TURIN, Italy, Feb. 24 (UPI) -- Highlights from Friday's action at the Winter Olympics:
-- Sweden and Finland set up an unexpected gold medal hockey game with their semifinal triumphs. The Swedes took a 5-1 lead and defeated the Czech Republic, 7-3. Finland recorded its fifth shutout of the Games, 4-0, over Russia.
-- Julia Mancuso also did the unexpected in the giant slalom. She won the first and only alpine medal for the American women at these Olympics and it was a gold one.
-- World record holder Chad Hedrick had to settle for silver in the grueling, 10-kilometer speed skating race as Bob de Jong of the Netherlands turned in an outstanding time for a gold. Hedrick finished the Olympics with a gold, silver and bronze.
-- The American men won the United States' first curling medal with an 8-6 victory over Britain in the match for bronze. Canada scored six points in the sixth end and drubbed Finland for the gold, 10-4.
-- Germany had nine gold medals while Austria, Russia and the United States all had eight. Germany's total of 24 medals was only one greater than the Americans.
