opponents 51-11 through their first five games, were just another of a long line of dynasty teams that had won the last four Olympic gold's and five of the last six. The Soviets were led by legendary players in world ice hockey, such as Boris Mikhailov (a top line right winger and team captain), Vladislav Tretiak (the consensus best goaltender in the world at the time), the speedy and skilled Valeri Kharlamov, and talented, dynamic players such as defenseman Viacheslav Fetisov and forwards Vladimir Krutov and Sergei Makarov. Using modern game-tracking and evaluation metrics, we crunched the numbers behind the Americans' daunting matchup and how they somehow managed to come out on top. The game was tied 22 after overtime before the Americans prevailed in an eight-round shootout, with T.J. Oshie scoring on 4 of 6 attempts for the United States. [8] As part of its centennial celebration in 2008, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) named the "Miracle on Ice" as the best international ice hockey story of the past 100 years.[9]. O'Callahan eventually returned for the game against the Soviets, playing limited minutes. His ability to kick shots away and not allow many second chances were major keys to success for this team. The "Miracle on Ice" was an ice hockey game during the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. Buy, sell, trade and exchange collectibles easily with Colnect collectors community. We adopted more of a hybrid style of play - a bit of the Canadian school and a little bit of the European school. Over the past three NHL postseasons, only five playoff games out of 258 have had a possession disparity as large or larger than what we saw in the Miracle on Ice. The United States? 1980 Winter Olympics - Hockey Linda Mooney 701K views 9 years ago 1985 Norris Division Final Chicago Blackhawks vs Minnesota North Stars Game 6 Virgil Moody 38K views 4 years ago History Of The. Despite being down 1-0 early in the second period, Steve Christoff got the Americans on the board at 4:39 with a nice wrister down low. Moments after Eruzione's goal, Maltsev fired a shot which ricocheted off the right goal post. On Feb. 22, 1980, the United States ice hockey team, composed exclusively of amateur players, stuns the defending gold medalist Soviet Union at the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. It was a magical ride that happened amidst the backdrop of the Iranian hostage crisis and Soviet invasion of Afghanistan - events that made the now fabled "Miracle on Ice" even more impactful on American history. The 1980 United States Olympic Hockey Team will forever remain etched in the memories of sports fans as one of the greatest sporting events of all-time. The Soviets took the opening round encounter 41 in Edmonton. The first period ended with the game tied 22.[42]. And a band of collegiate hockey players from the. In a TV interview immediately after the game, Brooks in a rare unguarded exuberance explained, "We had a game plan, the players stayed with it. Defending with numbers doesn't work unless everyone is doing their job. The Story of the 1980 U.S. Hockey Team: With Craig R. Whitney, Walter Mondale, John Powers, Jack O'Callahan. Isle of Man : Coins [Series: 1980 - Winter Games 1980 | Year: 1980]. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright . So on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the game, we took a closer look. In 1999, Sports Illustrated named the "Miracle on Ice" the top sports moment of the 20th century. Game Over, Choose Your Weapon, Game of Thrones Skate Or Die, Loving you is a losing Game, Axolotl Questions Retro Classic T-Shirt. The victory was voted the greatest sports moment of the 20th century by Sports Illustrated.[62]. The IIHF ceased running a championship in Olympic years. Get the best deals for 1980 olympic hockey signed at eBay.com. Only months before the games began, the USSR had invaded Afghanistan, and there was speculation that the Soviet Union might not be allowed to compete in these Olympics. Al Michaels was on the telephone. In short, we went all modern on the Miracle on Ice. The Lake Placid Games were the 13th occurrence of the Winter Olympic Games. Eruzione had two shots on goal the entire game, the last of which became one of the most famous goals ever scored: a low, hard wrist shot past a kneeling defender and in a very difficult place for Myshkin to get a piece of it. But its domination was not to last. To win this game, the Americans had to play it perfectly. The Unified Team eventually won the gold medal, while the U.S. placed fourth. Alexander Maltsev's breakaway goal in the second period was the only instance when the Soviets got behind the U.S. defense for an extended odd-man break. Our style of play was probably different than anything in North America. It was suddenly pandemonium in Lake Placid, as the team threw their sticks into the crowd and formed a human pile at center ice to the chants of "USA! The Soviets dominated play in the second period, outshooting the Americans 122, but scored only once, on a power play goal by Aleksandr Maltsev 2:18 into play. They included a deflected shot off of a defensive-zone turnover, a broken play and unfortunate bounce ending with a wrist shot over his glove, and finally a breakaway from the blue line in. The Cold War on Ice XIV.2 (2008): 7787. 1 sports moment of the 20th century. He screamed at them not to get too cocky, and that they were just lucky, and hadn't won anything yet. The coach of the squad was Herb Brooks, who was no stranger to the U.S. Olympic hockey program. In what many Americans considered "the longest 10 minutes of their lives", the Soviets, trailing for the first time in the game, attacked ferociously. But then it mustered only two shots on net in the second frame and trailed 3-2 heading into the third period. It was a magical ride that happened amidst the backdrop of the Iranian hostage crisis and Soviet invasion of Afghanistan - events that made the now fabled "Miracle on Ice" even more impactful on American history. Twelve teams competed in the tournament, which was held from February 12 to 24. Two shifts later, Vladimir Krutov hit the post from a tough angle in what ended up being the Soviets' best chance to tie the game. It's kind of corny and I could see them thinking, 'Here goes Herb again.' But I believed it. It's the same as punting on first down. [24] Before the game, Brooks read his players a statement he had written out on a piece of paper, telling them that "You were born to be a player. The Story Behind the Miracle on Ice . All of us who were rooting for the American squad were just hoping that the game would be close and we would not be embarrassed by the might Russians. Focus on Sport. Nicaragua 1980 SG#MS2242 Revolution Anniv MNH M/S . The Soviet and American teams were natural rivals due to the decades-old Cold War. Until it wasn't -- thanks in part to goaltender Jim Craig's nine saves in that final frame. The Americans, who, since the inception of the Winter Games, had won one gold medal (1960), four silver medals (1924, 1952, 1956 & 1972), and one bronze (1936), were eager to bring home some hardware on their native soil. "That's stupid. Many of the Soviet players had gained attention in the Summit Series eight years before and, in contrast to the American players, were de facto professionals with long histories of international play,[12] employed by industrial firms or military organizations for the sole purpose of playing hockey on their organization's team. Inside the miracle: How USA won nameofthegamesports (1,630) 100%. The top two teams from each group play the top two teams from the other group once. Ice hockey game during the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York, University of WisconsinMadison women's team, "Americans stun Czechs in Olympic ice hockey", "U.S. pucksters upset Czechs, boost medal odds", "U.S. defeats Finland, clinches hockey gold", "The 20th Century Awards: Sports Illustrated honors world's greatest athletes", "How the Russians break the Olympic rules - CSMonitor.com", "Central Intelligence Agency Information Report: SOVIET CONTROL OF SPORTS ACTIVITIES AND SPORTS PROPAGANDA", "PROTESTING AMATEUR RULES, CANADA LEAVES INTERNATIONAL HOCKEY", "Soviet Sports As An Instrument Of Political Propaganda", "TV SPORTS; 'Miracle on Ice' of 1980 Looks Different Today", "10 interesting facts you may not know about the Miracle on Ice", "1980 U.S. hockey team's keys to success: Home ice, coaching, luck and especially conditioning", "Miracle On Ice doctor has fond memories of brooks, U", "Olympics - 1980 Lake Placid - Highlights - USA Hockey - All Games imasportsphile.com", "Miracle on Ice: USA beats Soviet Union in 1980 Olympics", "USA holds off Russia 32 to advance to gold medal game", "Sweeping changes: Russian hockey looked different after '72 Summit Series", "TEAM USA BEATS RUSSIA IN 'MARATHON ON ICE', "Parable on Ice: Hockey, Capitalism and American Decadence at the Lake Placid Olympics,", Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Miracle_on_Ice&oldid=1142202678, United States Hockey Hall of Fame inductees, United States national ice hockey team games, Soviet Union national ice hockey team games, February 1980 sports events in the United States, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. The United States won its second gold medal in the history of the Winter Olympics, including a victory over the heavily favored Soviet Union. [78] The result stunned the Soviet Union and its news media. Brooks, who had just finished leading the University of Minnesota's Golden Gophers to the national championship in 1979, now had the responsibility of selecting the 20 players to represent his United States Olympic team. But they had the ability to answer the bell. International Hockey Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. . The line of Schneider-Pavelich-Harrington led the team's four lines in scoring with 17 goals and 20 assists in seven Olympic tournament games. While some stars had left the Soviet Union to play in the NHL, the Unified Team still boasted many veterans from their domestic professional league, while the Americans were represented primarily by college players. Many of the players were visibly moved by what they had done, as evidenced during the singing of the National Anthem where the entire team gathered on the top podium. 1980 Winter Olympics Memorabilia - Miracle on Ice Own a piece of Olympic history! Every hockey game you need a few bounces to go your way, but this was not some lucky break or fluke win. In fact, Sports Illustrated selected the team's victory over the Soviet Union en route to winning the gold medal as the No. (1:47 . The Soviet goalie saved the shot but misplayed the rebound, which bounced out some 20 feet (6.1m) in front of him. A made-for-TV movie Miracle on Ice, starring Karl Malden as Brooks, Steve Guttenberg as Craig, and Andrew Stevens as Eruzione aired on ABC television in 1981. Eric and the Miracles. With his team down 21, Craig improved his play, turning away many Soviet shots before the U.S. team had another shot on goal. In the end, the Americans were better prepared both physically and mentally than their opponents. YES!" According to the zone entry data compiled by Sznajder, the Soviet attack gained the U.S. zone 84 times over the course of the game. But the victory becomes even more miraculous when you see how badly the U.S. was outchanced that day by the older, more experienced Soviets. Goaltenders with 40% or more of their team's total minutes. 1980 Winter Olympics Lake Placid Men's Ice Hockey Ticket Stub Miracle On Ice #1. It was an improbable miracle, but the Americans carried out what they wanted to do against the Soviets. 1 sports moment of the 20th century. Ice Hockey Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. Brilliant goaltending by Jim Craig, who played all seven contests, was a big factor in the victory, as was the stellar play by defensemen Dave Christian, Ken Morrow, Mike Ramsey, Neal Broten and Bill Baker. At the Winter Olympics of 1980, after two tense weeks amidst growing Cold War fears, the U.S. Olympic hockey team found themselves playing improbably against the legendary unbeatable Soviet Army hockey team for a chance at Olympic Gold. Then came Eruzione. The USSR also had seven shots on the power play, and Craig stopped six of them. In contrast, the Americans were a collection of amateur college students, most from the rival schools of University of Minnesota and Boston University. We tracked seven total scoring chances during 5-on-5 play for the Americans. The 1980 Games marked the second time the small upstate New York town had hosted the Winter Olympics. [53] As the U.S. team tried to clear the zone (move the puck over the blue line, which they did with seven seconds remaining), the crowd began to count down the seconds left. The U.S., coached by Herb Brooks, and Russia, coached by Viacheslav Fetisov, met twice in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, which included a 22 round-robin draw and a 32 semi-final win for the Americans. RM GA7FW2 - The gold medal winning USA hockey team from 1980 celebrate lighting the Olympic Flame RM F4DJAC - American teenagers Randy Gardner, 19, and Tai Babilonia, 18, wipe off their ice skates after practicing their pair skating routines in 1977 at a rink in Southern California, USA. It was during this time together that the players were introduced to Brooks' new offensive game plan called the 'weave.' With an intense focus on the game itself, the film gives a fresh perspective to the journey of a stunned Soviet team. From there Jim Craig just hung on for the final few minutes of the game as Al Michaels this time screamed "This impossible dream comes true!" Down 2-0 in the first, the Minnesota boys came through big as McClanahan and Broten each tallied to tie it up. It was during this game that Brooks would utter the famous words: "You were born to be a player. [46] Johnson fired off a shot that went under Myshkin and into the net at the 8:39 mark, as the power play was ending, tying the game at 3. After an emotional speech between the intermission from Brooks, reminding players ever so eloquently that they would regret this moment for the rest of their lives if they let it slip away, the U.S. came out inspired and tried to make history. Nations that did not participate in the Lake Placid Olympics were invited to compete in the inaugural Thayer Tutt Trophy in Ljubljana, Yugoslavia. . In 2004, Walt Disney Pictures released the film Miracle, directed by Gavin O'Connor and starring Kurt Russell as Brooks. By contrast, the United States' team, led by head coach Herb Brooks, was composed mostly of amateur players, with only four players with minimal minor-league experience. Jimmy Carter took the lead in the call for a boycott of the 1980 Olympics, and . On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The possession was tilted their way, as detailed above, and Craig registered an even-strength save percentage of .935 in the game. Johnson then saved the day by adding a shorthanded backhand goal of his own just minutes later to give the U.S. a two-goal safety net. It's probably one of the big reasons the world stops to watch the Olympics on a biannual basis. Tretiak was the goalie then," Eruzione recalled. Running a possession deficit that substantial is not usually going to lead to success, and it's somewhat rare to see. Pavelich then floated a perfect pass to the top of the circle where team captain Mike Eruzione fired home "the shot heard round the world." "What stands out strongest in my mind, we definitely deserved to have the gold medal," said Patrick, who remains in hockey as a pro scout with the Penguins. [63] Five of them played over 500NHL games, and three of them played over 1,000 NHL games. [21] On September 17, the team played to a 33 tie in Norway. The top two teams from each group play the top two teams from the other group once. [60], The cover of the March 3, 1980, issue of Sports Illustrated was a photograph by Heinz Kluetmeier of the American players celebrating and waving an American flag;[42] it did not feature any explanatory captions or headlines, because, as Kluetmeier put it, "It didn't need it. This is your moment and it's going to happen.' In Olympic group play, the Americans surprised many observers with their physical, cohesive play. [31][32], In the other group, the Soviets stormed through their opposition undefeated, often by grossly lopsided scores. Lake Placid. Baker was 13-for-13 in getting the puck out, while Christian -- a converted forward -- had seven controlled exits. A ridiculous 71% of shots on goal in the game came from the Soviets, and that number jumped to 81.6% at 5-on-5. The notoriously gifted puck-movers completed successful passing plays on 19% of those entries, lower than they were accustomed to. And with that the Americans had made it into the gold medal game. In total, 65 nations refused to participate in the games, whereas 80 countries sent athletes to compete. LAKE PLACID, N.Y. Tai Babilonia never hesitated. In the group stage, both the Soviet and U.S. teams were unbeaten; the U.S. achieved several notable results, including a 22 draw against Sweden, and a 73 upset victory over second-place favorites Czechoslovakia. USA! In the heart of the Cold War, beating the mighty Soviets was something bigger than they could've ever imagined. There always seemed to be three or four players back, which was a credit to the U.S. speed and discipline. Johnson scored his second of the game at 8:39 of the third period to tie it at 3-3, setting up the heroics for the Iron Rangers. The USA vs USSR game, called the "Miracle on Ice" in the United States, is the best-remembered game of the tournament and the best-remembered international hockey game in the United States. One of the single biggest reasons the Miracle on Ice will always resonate is that it is a unique example of what happens when human beings do extraordinary things in extraordinary circumstances. So the morning of the game I called the team together and told them, 'It's meant to be. After beating Norway and Rumania, now only West Germany (the team that knocked them out of the bronze medal in 1976) stood in the way of getting into the medal round. The USSR center would then cover the exposed point. Yet against the Soviets, losing the possession game was almost an inevitability in a "You can't stop them, you can only hope to contain them" kind of way. Coach Brooks gave only a few interviews after the game. 13 Feb. 2017. This gave the Americans a round robin record of 4-0-1, and a date with the mighty Soviets - who were led by Vladislav Tretiak, the world's premier goaltender. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. Kharlamov fired the puck back in as the clock ticked below 20seconds. In a political or nationalistic sense, I'm sure this game is being viewed with different perspectives, but manifestly, it is a hockey game.". Coach Brooks gave only a few interviews after the game, but blamed his early conservative strategy as a factor.[7]. The "Miracle on Ice" was an ice hockey game during the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York.It was played between the hosting United States and the Soviet Union on February 22, 1980, during the medal round of the men's hockey tournament.Though the Soviet Union was a four-time defending gold medalist and heavily favored, the United States upset them and won 4-3. When the call came in inviting her to Lake Placid for the 40th anniversary of the 1980 Winter Olympics the site of one of the most . Debacle on ice: Lake Placid ghosts still haunt Soviets, U.S. may ban Soviets from Lake Placid, source says, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/time/qfp/104481.htm. The first celebration of the Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. These Olympics came at a difficult time for American-Soviet relations, as they were deep in the Cold War. Official results of the ice-hockey ice hockey men event at the Lake Placid Winter Olympics. Finishing the first period tied at 22, and the Soviets leading 32 following the second, the U.S. team scored two more goals to take their first lead midway in the third and final period, then held on and won43. When taking that same statistic and looking at only 5-on-5 situations, the USSR held a 46-21 shot attempt advantage (68.7% shot share). The match has been dubbed by some as the "Marathon on Ice" due to its length. NHL trade tracker: Latest deals and grades, NHL trade grades: Sabres smartly buy low on Greenway, NHL trade deadline 2023: Fantasy hockey live reaction, Flyers GM: Red Wings nixed van Riemsdyk trade, Avs' Makar OK'd to return 2nd time from protocol, Wild acquire defenseman Klingberg from Ducks, Sabres add size up front, get Greenway from Wild, Penguins acquire defenseman Kulikov from Ducks, Sources: No discipline for Watson hit on Motte, Surging Bruins fastest to 100 pts. The game had all the hype imaginable, with political and social implications written all over it. [25] Through these games, Brooks instilled a European style of play in his team, emphasizing wide-open play with sufficient body contact. The Americans lost 103,[7] and defenseman Jack O'Callahan pulled a ligament in his knee, though he returned for the medal round of the Olympic tournament.