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February 25, 2010 (60 images)

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 26 (UPI) -- Highlights from Thursday's action at the Olympics:

-- Yu-Na Kim became the first South Korean to win an Olympic figure skating medal and she overwhelmed the competition. She captured the women's individual gold medal with the highest score recorded since the judging of figure skating was revamped eight years ago. She landed six triple jumps.

-- The third and final Nordic combined event of the Olympics was held and although the windy, snowy weather played a large role, the United States found the conditions perfect. Americans Bill Demong and Johnny Spillane finished 1-2 in the large hill event, giving the United States four medals overall. Prior to the Vancouver Olympics, no American had won a medal in the sport.

-- The United States, with 18 medal events remaining, has eight golds, the same number as Canada and Germany. The Americans, however, have 32 medals overall. That leads Germany by six and is within two of the all-time best U.S. showing. The only time the United States has won the most medals in the Winter Olympics was 78 years ago in Lake Placid.

-- Marit Bjoergen of Norway anchored her team to a victory in the 20-kilometer cross-country relay. She became the first athlete in these Olympics to win three gold medals and the first to win four medals overall. Norway last won the event in Sarajevo in 1984 and then finished second in five straight Olympics.

-- Canada won the women's hockey gold medal with a 2-0 victory over the United States. It was Canada's third straight Olympic title. Finland, which appeared in the third-place game for the fourth straight time, took the bronze with an overtime victory over Sweden.

-- The women's giant slalom was concluded after the second run had to be postponed Wednesday because of fog. Viktoria Rebensburg of Germany, who has never won a World Cup race, rallied from sixth place after the first run to win the gold medal.

-- American Lindsey Vonn, who crashed in the first run of the giant slalom and broke a pinkie finger in the process, said she would ski Friday in the slalom event that concludes the women's alpine skiing. Slalom skiing, however, is her weakest discipline and a medal in the event would be a surprise.



Canada's Marie-Philip Poulin shoots past USA's goalie Jessie Vetter for the first of her two goals in the first period of the women's gold medal game at Canada Hockey Place in Vancouver, Canada, during the 2010 Winter Olympics on February 25, 2010. UPI/Roger L. Wollenberg
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Kim Yu-Na of the Republic of Korea celebrates after winning the gold medal in the women's figure skating competition at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada on February 25, 2010. UPI/Brian Kersey
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Kim Yu-Na of the Republic of Korea celebrates after winning the gold medal in the women's figure skating competition at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada on February 25, 2010. UPI/Brian Kersey
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Kim Yu-Na of the Republic of Korea celebrates after winning the gold medal in the women's figure skating competition at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada on February 25, 2010. UPI/Brian Kersey
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Track workers smooth the course prior to the start of the Women's Giant Slalom at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics in Whistler, Canada on February 25, 2010. UPI/Kevin Dietsch
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Japan's Mao Asada performs in the free skate program of the Women's Figure Skating final event at the Pacific Coliseum at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada on February 25, 2010. Asada won the silver medal in the event. UPI/Pat Benic
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Japan's Mao Asada performs in the free skate program of the Women's Figure Skating final event at the Pacific Coliseum at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada on February 25, 2010. Asada won the silver medal in the event. UPI/Pat Benic
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Japan's Mao Asada performs in the free skate program of the Women's Figure Skating final event at the Pacific Coliseum at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada on February 25, 2010. Asada won the silver medal in the event. UPI/Pat Benic
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