Ledecka Wins 2nd Gold Medal of Olympic Games

The Latest on the Pyeongchang Olympics (all times local):

3 p.m.

Ester Ledecka has won the second leg of an unheard-of Olympic double, taking the gold medal in snowboarding's parallel giant slalom to go with her surprise skiing victory in the Alpine super-G earlier in the games.

The Czech star is the first to win gold medals in both sports. She is top-ranked on the snowboarding circuit but never a threat until now in skiing.

She outraced Selina Joerg of Germany to the line in the final and won by .46 seconds, a much more comfortable margin than the .01-second edge in the super-G race that left her staring at the clock in shock.

This time, it was no surprise. Ledecka crossed the line and simply pumped her fist, then offered a long congratulatory hug to Joerg.

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2:30 p.m.

Thinking the Olympic hockey arenas look empty? You're not alone.

International Ice Hockey Federation president Rene Fasel says he's disappointed with the crowds at some playoff games but acknowledges South Korea is not a hockey country. He says, "I think the pricing was also relatively high for people."

Tickets for the bronze and gold medal games run about $140 to $278 U.S. on the Pyeongchang Games website.

At the first Olympics without NHL players since 1994, there have been whole sectors of empty seats at some games.

The crowd of 2,092 that watched Sweden's quarterfinal against Germany was the lowest attendance at any Olympic men's game this century. Canada's quarterfinal game against Finland attracted just 2,265 people.

The Pyeongchang Olympic organizing committee says it sold 80 percent of tickets for hockey.

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1:55 p.m.

The International Ice Hockey Federation says it won't review the use of shootouts to decide Olympic medal-round games.

The IIHF's insistence on shootouts after one period of overtime was questioned by some fans after the United States beat Canada for the women's gold medal in a shootout.

IIHF president Rene Fasel says, "Maybe the Canadians can practice a little more the shootout," adding, "I will never convince North Americans to accept (shootouts), but it is like it is."

Fasel says in a tournament it's not possible to play more than one period of overtime because players would not be able to recover for later games.

The U.S. men's team was also eliminated by the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals on a shootout.

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1:45 p.m.

The United States biathlon team has announced it will boycott the final IBU World Cup meet in Russia next month.

The U.S. athletes released a statement Saturday saying that the International Biathlon Union's recent decision to move forward with the March 22-25 event in Tyumen, Russia— despite a recent doping scandal in that country — is "completely unacceptable."

The statement says, "In support of clean sport and our own physical safety, we cannot in good conscience participate."

The U.S. Biathlon team adds, "Holding the World Cup Final in Russia now sends an outrageous message of anti-doping indifference to the world."

The World Cup series website says 28 teams have applied to participate.

Athletes from Sweden and Canada have also expressed reservations about competing in the event.

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1:25 p.m.

Confusion reigns over how the International Olympic Committee will decide what to do with the banned Russian Olympic Committee. They could readmit them, continue the ban or hedge with what the IOC says might be a "partial solution."

The IOC must announce by Sunday if the Russian Olympic Committee will be readmitted to the Olympic family after being ousted for a massive doping scandal. That would allow about 160 Russian athletes competing in Pyeongchang to fly their own flag on Sunday at the closing ceremony.

They've been competing here under a neural flag.

Two strikes against readmission are positive doping tests in Pyeongchang by two Russian athletes, including one who had to forfeit his bronze medal. That's half of the four doping cases reported so far at this year's Olympics.