Shaun White wins gold in men's halfpipe

PYEONGCHANG, South Korea — UPDATE 10:03 p.m.

Shaun White wins GOLD, making this the 100th medal for Team USA in the history of Winter Olympics!

UPDATE 9:08 p.m.

Japan's snowboarder Yuto Totsuka  falls during the halfpipe  completion. Medics removed him on a stretcher.

ON CHANNEL 11 RIGHT NOW: 

• Figure skating (Pairs' short program)
• Women's alpine skiing (Slalom, first run) (POSTPONED UNTIL FRIDAY)
• Men's snowboarding (Halfpipe gold medal final)

The U.S. women’s hockey team is off to a promising start in the 2018 Winter Olympics, beating Finland and Russia in their first two games.

Amanda Kessel -- whose last name is familiar in Pittsburgh because of her brother Phil Kessel, of the Pittsburgh Penguins -- credits her Team USA teammates with motivating her.

“I love my teammates. It's what makes it, what makes the sport so great I think. I said I give a lot of credit to people that are in individual sports. I can't imagine the motivation that they have to have for themselves. I'm lucky I go to work every day and I get to be with my best friends,” Kessel said.

Kessel won a silver medal with Team USA in the Sochi Winter Games. She was soon sidelined for years because of a concussion she sustained just before the games.

“Being out of the sport for two years just kind of showed me how passionate I am about the game still, and how much I love it and, like, what you really do miss out on,” Kessel said.

Kessel and her teammates defeated Russia 5-0 Tuesday in their second game of the 2018 Olympics, securing a spot in the semifinals. Team USA first beat Finland 3-1.

Another Olympic athlete with a Pittsburgh connection, speed skater John Henry Kreuger, won his heat Tuesday morning in the men’s 1000m. He advances to Saturday’s prelim.

Cox Media Group