SOCHI: Russia fell to Finland in the big men’s hockey clash at the Winter Olympics on Wednesday, robbing the hosts of a shot at the gold they covet most, while athletes and officials reacted with shock to the deaths of protesters in neighboring Ukraine.

The roar of the home fans at the futuristic Bolshoy Ice Dome was not enough to inspire the team to victory over Finland, who have been on the podium in four of the last five Olympics.

Finland won 3-1 in a result that took some of the wind out of home sails at Russia’s first Winter Games. Ice hockey superpowers Canada and the United States both play their quarterfinals later in the evening and are expected to advance.

At the adjacent Iceberg Skating Palace in Sochi there will be similarly partisan support for 15-year-old figure skater Julia Lipnitskaya, one of the favorites in the singles competition having mesmerised the Games with her performance in the team event.

That contest concludes on Thursday, while on Wednesday there were eight gold medals up for grabs.

They included the men’s giant slalom, which Ted Ligety won convincingly to claim the first US Alpine skiing gold of the Games. Thick fog, rain and snow that made skiing so difficult over the last two days had lifted, and conditions were clear.

Ukraine’s Olympic team were struggling to come to terms with deadly clashes at home in which at least 26 people have been killed.

Ukrainian athletes asked for permission to wear black arm bands to honor those killed, but the International Olympic Committee, which bans any sort of political or commemorative symbols during the Games, refused.

Former pole vault champion and Ukraine’s Olympic chief Sergey Bubka, in Sochi for the Games, expressed bewilderment at how events in Kiev and elsewhere had spiralled out of control.

“I cannot believe it’s happened and we are in such a difficult situation today,” said Bubka, also an adviser to Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich, against whom much of the anti-government protesters’ ire is directed.

IOC President Thomas Bach added: “I would like to offer my condolences to those who have lost loved ones in these tragic events. Our thoughts and sympathy are with the Ukrainian team at what must be a very difficult time.

In a rush of gold in the mountains, Ligety claimed the United States’ first Alpine skiing title of the Games by beating two Frenchmen to the top of the podium in the giant slalom.

Russia’s Vic Wild won the Olympic men’s snowboard parallel giant slalom gold medal minutes after his wife, Alena Zavarzina, had won bronze behind Swiss champion Patrizia Kummer in the women’s event.

Norway, anchored by the indomitable Marit Bjoergen, won the women’s team sprint classic gold medal, while in the men’s, Finland prevailed after an appeal lodged by Germany following a crash in the final stages was rejected.

Norway triumphed again in the mixed relay biathlon, meaning that 40-year-old Ole Einar Bjoerndalen became the most decorated Winter Games athlete with his 13th Olympic medal and joined compatriot and former cross-country skier Bjorn Daehli on a record eight golds.

There was a rare sight at the speed skating arena as the person on top of the podium was not Dutch — Martina Sablikova of the Czech Republic retaining her 5,000 meters title.

It was business as usual behind her though as Ireen Wust’s silver and Carien Kleibeuker’s bronze kept the medals rolling in for the Netherlands, who have dominated the speed skating in Sochi.

Norway went top of the overall medals table with nine golds, ahead of Germany who have eight and the US on seven.

The last event to be decided on Wednesday will be the woman’s bobsleigh, while back down in Sochi, Canada and Sweden advanced to the women’s curling final.