Community Chat

[Lila Belle]

SOCHI, Russia (AP) — Lining up on the Sochi ice to receive their gold medals, the American ice sledge hockey team anticipated abuse from the Russian crowd.

It never came. Just cheers and applause.

However serious the Ukraine-related tensions between the U.S. and Russia are in the backdrop of these Winter Paralympics, they weren't evident in the Shayba Arena on Saturday.

Not even after Russia was denied the ice sledge hockey gold in the final by the Americans, who sent no official delegation to Sochi in a protest against Moscow's takeover of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula.

"When they announced us as the gold medal I was really surprised that the crowd cheered," U.S. forward Josh Sweeney said.

It was Sweeney's goal in the second period that retained the Paralympic title for the U.S., ensuring it was "The Star-Spangled Banner" playing later in the near-7,000 capacity arena as the team embraced on the ice.

"We all came together and trusted each other, and that's what got it done at the end," defenseman Taylor Chase said.

SOCHI, Russia (AP) — Lining up on the Sochi ice to receive their gold medals, the American ice sledge hockey team anticipated abuse from the Russian crowd.

It never came. Just cheers and applause.

However serious the Ukraine-related tensions between the U.S. and Russia are in the backdrop of these Winter Paralympics, they weren't evident in the Shayba Arena on Saturday.

Not even after Russia was denied the ice sledge hockey gold in the final by the Americans, who sent no official delegation to Sochi in a protest against Moscow's takeover of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula.

"When they announced us as the gold medal I was really surprised that the crowd cheered," U.S. forward Josh Sweeney said.

It was Sweeney's goal in the second period that retained the Paralympic title for the U.S., ensuring it was "The Star-Spangled Banner" playing later in the near-7,000 capacity arena as the team embraced on the ice.

"We all came together and trusted each other, and that's what got it done at the end," defenseman Taylor Chase said.

An explosion also put Sweeney on a path to the Paralympics. It's less than five years since he lost his legs and left arm after stepping on an improvised explosive device while on patrol in Afghanistan.

Now Sweeney, an able-bodied hockey player in high school, has a sporting medal to join the military honor awarded for his courage and bravery.

"Purple Hearts are normally awarded after being injured in the line of duty after a lot of work, so it's a little upsetting," Sweeney said. "I didn't have to get injured to win a gold medal."

Sweeney's team succeeded where the U.S. men fell short in the Sochi Olympics last month. The men didn't make the podium, although the women's team was second.

Saturday's final gave disability sport its biggest platform yet in the U.S., with NBC making a late change to its schedules to show its first live action from the Paralympics.

"I never thought that would happen," Sweeney said. "I never knew about Paralympics growing up, and hopefully what this will do is get more kids and more adults into sled hockey so we can grow this sport to be a household sport."

The TV exposure enabled Sweeney to show his fellow Marines there was life after being injured in the line of duty.

"It's awesome they can see me doing something amazing," he said. "When I was injured they all took it really hard, so it's nice for them to see my life isn't over."

Far from it.

[hckynut]

Congratulations to those hard working athletes for their hard work and effort. And here is shows what all can be overcome with desire and hard work.

Thank you for showing the world who is the best in your sport.