GANGNEUNG, South Korea (AFP) – Russia dramatically ended a 26-year men’s hockey title drought on Sunday, defeating Germany 4-3 in over-time in a championship-game thriller for the only gold medal by Russian men at the Pyeongchang Games.
Kirill Kaprizov scored the power-play goal that will be forever remembered in Russian hockey history 9:40 into the extra period to set off a joyous celebration as the Russian squad raced onto the ice and flag-waving supporters roared with delight.
Russia – competing in South Korea under a neutral flag as ‘‘Olympic Athletes from Russia’’ – had not won hockey gold since the 1992 Albertville crown.
Then they were the Unified Team, only a few weeks after the breakup of the Soviet Union, whose hockey dynasty captured eight Olympic golds.