Vancouver (AFP) - It took a long-standing rivalry against the mighty Big Red Machine, but Canada finally stamped its authority on the 2010 Olympic hockey quarter-finals with a 7-3 thrashing of top seeded Russia on Wednesday.

"They were much faster than us," said Russian goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov. "They came out like gorillas out of a cage."

Dan Boyle and Rick Nash scored 46 seconds apart in a blistering first period to lead gold medal favourite Canada over the two-time reigning World Champions in front of a raucous crowd of 17,740 at Canada Hockey Place arena.

Corey Perry scored twice in the second period and linemate Ryan Getzlaf had a goal and two assists for Canada who avenged a heartbreaking loss to the Russians in the 2006 Turin Games.

Canada, who had romped into a 4-1 lead in the opening frame, advances to the semi-finals on Friday where they will face Slovakia who upset reigning Olympic gold medallist Sweden 4-3.

"We always feel under pressure to play in Canada, that is the way it is," forward Sidney Crosby said of one of the most anticipated games of the tournament. "Today we used it to energize us.

"It is just a quarter-final, and as good as it is, we have to turn the page quickly."

With the defending champions being bounced it means there will be a new champion crowned on Sunday.

In other quarter-finals on Wednesday, the USA blanked Switzerland 2-0 and Finland stopped the Czech Republic's run by the same score.

That sets up a blood feud between the Americans and Finns. Finland won the silver medal in Turin but they had to fight their way through the US to get to the final.

Finland beat the Americans 4-3 in the quarter-finals and the game that included a brawl at the buzzer in which US forward David Backes pummelled defenceman Anssi Salmela, smashing the defenceman's nose to a bloody pulp.

Canada was out for their own measure of revenge on Wednesday as Russia beat the Canadians 2-0 in the quarters at Turin. The loss eliminated Canada and they finished seventh, their worst showing in an Olympics.

"Both sides wanted to win dearly for their countries," Canadian defenceman Scott Niedermayer said of just the second Olympic hockey meeting between the two teams who have a longer history of playing against each other in the World Championships.

Like Turin, Canada got off to a slow start in Vancouver, suffering a 5-3 loss in the preliminary round to the fifth-seeded USA.

But Canadian fans can take solace from the fact that Canada also struggled in the preliminary round of the 2002 Salt Lake Games and went on to win the gold medal.

Russian superstar Alex Ovechkin was a non-factor for much of the game.

Canada's defence interrupted Ovechkin's flow and when he wasn't being pounded into the boards by the defence he was skating back to the Russian bench to replace one of the three sticks he snapped in the first two periods.

"What do you think? I'm disappointed," Ovechkin barked.

In the only game played at the University of British Columbia arena, Mikka Kiprusoff outduelled fellow all-star goaltender Tomas Vokoun as 2006 silver medallists Finland shut out the Czechs.

Kiprusoff, who plays for the Calgary Flames, made 31 saves to solidify his reputation as one of the stingiest goaltenders in the tournament having allowed just four goals in three games for Finland.

"He plays really well," Niklas Hagman said of Kiprusoff. "We have a bunch of good goalies with Niklas Backstrom and Antero Nittymaki. I don't know what they put in the water in Finland."

Czech star Jaromir Jagr did not play a regular shift but denied it was because he was injured and instead said it was the decision of the coach to limit his ice time.

"The coach was in a different place," Jagr said.

In the other games, Ryan Miller made 19 saves and Zach Parise scored twice as the United States beat Switzerland and in the late match Pavol Demitra had a goal and two assists to lead Slovakia to a thrilling 4-3 win over the Swedes.

"We were ready for them. We knew we were going to war," Slovak forward Richard Zednick said.

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Vancouver (AFP) - Canada's highly-regarded Charles Hamelin faces his last chance to grab a short-track medal at the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games when he competes in the 500m and the closing 5,000m relay on Friday.

As the world champion and the World Cup leader in the 500m, he is under intense pressure to win after Lee Jung-Su knocked him out of the 1,500m semi-finals and led South Korea's one-two in the 1,000m.

Hamelin, whose only Olympic medal to date was the 5,000m relay silver from the Torino 2006 Games, finished out of the 1,000m podium with American Apolo Anton Ohno taking the bronze.

Lee's absence from the 500m makes Hamelin's chances brighter.

The 25-year-old French Canadian easily finished top in his heat on Wednesday despite starting from fourth position on the outside.

"It was a tough race," he said. "But I did it, and I feel proud of what I did."

Canada men's short track coach Derrick Campbell said that his squad -- so far without any medal to show despite two silver medals won by Canadian women -- knows that "the 500 is probably their best distance".

"We know we're really strong in the relay," Campbell said, adding that the Canadian hosts "focus on medals, medals, medals, but these guys were fourth and fifth in the Olympic final, and this is a good result for them."

Canada finished second overall behind South Korea in this season's World Cup 5,000m relay series with China third and the United States fourth.

The 500m will also probably be Ohno's last realistic shot at a gold medal in Vancouver after winning the 1,500m in his Olympic debut in 2002 and the 500m in Turin where he stopped South Korea's sweep of men's medals.

After Lee's two teammates Sung Si-Bak and Lee Ho-Suk collided around the final turn, Ohno took the 1,500m silver to become the most medalled Olympic short-track competitor.

He then finished third in the 1,000m for his seventh Olympic medal to become the most decorated US Winter Olympian surpassing long-track legend Bonnie Blair.

"Life has certainly changed. But I'm still here," the 27-year-old said about his new heights.

"The Olympics isn't over yet. I am representing the USA. I want to race my best all the way through," said Ohno, rated high in the longer races but not in the 500m which requires raw speed.

"This is an unique opportunity. I feel blessed and I am humbled."

In the 500m World Cup, another Canadian Francois-Louis Tremblay is ranked second with South Korean Sung Si-Bak third.

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Vancouver (AFP) - Defending Olympic men's hockey champion Sweden was eliminated from the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games on Wednesday, losing 4-3 to Slovakia in a quarter-final game.

After an undefeated run through the preliminary round to claim a bye into the final eight, the Swedes were stunned by a Slovakian squad that advanced to a Friday semi-final game with host Canada, who put out Russia, to decide a berth in Sunday's final.

Swedish goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, who had not allowed a goal in the Olympics after preliminary-round blankings of Finland and Belarus, surrendered four on only 14 Slovakian shots.

The 1994 and 1998 Soviet Union teams were the last to claim back-to-back Olympic men's hockey gold medals, although the same talent pool also won as the Unified Team in 1992.

Slovakia took a 3-2 lead with 48 seconds remaining in the second period when Pavol Demitra blasted a shot past Lundqvist into the far corner of the goal.

Slovak defender Michal Handzus blocked Lundqvist's view of Demitra on the play until the shot was already past him.

Tomas Kopecky tapped in a rebound to put Slovakia ahead 4-2 with 10:59 remaining but just 38 seconds later, Daniel Alfredsson answered for Sweden, which pressed to the finish could not net the equalizer.

Marian Gaborik, who shares fourth place among this season's National Hockey League goal scorers with 35, and Andrej Sekera scored 37 seconds apart early in the second period to give Slovakia a 2-0 lead.

Gaborik became the first player in the Olympics to put the puck past his NHL New York Rangers teammate, aided by a screening move from Handzus just 7:34 into the period.

The Swedes answered with two goals of their own that were 37 seconds apart.

Patric Hornqvist banked the puck past Jaroslav Halak at 13:49 and Henrik Zetterberg followed when his backhand centering pass deflected into the goal off Slovak defender Milan Jurcina.

Slovakia played without forward Lubos Bartecko, still recovering from a concussion suffered in Tuesday's 4-3 first-round playoff victory over Norway.

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Vancouver (AFP) - Mikka Kiprusoff outduelled fellow goaltender Tomas Vokoun as 2006 silver medallists Finland shut out the Czech Republic 2-0 on Wednesday to reach the Olympic Games semi-finals.

Kiprusoff, who plays for the Calgary Flames, made 31 saves to solidify his reputation as one of the stingiest goaltenders in the tournament having allowed just four goals in three games for Finland.

"He plays really well," Niklas Hagman said of Kiprusoff. "We have a bunch of good goalies with Niklas Backstrom and Antero Nittymaki. I don't know what they put in the water in Finland."

Finland advances to the semi-finals where they will face the USA who beat Switzerland by the same 2-0 score earlier in the day.

"It's not going to get any easier for us," Kiprusoff said of playing the US. "The most important thing is we keep moving forward."

Hagman scored the winning goal in the third period to break the scoreless tie. With Finland on the powerplay, Hagman deflected a Janne Niskala point shot past Vokoun.

It was the first goal in a tight-checking game with brilliant goaltending from Kiprusoff and Vokoun, who looked unbeatable. Both teams finished with 31 shots on goal.

Forward Valtteri Filppula scored into an empty net for Finland who have now won three of four career meetings with the Czechs in Olympic hockey.

Czech star Jaromir Jagr did not play a regular shift but denied he was playing hurt and instead said it was the decision of the coach to limit his ice time.

"The coach was in a different place, we had lots of penalties, I was fine," Jagr said.

Jagr has had a memorable return to North America, playing for the first time on the small ice in two years.

The former NHL star started quickly in the tournament and had two goals in the preliminary round, but was also on the wrong end of a Alex Ovechkin hit during Russia's 4-2 win on Sunday.

Jagr, who now plays in Russia, finished with 11:48 of playing time and two shots on goal for the losers, who were coming off a dynamic 3-2 overtime win over Latvia on Tuesday.

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Vancouver (AFP) - Ryan Miller made 19 saves and Zach Parise scored twice as the United States beat Switzerland 2-0 to reach the Olympic hockey semi-finals on Wednesday.

Parise scored his second goal into an empty net for the Americans who advance to Friday's last four where they will play Finland who beat the Czech Republic by the same 2-0 score later in the day.

Miller, who backstopped Team USA to a shock 5-3 win over Canada in the preliminary round, earned his second win over the Swiss in Vancouver following the 3-1 victory in the opening game of the tournament.

"We moved the puck well. The Swiss are very organized and very frustrating," said Miller. "We knew if we kept working and getting chances we would be good."

Buffalo Sabres goalie Miller won the battle of the NHL netminders as he outduelled Anaheim Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller. Hiller was the busier of the two, making 42 saves, including 18 in the first period.

"He was special in net," Parise said of Hiller. "We just had to keep plugging away."

Parise's first goal came on the powerplay early in the third period with Swiss Philippe Furrer off for tripping. He also scored into an empty net with just 12 seconds left in the game.

"We just kept stressing to be patient and not force anything," Parise said. "In the third we were smarter and kept it simple."

The US had chances to put the game away in the second period but their powerplay failed to capitalize.

During one nine minute stretch the Americans had six minutes with the man advantage but couldn't beat Hiller, who was brilliant in goal for the Swiss.

"I thought we lost it a little bit in the second period," said US coach Ron Wilson, who spent six years playing in the Swiss leagues in the late-1970s.

Forward Sandy Jeannin had the best chance for the Swiss in the third period but his shot from the far boards hit the post and just stayed out.

The Swiss got a break in the final second of the middle frame when Hiller appeared to have deflected the puck into his own net for the first goal of the game.

USA forward Ryan Kesler passed the puck out from the corner and it hit Hiller then flipped in the air.

Hiller then tried to swat it out of trouble with his stick but he got just a piece of it and it bounced off his back into the net as the buzzer sounded to end the period.

The play went to video review and the officials ruled the buzzer had sounded before the puck crossed the goal line.

"We kept putting pucks at him and kept the traffic in front of him. When you are trying that hard it feels really good to put the puck in," Parise said.

The Americans had a goal called back in the third period when a long shot from the point beat Hiller but the goal was waved off because of a delayed penalty on Kesler.

"We have no regrets. We gave everything," Swiss defenceman Luca Sbisa said.

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Vancouver (AFP) - Double gold medalist Wang Meng faces compatriot Zhou Yang when China go for an unprecedented sweep of the Olympic women's short-track titles in the 1,000m on Friday.

Wang, who retained her 500m title, and Zhou, who won the 1,500m, combined with Sun Linlin and Zhang Hui to end South Korea's Olympic 3,000m relay winning streak at four on Wednesday.

The relay gold was Wang's sixth medal from two Games, making her the most decorated Chinese Winter Olympian followed by retired short-tracker Yang Yang.

No country have swept either men's or women's short-track titles at a single Games.

China's assistant coach Paul Marchese said earlier about the possibility of Wang winning all three individual gold medals: "I don't think she thinks that way, but just day to day.

"She's going to face a different group of competitors in each distance and at each different distance there is a different task."

Wang, 24, who also won the 1,000m silver and the 1,500m bronze in Turin four years ago, did a brilliant job in the 1,000m heats, surging up front around the first bend from her start on the outside lane and winning with a large margin.

Zhou, who topped the 1,500m World Cup for two straight seasons and ranked third in the 1,000m this season, insisted that her personal glory would be secondary.

"I am happier winning the relay gold than my 1000m gold," she said.

South Korea, whose gold-medal monopoly was shattered by Wang in Turin, may aim to avenge their relay defeat in the final women's event.

Lee Eun-Byul and Park Seung-Hi finished second and third behind Wang in the 1,500m final. Lee will sit out the 1000m and Park will be joined by Cho Ha-Ri to restore Korea's pride as the most medalled nation in Olympic short track.

Cho is ranked fifth in the 1,000m World Cup, winning a home event.

Wang topped the table with American Katherine Reutter second, Zhou third and Lee fourth.

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Vancouver (AFP) - Lydia Lassila held off a powerful Chinese challenge to win the women's aerials on Wednesday to notch Australia's second gold of the Vancouver Olympics.

Lassila, in second place after her first jump, scored a combined total of 214.74 in her two jumps, finishing ahead of China's Li Nina, who took silver with a total of 207.23 and bronze medallist Guo Xinxin, who scored 205.22.

"This is something that I've dreamed about at home since as far back as I can remember," said Lassila.

"I know China are a strong team but when I jump my best, I know that will be good enough. Everything worked out."

Lassila said her victory was even more special as she had battled back from a series of injury problems.

"I never backed down. I crossed my 'T's and dotted my 'I's, I've had my ups and downs, fought through and believed," she said.

"This is what I worked my whole life for. It's here now. I never lost sight of what I could do and what I can do is this: triple somersaults."

The Chinese, led by Turin silver medallist Li, had been highly fancied to win the event and even perform a podium clean sweep. They currently dominate the World Cup points table, filling five of the top six berths.

But Lassila, the only non-Chinese in the top six, at number four in the standings, wowed the judges, moving into the gold medal position with just China's Xu Mengtao to jump. Xu fell on landing to finish sixth.

Lassila, who won the World Cup last year, came into these Games in top form having set a women's world record two-jump score of 220.91 at Deer Valley, United States, on January 22.

The competition took place in swirling fog on Vancouver's Mount Cypress

Lassila win caps Australia's best Games
Australia Thursday celebrated its best-ever Winter Olympics following Lydia Lassila's victory in the women's aerials at the Vancouver Games.

It was Australia's third medal in Vancouver following Torah Bright's gold in the women's halfpipe and Dale Begg-Smith's silver in the men's moguls.

It is the first time Australia has won three medals at a Winter Olympics and surpasses the country's previous best of two golds at the 2002 Salt Lake Games when speedskater Steven Bradbury and aerial skier Alisa Camplin stood atop the podium.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd led the tributes to Lassila's victory.

"The country's proud of you, it's a really good achievement for Australia," Rudd told parliament as the news hit in the mid-afternoon.

"It lifts the nation's spirits when we see our athletes doing so well abroad and contributing to this being the most successful Winter Olympics that Australia has ever had ... well done, Lydia."

Lassila is a former gymnast who turned to winter sport after being injured in the lead-up to the 2000 Sydney Summer Games.

Four years ago in Turin Lassila crashed out of the Winter Olympics after rupturing her cruciate ligament in the aerials final.

Australian Sports Minister Kate Ellis praised Lassila for her fighting spirit.

"Lydia Lassila exemplifies the fighting spirit that we as Australians are so proud of," Ellis said in a statement.

"Injury after injury Lydia has got back up and fought on, today reaching her dream of Olympic gold."

All three Australians -- Lassila, Liz Gardiner and four-time Winter Olympian Jacqui -- who competed in the aerials final have been supported by the Australian Institute of Sport for more than a decade.

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Whistler (AFP) - Canadian pair Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse won the women's Olympic bobsleigh gold Wednesday in a race marked by yet more spectacular spills on the Whistler track.

Fellow Canadians Helen Upperton and Shelly-Ann Brown took the silver with bronze going to Erin Pac and Elana Meyers of the United States as Humphries and Moyse won by a crushing 0.85sec in timing 3min 32.28sec.

"I wasn't focused on the times, I just wanted to get down to the bottom," said Humphries, who should have been a brakeman to Upperton four years ago in Turin only to hurt her ankle falling over a garden hose, letting in Moyse.

"This is awesome," said Moyse, who clicked immediately with her new partner after pairing with Humphries in 2008.

While Humphries and Moyse grabbed each other joyously and Canadian fans whooped it up after the host nation's seventh Games gold, Germany's Cathleen Martini and Romy Logsch hugged each other in relief after surviving a high-speed crash.

The German tandem had been on the brink of the podium after the third run but wobbled through curve 11 then came too fast out of curve 12 and overturned with Logsch flying out and sliding down the track as her bob careered towards the line.

British medal hopefuls Nicola Minichiello and Gillian Cooke also overturned, in their case on their third run. They did not start the final heat at the 105 million dollar venue.

"I'm absolutely devastated," was a furious Minichiello's reaction.

"I thought it was still possible, but it was right on the edge and I lost it. At the flippin' Olympics," she added, following an error at the troublesome curve 12.

The men's four-man event has also been marred by a series of crashes on the track which saw the death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili in pre-Games training, prompting four bob quartets to pull out.

Canada had never previously won a medal in the women's discipline, which only made its Olympic debut in 2002.

But Pac and Meyers lost ground on their final run and that allowed Upperton and Brown to make it a 1-2 finish.

While Minichiello was left to nurse a bruised shoulder, a headache and bruised pride, the Germans put in a poor showing as defending champion Sandra Kiriasis could only manage fourth, and only then owing to Martini's misfortune.

"I am not upset about fourth place but about myself. I drove like a beginner," Kiriasis groaned.

Canada has now equalled its best ever gold showing at a Winter Games after also winning seven titles in 2002 and 2006.

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Vancouver (AFP) - Corey Perry scored twice in the second period and linemate Ryan Getzlaf had a goal and two assists as gold medal favourite Canada routed Russia 7-3 in the quarter-finals of the Olympic hockey tournament on Wednesday.

Defenceman Dan Boyle also had a goal and two assists for Canada who avenged two consecutive losses to top-seeded Russia in the past two World Championships.

Canada, who had romped into a 4-1 lead in a blistering first period, advances to the semi-finals on Friday where they will face either defending champion Sweden or Slovakia.

"We always feel under pressure to play in Canada, that is the way it is," forward Sidney Crosby said. "Today we used it to energize us.

"It is just a quarter-final as and as good as it is we have to turn the page quickly."

This was just the second Olympic hockey meeting between the two long-time international rivals.

Russia defeated the Canadians 2-0 in the quarter-finals of the 2006 Turin Winter Games.

"Both sides wanted to win dearly for their countries," Canadian defenceman Scott Niedermayer said.

Shea Weber, Rick Nash, and Brenden Morrow also scored for Canada who set the tone early in the first period by steamrolling the Russian defence and peppering goaltender Evgeni Nabokov with 21 shots in the opening period.

Sergei Gonchar, Maxim Afinogenov and Dmitri Kalinin scored for Russia who won their group in the preliminary round and received a bye into the quarters.

Roberto Luongo got his second-straight win for Canada, making 25 saves. The crowd at Canada Hockey Place arena roared "Louuuuuuu" every time the Vancouver Canucks goaltender made a save or handled the puck.

The Russians came out first for the pre-game warmup.

Like a championship boxer fighting in his hometown, Canada waited several minutes before emerging from the tunnel to a thunderous roar from the red-and-white-clad crowd who made sure the Russians knew who the visiting team was.

Canada set the tone in the first period by steamrolling the Russian defence and swarming Nabokov until he was pulled in the second period and replaced by backup Ilya Bryzgalov.

Russian superstar Alex Ovechkin was a non-factor for much of the game.

"What do you think? I am disappointed," Ovechkin barked and glared at a reporter in the mixed zone interview area.

Canada's defence interrupted Ovechkin's flow and when he wasn't being pounded into the boards by the defence he was skating back to the Russian bench to replace one of the three sticks he snapped in the first two periods.

He took a shot off his right hand in the third period and was seen grimacing and icing it on the bench.

"We were not ready for the first five minutes and when we woke up it was too late," Ovechkin said.

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Vancouver (AFP) - China smashed South Korea's winning streak in the Olympic women's short-track 3,000-metre relay with a world record time at the Vancouver Games on Wednesday.

South Korea finished first in the final but were then disqualified after referees ruled that Kim Min-Jung impeded Sun Linlin's path after a handover with six laps to go.

Canada took the silver and the bronze went to the United States.

Led by newly-crowned Olympic champions Wang Meng (500m) and Zhou Yang (1,500m), China clocked 4min 06.61sec, breaking their own world record of 4:07.179 set in Salt Lake City in October 2008.

Sun explained: "She (Kim) was trying to overtake me and she couldn't get through so I guess that's how the collision happened.

"I think the referee's decision is fair."

South Korea, the most medaled nation in the Olympic short-track competition since the sport's debut in 1992, had reigned supreme in the event since a young squad dethroned Canada in 1994.

But China fired a warning by beating South Korea into second spot when they won their eighth world 3,000m relay title last year. They have since won three of the season's four World Cup relays and South Korea one.

After China took an early lead on Wednesday, they battled with South Korea until the controversial handover.

The Koreans kept the Chinese at a safe distance toward the finish and celebrated on the oval until the referee disqualified them.

"I wasn't surprised because in short track anything can happen. Whatever the judges say I will accept," Wang said.

"I was in charge of the first half of the relay and Zhou was in charge of second half. Everyone stayed calm through the race and I'm so proud of them."

China's Zhang Hui came off the ice with a bloodied chin.

"It was an accident," explained Wang.

"We were celebrating after the referee's decision and she was accidentally cut in the fact by a blade."

It was the second silver for Canada's Marianne St-Gelais after finishing second behind Wang in the 500m.

"Our time was super and then to find ourselves with the silver medal is just a joy," she said.

"I came to the Olympics with the idea that this team medal was more important that an individual medal."

Canada's Tania Vicent added: "We knew the Chinese and Korean teams were fighting it out so our tactic was to stay right behind them and take advantage of their mistakes.

"We got a record time for Canada, we can't do better than that."

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