South Korea is gaining speed

TURIN -- South Korea, which is having a dream Games in short-track speedskating, is expected to run its gold medal count to six in tonight's finale at the Palavela, with Ahn Hyun Soo favored to win the 500 meters and complete a sweep of all three men's individual races.

The Koreans, who left Salt Lake City embittered after winning just four medals and none on the men's side, have claimed four golds and three silvers here. Besides Ahn in the 500, they're likely to win the men's 5,000-meter relay and figure to take silver behind China's Wang Meng in the women's 1,000.

United States ace Apolo Anton Ohno, who has managed one bronze in two races, has a strong chance at another medal in the relay and a lesser one in the 500, where he's ranked fifth in the world.

Hyo Jung Kim, who has been blanked so far, has an outside shot at making the 1,000 final.

Speedskating 10,000-meter gold medalist Bob de Jong completed an amazing Olympic sequence with his startling victory at the Oval Lingotto.

A 21-year-old silver medalist in this event at Nagano eight years ago, and a presumed heir to the Dutch speedskating throne, he began to have major setbacks. His Salt Lake City Olympics were brutal. He finished 30th in the 5,000 and 15th in the 10,000. ''I had to console his parents," recalled Bart Schouten, a former teammate of de Jong's who is now Chad Hedrick's coach. ''They were in a bad way."

The Dutch skater has gradually edged his way back into respectability, but he was no longer considered an elite competitor. There is a prediction list submitted by the media before each race here, and not one of 33 who participated called for a de Jong victory in the 10,000. One had him for a silver and one had him for a bronze.

Hedrick picked up his third medal of the 2006 Olympics, a silver, but he was not the only American entrant in the race. Charles Ryan Leveille Cox also competed, coming in 15th and last (there was one disqualification). But he was truly happy just to be here.

''This was a life-changing experience," he said. ''The dedication it takes to be an Olympian is something I'll carry with me every day the rest of my life." Among other life experiences, the 22-year-old Leveille Cox broke his neck in five places less than two years ago while performing as a short-track skater.

Mike Modano has apologized for the tone of recent criticisms of USA Hockey, saying the ''timing was bad" and that he wants to help the organization in the future.

Modano blasted coaches and administrators after the United States lost to Finland, 4-3, in the quarterfinals and finished 1-4-1.

Benched in the third period against Finland, Modano slammed administrators for not taking care of ''distractions," such as travel arrangements, and said the organization needed ''new blood."

Modano, who plays for the Dallas Stars, didn't back off his criticisms in a Thursday interview with The Dallas Morning News, but said he wanted to be more proactive and constructive in his approach to USA Hockey.

''I've been a part of this program for 20 years, and it means a lot to me," the three-time Olympian told the newspaper. ''I don't want to leave it like this."

Modano said he was upset about being benched and let his emotions do the talking.

Olympic silver medalist Sasha Cohen plans to skate in next month's world championships, along with United Styates teammates Kimmie Meissner and Emily Hughes. Cohen, who won her first US title this year and is a two-time world silver medalist, will face Olympic champion Shizuka Arakawa of Japan at the worlds in Calgary March 20-26. Cohen, 21, has not committed to further competition beyond Calgary . . . Speedskater Joey Cheek started the Games with a gold medal in the 500 meters, then added an Olympian act by donating the money he receives from the United States Olympic Committee to Right To Play, a charity organization. Cheek, who also won a silver in the 1,000 meters, will be the flag bearer for the United States at tomorrow's closing ceremony. ''I feel like I'm not really worthy," said Cheek, a two-time Olympian. ''It's an honor and I'm humbled by it. I've worked hard for a lot of years, but everyone works hard for a lot of years. Every single person that walks around the village has put in time, effort, sweat and tears, and their family has sacrificed for them. You always dream it would come together and it has."

Bode Miller goes again today for the United States in the final men's Alpine event, the slalom. The focus, however, could be on Ted Ligety and Giorgio Rocca. Ligety won the only gold for the US men earlier in the combined event, using two strong slalom runs to move from 22d in the downhill. Rocca is Italy's last hope for an Alpine medal and is ranked No. 1 in the World Cup slalom standings. Miller hasn't finished in 11 of his past 14 slalom races. Defending Olympic slalom champion Jean-Pierre Vidal of France broke his left arm while skiing for pleasure and withdrew from today's race. Vidal, who turned 29 yesterday, had planned to retire after the slalom . . . The grandfather of United States short-track skater Kimberly Derrick died of an apparent heart attack last night while in town to watch her compete in her first Olympics. It was not immediately known if Derrick would go through with her lone individual event of the Games, tomorrow night's 1,000 meters. Darrel Edwards, 74, traveled from Memphis to cheer on his granddaughter, who also was part of the 3,000-meter relay team that finished fourth this week . . . United States aerials skier Jeret ''Speedy" Peterson, 24, was sent home after being involved in what team officials described as ''an altercation with an acquaintance." Details were not immediately available, although Italian police are not pursuing charges against Peterson, who finished seventh in Thursday's aerials competition. The scuffle was with someone from the United States, US Olympic Committee officials said . . . Kevin Ellis, the US skeleton athlete who fractured and dislocated a vertebra in his back, is in good shape after surgery yesterday. Ellis, a 32-year-old accountant from Dallas, was injured in an out-of-competition accident Thursday night. Ellis is expected to remain in the hospital for a week before returning home.

Bob Ryan and Reid Laymance of the Globe staff contributed, and material from Associated Press was used in this report.