Winter Olympics: Canada beat USA to take women's ice hockey gold, Mikaela Shiffrin crashes out again

Canada's overcame rivals the USA 3-2 to claim a fifth women's Olympic ice hockey gold and avenge their shootout defeat in Pyeongchang four years ago.

In this latest chapter of the rivalry between these ice hockey superpowers, Canada led 3-0 in the second period and looked on course for a comfortable win.

The USA hit back with two goals late in the final period to ensure a nervy finish, but Canada held on.

«This is redemption,» said captain Marie-Philip Poulin, who scored twice.

«It was one hell of an effort. It's just so good. It's a great feeling.»

The final hooter sparked scenes of jubilation among the Canada players, who were outshot 40-21 during the game and were desperately clinging on as the USA poured forward in the final seconds.

This was the seventh women's ice hockey gold medal match — and the sixth time it has been played put between Canada and the USA. The Canadians reclaimed the Olympic title after the agony of that shootout defeat in 2018 ended their run of four successive gold medals.

Finland defeated Switzerland 4-0 on Wednesday to take bronze.

American two-time Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin will leave the Games without an individual medal after crashing out of the alpine skiing combined — the third event in which she has failed to finish.

Shiffrin, 26, had already skied out of both the slalom and giant slalom but was well-fancied to win gold in the combined event after finishing fifth fastest in the morning's downhill leg.

But returning to the Ice River course, where she had skied out in the other two events, the six-time world champion missed a gate and skied off the course yet again.

It means Shiffin misses the chance to equal Julia Mancuso's American female skiing record of four Olympic medals.

Combined