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"Many of the big Winter Olympics events happen after dark in Sochi, Russia \u2014 morning or early afternoon stateside. But plenty happens during the day in Sochi, too. So by the time Americans get out of bed, they're already hours behind on Olympics news. But fear not, dear reader: We're here to catch you up on the stories you may have missed overnight, so you can get a gold meal in sports talk around the watercooler on Thursday morning.\nSee also: As Violence Rages in Kiev, the Show Goes On for Ukraine's Olympians\n2 Ukrainians Quit Games to Protest Kiev Violence\nUkrainian skier Bogdana Matsotska and her father, also a coach for the country's Olympic team, have officially withdrawn from the games in protest of the violence roiling their country's capital city of Kiev. At least 35 were reported dead in Kiev early Thursday; 25 casualties were reported on Wednesday morning. Protesters in the city's central square remain locked in violent combat with security forces of Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych.\nMatsotska, 24, was slated to compete in Friday's women's slalom. Matsotska's father and coach, Oleg Matsotskyy, condemned Yanukovych and announced their withdrawal in a post on his Facebook page. \nOle Einar Bjoerndalen Elected to IOC\nOle Einar Bjoerndalen is having a very good week. On Wednesday, the 40-year-old Norwegian became the most decorated Winter Olympian of all time by earning his 13th career medal in the mixed biathlon relay. Bjoerndalen has won eight golds in his Olympics career, including two in Sochi this year. \nThen on Thursday, Bjoerndalen was elected to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). He was elected along with Canadian women's hockey player Hayley Wickenheiser by other athletes to serve an eight-year term on the IOC's Athletes' Commission. If you're curious about one of the most accomplished \u2014 but least renowned \u2014 athletes of our time, this New York Times profile is a good place to learn more. \n\nNorway's Ole Einar Bjorndalen, now the most decorated Winter Olympian ever, shoots during a biathlon training session at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics on Feb. 7. Image: Lee Jin-man/Associated PressIOC: Pussy Riot Attack 'Very Unsettling'\nOne day after video emerged showing Cossack militia violently breaking up a Pussy Riot performance in Sochi, IOC spokesman Mark Adams called the episode \"very unsettling.\"\nAdams also said that \"it's a shame if the Olympics is used as a political platform\" and that the Pussy Riot attack is \"largely an issue\" for the Russian government to address because it wasn't directly related to the games, according to the Associated Press.\nThursday's Hot Medal Action\nBritain beat Switzerland 6-5 to take the bronze in women's curling early Thursday. (Canada versus Sweden for the gold started at 8:30 a.m. ET, and the men take the ice for medal matches on Friday.)\nNorway won the men's Nordic combined large hill team skiing race, with Germany and Austria placing second and third, respectively. France swept the men's ski cross podium, with Jean Frederic Chapuis taking the gold. But it's Swiss skier Filip Flisar who wins the gold in our hearts, thanks to his thoroughly distinguished mustache:\n\nSlovenia's Filip Flisar has an amazing mustache: pic.twitter.com/WBUVAc5xmT\n\u2014 NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 20, 2014\n\nWhat to watch for Thursday: Thursday offers some good live options for Olympic fans back in the States. At 10 a.m. ET, it's the ladies free skate, always one of the Winter Olympics' most buzzed about events. Then at 12 p.m. ET, it's Team USA vs. Canada for the gold medal in women's hockey. The neighboring countries seemingly always meet for the gold and have become bitter rivals, meaning this one should be passionately contested and offer no shortage of dramatic storylines. At 12:30 p.m. ET, the women's halfpipe skiing final gets underway. As always, you can find the day's full event schedule and links to live streams right here.\n\n\nFaces of Failure\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTeam USA waits for their silver medals after losing in overtime to Canada in the women's hockey final.\n\nImage: AP Photo/David Goldman/Associated Press\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nShaun White, the prohibitive favorite of the men's snowboarding halfpipe event, ended up in fourth place.\n\nImage: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJan Smeekens of the Netherlands loses the men's 500m speedskate gold medal by .01 seconds.\n\nImage: David J. Phillip/Associated Press\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSho Endo of Japan was eliminated from the men's moguls finals on Feb. 10, 2014.\n\nImage: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSanne van Kerkhof of the Netherlands Sanne van Kerkhof of the Netherlands watches her opponents whiz by after she crashes in the women's 3,000m relay.\n\nImage: Ivan Sekretarev/Associated Press\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDaniel Greig of Australia looks dejected after falling onto the ice at the start of the men's 500m speed skating race.\n\nImage: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nGermany's Viona Harrer of Germany let in four goals against Russia in round one.\n\nImage: Matt Slocum/Associated Press\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSouth Korea's Mo Tae-bum narrowly lost to three Dutchmen in the men's 500m speed skate.\n\nImage: Matt Dunham/Associated Press\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRussia's Anton Gafarov reacts after falling in the men's cross-country skiing individual sprint free semifinals.\n\nImage: ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJack Whelbourne of Great Britain falls during the men's short track 1,500m final.\n\nImage: YURI KADOBNOV/AFP/Getty Images\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAmerican Shani Davis placed 24th in the men's 500m speed skate.\n\nImage: Matt Dunham/Associated Press\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRussia's Anton Gafarov falls in the men's cross-country skiing individual sprint free semifinals.\n\nImage: PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU/AFP/Getty Images\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRussia's Anton Gafarov reacts after falling in the men's cross-country skiing individual sprint free semifinals.\n\nImage: ODD ANDERSEN/AFP/Getty Images\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nGermany's Judith Hesse is disqualified from the women's speed skating 500m race.\n\nImage: JUNG YEON-JE/AFP/Getty Images\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRussia's Anna Mirtova of Russia walks with her skis after a fall in the freestyle skiing women's ski slopestyle qualification.\n\nImage: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nGermany's Andrea Henkel placed 29th in the women's biathlon 10k pursuit.\n\nImage: Harry How/Getty Images\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAmerican Julia Mancuso placed eighth in the women's alpine skiing downhill.\n\nImage: ALEXANDER KLEIN/AFP/Getty Images\n\n\n\n\n\n\n      window._msla=window.loadScriptAsync||function(src,id){if(document.getElementById(id))return;var js=document.createElement('script');js.id=id;js.src=src;document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0].parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);};\n_msla(\"//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js\",\"twitter_jssdk\");"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2014/02/20/winter-olympics-tk-things-you-missed-overnight/>