KRAKOW– Kamil Stoch, 26, the Zakopane native son is now a two time gold medal winner at the Sochi Olympics. Because of his celebrity in Poland, he was allowed by the Polish Ministry of National Defense to use the Polish Air Force roundel on his helmet. It only made sense and was a great moral booster for the other Polish Olympians. Who flies higher and more than Stoch? “It is a badge of excellence,” said a spokesperson for the Polish Olympic Team. The Polish Ministry of Defense considers the use of emblem as an act of patriotism and goodwill.
The red and white checkerboard is the national marking on Polish Air Force military aircraft. It was originally used as personal insignia of Stefan Stec, a Polish fighter pilot, and then in December of 1918, it became a national roundel.
Stoch won his second gold medal in the men’s downhill ski-jump. Said Stoch, “’I have weird thoughts at this moment. I’m thinking, ‘Is it happening for real or is it a dream?’”.
NBC Score Big Time with Hockey Ratings
No team has won an Olympics hockey medal in Sochi yet but NBC Sports Network has hit its own Gold. NBC scored a record 3.3/10 rating in overnight metered-markets for its live Saturday morning broadcast of the dramatic U.S. and Russia men’s hockey game. The Americans had a 3-2 dramatic overtime game. The crowd of 11,678 (including Russian President Vladimir Putin) at the Bolshoi Ice Dome were stunned.
In an unexpected twist, the Bolshoi Ice Dome did not post the Team USA winning score on their spectacular LED Video roof display after the game. It has been a popular viewing spot for Russians without tickets and large crowds have gathered to get hockey updates.
For the medal round of games, Team USA got the toughest draw. The ice hockey gold medal game will be televised on Sunday, February 23, 2014 at 1600. The closing ceremonies will also be on NBC primetime on Sunday, February 23, 2014 starting at 8:30 p.m. EST.
Jacek Adamski contributed from Krakow