Bode Miller defends NBC reporter who drove him to tears

The interview, conducted after Miller won a bronze medal in the men’s super-G ski race, turned to his emotions given the passing of his younger brother, Chelone, who died last year. A visibly emotional Miller began crying during the interview, leaning against a railing.

The moment drew backlash toward interviewer Christin Cooper, who pressed Miller about his brother, and NBC, which aired the full tape-delayed interview in primetime in the United States several hours later.

“I appreciate everyone sticking up for me,” Miller tweeted on Monday. “Please be gentle w christin cooper, it was crazy emotional and not all her fault. (hash)heatofthemoment”

Miller was a trending topic on Twitter in the United States for much of the day after the tweet and critics said the interview was insensitive.

Richard Sandomir of The New York Times called it “overkill,” Kami Mattioli of the Sporting News said Cooper “repeatedly badgered” Miller and the AP’s David Bauder called it “a shameful spectacle.”

NBC said in a statement that its intent was to convey the emotion Miller felt.

“We understand how some viewers thought the line of questioning went too far, but it was our judgment that his answers were a necessary part of the story,” the statement said.

“My emotions were very raw, she asked the questions that every interviewer would have,” Miller said in another tweet. “Pushing is part of it, she wasnt trying to cause pain.”

Davis, White of U.S. win Olympic ice dance gold

Meryl Davis and Charlie White won the gold medal in ice dance Monday, the first Olympic title in the event for the United States.

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada, the 2010 champions, took silver. Russia’s Elena Ilinykh and Nikita Katsalapov captured bronze.

Davis and White won silver in Vancouver, but in the four years since have overtaken the Canadians, their training partners in Detroit.

Gay rights activist says she was detained

An Italian gay-rights activist says she was detained by police in the Olympic host city after being stopped while carrying a rainbow flag saying “Gay is OK” in Russian. Vladimir Luxuria, a former Communist lawmaker in the Italian parliament, said on her website and Twitter feed that she was held for several hours Sunday before being released. Olympic officials say there is no record of the arrest.

Rivalry heats up again between U.S. , Russia

After a heated U.S.-Russia hockey match at the Sochi Olympics on Saturday, many Russian spectators have decided the cold war is back – and not just on the ice.

Demonstrators gathered in Moscow on Monday to protest a referee’s call disallowing a Russian goal in the match that Russia ultimately lost in a penalty shootout.

The goal, which would have given Russia to a 3-2 lead with less than five minutes on the clock, was disallowed after officials ruled that the net had come loose from the ice before the goal was scored. Russian fans, who had leapt to their feet in celebration, howled with rage as the call was announced.

Costas to the rescue

NBC said that Bob Costas will return Monday night as host of the network’s prime-time telecast. Matt Lauer filled in one last time on Sunday. That means Costas will have missed seven days because of a stubborn infection that reddened first one of his eyes, then the other, and left him sensitive to light.

Maybe Costas’ return will help NBC. After a quick start, NBC’s ratings for the Sochi Olympics are fading. Saturday night’s prime-time telecast was seen by 17.1 million viewers, the smallest audience so far and smaller than any night of the Vancouver Olympics in 2010.