Hockey: USA vs Canada
[TRANSCRIPT]
ALEX ABENCHUCHAN:
Today is Friday night in Chiavenna. We just finished watching a big hockey game between the United States and Canada with plenty of turnout. Here’s a summary of what happened so take a look!
[Cut to B-roll]
DANNY LACEY:
Now that the first quarter has ended, Canada is leading 2-0
[Cut to B-roll]
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[Cut to B-roll]
DANNY LACEY:
The US finally scored a goal. Number 23 got himself into a 1-on-1 situation, made a nice move before scoring a great goal. Canada is still currently leading the US, 2-1.
[Cut to B-roll]
ALEX ABENCHUCHAN:
Canada won 4-1.
[Cut to B-roll]
DEREK STRUWING:
Today, I think we could’ve come back harder. I think we could’ve played better. Obviously tonight, they were the better team but tomorrow, we will be ready to go. We’ll win that gold medal.
ALEX ABENCHUCHAN:
I know that the gold medal game is tomorrow so do you feel like your team held back a little today?
JEFF MANSFIELD:
No, I feel like we gave it our all today. We’ll keep thinking positive and we want to keep the momentum going. It was a good game for us to keep ourselves going, but at the same time, it was an opportunity for us to continue to improve. We’ll continue bringing that level of intensity tomorrow and we’ll really put in extra, 110% effort.
ALEX ABENCHUCHAN:
You faced a lot of shots so do you feel that Canada is the strongest offensive team that you’ve faced so far?
JEFF MANSFIELD:
Yes, Canada is the toughest team that we’ve faced this week. Every game is tough, but Canada can match up with us in terms of speed, physicality and intensity. So, it will be a very exciting game tomorrow and I can’t wait! Only less that 24 hours to go, but I’m ready!
ALEX ABENCHUCHAN:
Good luck tomorrow!
[TEXT: WHO WILL WIN THE GOLD MEDAL MATCH?]
YOUNG US FAN:
Go USA!
FEMALE CANADIAN FANS:
Canada is much better than the US!
MALE RUSSIAN FAN:
I think they’re evenly matched.
FEMALE US FAN:
I know that the US team will win because they’ve got the muscles!
FEMALE FAN:
Who do I think will win? Well, Team Canada is really strong and they make a lot of shots on the goal. Who knows what will happen at tomorrow’s game?!
ALEX ABENCHUCHAN:
Well, Team Canada beat Team USA with the score of 4-1. Today’s game was important, but tomorrow will the gold medal match. We’ll see what happens tomorrow evening! Before then, we’ll have a 3rd-place match between Russia and Finland. Now, here’s an update on another gold medal game, the Curling finals for both men and women. Russia placed 2nd in both men and women’s categories. China was the place finished in both men and women’s categories. Congratulation to these Curling teams!
[Cut to B-roll]
ALEX ABENCHUCHAN:
Maybe you’ve noticed that many these medalists are Russian. They received the highest number of medals, over 40, putting them far ahead of other countries. Now I wonder what motivates these Russian athletes to accomplish so much. Callie has interviewed with someone who will share more details.
CALLIE FRYE:
What is your name?
SLAVA KLIMOV:
Slava and this is my sign name.
CALLIE FRYE:
You’re from Russia?
SLAVA KLIMOV:
Yes, I’m from Moscow where I grew up.
CALLIE FRYE:
Okay, I’ve been seeing rumors that Team Russia has been getting a lot of medals. Currently at the 2019 Winter Deaflympics, Russian athletes have won over 40 medals so I wonder if these athletes will be rewarded if they bring home these medals?
SLAVA KLIMOV:
That is indeed true. The first gold medal they get will net them 4 million rubles. In US dollars, that’s about $60,000. Those who finish second will be rewarded 5 million rubles which means about $30,000. Third place finishers collect 1.5 million rubles which is about $20,000.
CALLIE FRYE:
The money is awarded from the Russian government, correct?
SLAVA KLIMOV:
Yes, the government awards them money plus if you’re from the city of Moscow, there is an additional stipend. The payout is done on a monthly basis. If you win a gold medal, you will receive monthly payments for life.
CALLIE FRYE:
Every month?
SLAVA KLIMOV:
Every month. Maybe $500-600 each month. If you’re a second or third place finisher, that means you’d get monthly payments for 4 years or until the next Deaflympics when the new medalists are awarded. For gold medalists, they get paid forever.
[A MESSAGE FROM THE US DEAF SKI & SNOWBOARD ASSOCIATION]
MALE:
We, the USDSSA Board, wish our athletes the best of luck!
MALE:
We believe in our Team USA! I know you will represent us well!
FEMALE:
I’m really excited to see how our team will do in Italy! Go USA!
[Cut to B-roll]
[Cut back to Callie interviewing Slava Klimov]
CALLIE FRYE:
I’m curious about why Russia has this program where they pay for their athletes’ training to prepare them for the Deaflympics then additional money if they win medals. That’s a lot of money so why do they do this?
SLAVA KLIMOV:
If a Russian athlete wins a medal then the Russian president Vladimir Putin, this is his sign name, will want to reward you. He wants support and fund Olympians and Deaflympics athletes because he believes that all athletes deserve to be rewarded whether they’re hearing or deaf. He’s been doing this since, I think, early 2000s.
CALLIE FRYE:
Hopefully, other countries will adopt this practice.
SLAVA KLIMOV:
I know that’d be nice. I know that Russians, Ukrainians, Americans and the Chinese more than anyone, if they win a medal then they could get paid $250,000 which is very nice. They promote a lot of excellence in sports. Now that Russians are being rewarded by winning medals, there are many parents who will encourage their children to get involved in sports. It’s gotten a lot bigger than it used to be. Most of which can be seen in the swimming sport because of the number of individual medals that can be won. It could be any other sport that involves multiple individual medals. It’s hard with hockey because there’s only one medal.
CALLIE FRYE:
So, the money is divided among the team.
SLAVA KLIMOV:
Yes, well they don’t get divided up. All of the players will get money, but the chances of winning a medal through this sport is harder. It’s easier in individual sports like swimming where you have the 50m, 100m, 250m, 500m or 1000m. There are more chances for you to win a medal while it’s tougher in hockey.
CALLIE FRYE:
There are many different events in swimming, I can understand that!
ALEX ABENCUCHAN:
Thank you, Callie, for that interview. I wonder about Russia and their athletics program. Should America have the same kind of reward program for our best athletes? This is something that we could debate. Throughout the Deaflympics, I’ve seen instances of athletes being severely injured during their competitions. I was touched by one injury in particular when one snowboarder from Japan crashed injuring their head and back during a Slopestyle competition. Our US snowboarding team has endured knee, shoulder injuries among other ailments. One of the US hockey players suffered a serious cut on the forehead requiring stitches.
[Cut to B-roll]
MALE US ATHLETE:
When I collapsed, I felt a pop. When I arrived at the hospital, it seemed like it was the meniscus.
[Cut to B-roll]
FEMALE SNOWBOARDER:
I had a bad 2nd run! I fell and hurt my shoulder!
[Cut to B-roll]
MALE SNOWBOARDER:
Hit my face and my forehead. I faceplanted pretty bad.
[Cut to B-roll]
ALEX ABENCHUCHAN:
There were many injuries. I wondered what the US does to prepare for the possibility of injury? I asked the Team US athletic trainer, Ilana Bell.
Come on over and have a discussion with us!
ILANA BELL:
Hello!
ALEX ABENCHUCHAN:
I wonder how you prepare the US athletes for Olympic events could lead to serious injuries and heavy physical toll?
ILANA BELL:
Athlete training means injury management and prevention. So, in advance, I prepare and think of what I need to bring to best help my athletes should any injuries occur. It can be anything from First Aid like bandages, gauze, or tape to medication for pain. That’s also dependent on the medical histories of these athletes. I have to think about what kind of risks there are in snowboarding, skiing and curling. In snowboarding, it’s high impact and there’s a lot activity in the air and a lot of risks associated with landing the wrong way leading to leg, back and head injuries. I need to prepare for treating these kinds of injuries.
With hockey players, for example, I don’t worry too much about them. They have their own athletic trainer and a team doctor so that’s a relief knowing I don’t have to worry so much about that because of, again, there’s a lot of high impact and hitting in hockey.
ALEX ABENCHUCHAN:
You’re always prepared with your First Aid kit and a plan. You always have to be ready for whatever happens, right?
ILANA BELL:
Yeah, so I always have a bag with as much equipment I can fit in there! I can help whenever I need to.
ALEX ABENCHUCHAN:
Well, there you go! Thank you so much for explaining!
ILANA BELL:
Thank you for having me!
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ALEX ABENCHUCHAN:
Now I’m going to show you a Deaf Bing from the top of a mountain in Italy! How do these people working together organizing these games communicate with each other?
[Cut to B-roll]
MALE STAFF
This is truly a Deaf Bing moment. Since we’re on top of a mountain, we can’t use technology or a helicopter, we have people standing within a distance of each other along the mountain. This way, we all can communicate a pass on messages. That’s a good example of Deaf Bing and another advantage of sign language!
ALEX ABENCHUCHAN:
That’s all for today! Tomorrow is Saturday, the last day of the 2019 Winter Deaflympics which will be wrapped up with two hockey games, Bronze and Gold medal matches. Then we will be doing a coverage of the closing ceremony!
Good night!
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