SOCHI: Russia are having a tough time winning on the Olympic ice, and the Netherlands can't seem to lose.

The Russians were forced into a second straight shootout on Sunday and now must play an extra game to reach the men's hockey quarterfinals. The Dutch speedskaters have fared much better, earning a third sweep of the podium at the Sochi Games.

With hockey-crazed Russian crowds packing the arenas, Canada, Sweden, the United States and Finland advanced to the hockey quarter-finals.

They'll be joined by the winners of a four-game qualifying round on Tuesday among the eight remaining teams.

Russia lost their chance to skip the qualifying round when they were forced into a shootout by Slovakia, winning 1-0. That allowed Finland to claim the bye on goal difference. Canada, Sweden and the U.S. all finished the qualifying round undefeated.

Two snowboarders were taken off the slope on stretchers Sunday following crashes during qualifying rounds for the snowboardcross finals. One suffered a concussion, the other an injured knee.

It was the same slope where Russian skicross racer Maria Komissarova fractured a vertebra in her back during a training crash Saturday.

Norway's Kjetil Jansrud sped to gold in the men's super-G alpine skiing and Czech Eva Samkova won the women's snowboarding cross after yet more tumbles on the testing course.

The 15km mass start biathlon was postponed until Monday due to fog.

DUTCH RIDING HIGH

Jorien ter Mors led a Dutch clean sweep in the women's 1,500 metres speed skating as the Netherlands' medal tally shot up to 17, more than any other nation at the Winter Olympics.

The Netherlands have turned Sochi's Adler Arena orange, winning 16 of 24 medals on offer and taking five golds out of eight, smashing the Olympic record of 13 set by East Germany at the 1988 Calgary Games.

Ter Mors clocked an Olympic record of one minute, 53.51 seconds to take gold ahead of team mates Ireen Wust, the defending champion, and Lotte Van Beek. For good measure, another Dutchwoman, Marrit Leenstra, finished fourth.

The United States' wait for a first speed skating medal went on. Heather Richardson and Brittany Bowe finished seventh and 14th in their old skinsuits after the team ditched their Olympic 'Mach 39' ones on Saturday in the hope of gaining extra speed.

US PAIR SET WORLD RECORD

But there was some joy for the Americans when ice dancers Meryl Davis and Charlie White set a new world record in the short dance.

Two-time world champions Davis and White – seeking a first ice dancing gold for the United States – skated a foxtrot and quickstep to “My Fair Lady”, scoring 78.89 points, with Monday's free dance to come.

Reigning Olympic champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada achieved 76.33 for their skate to “Dream a Little Dream”, “Muskrat Ramble” and “Heaven”.

All eyes at the Sanki sliding centre were on Jamaican crowd pleasers Winston Watts and brakeman Marvin Dixon in the first two heats of the two-man bobsleigh but the underdogs could only limp in last.

The Jamaican team – whose predecessors inspired the movie “Cool Runnings”with their exploits at the 1988 Calgary Games – were out of their depth, coming 30th out of 30 sleds, with two heats still to go.

Elsewhere on the ninth day of medal competition, Sweden won their second cross-country relay gold when they prevailed in the men's 4x10km event, ahead of Russia and France.—Agencies