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While you were sleeping…
There was an awful lot of activity overnight from Canadian Olympians in Pyeongchang. Three medals, spirited victories, heartbreaking defeats. Let’s not waste any time and get right into it. Right after whatever this is:
A gold for the speed skater
It was billed as one of the greatest long track speed skating encounters of all time.
Netherlands’ Sven Kramer, the 31-year-old legend, the five-time world champion, the seven-time Olympic medallist, perhaps the greatest long track speed skater there’s ever been, hunting the one trophy missing from his mantle — 10,000-metre Olympic gold.
Canada’s Ted-Jan Bloemen, a 31-year-old Dutchman himself who now competes out of Calgary, the current 10,000-metre and 5,000-metre world record holder, already a Pyeongchang silver medallist in the 5,000-metre (the first Canadian male to medal in the distance since 1932) and looking for more in the sport’s most gruelling race.
Bloemen went first, round and round the Gangneung Oval with remarkably consistent lap times, eventually setting an Olympic record (12:39:77) and spreading his arms out above his head as he took a cool-down lap.
Kramer was next. In the final pairing of the night, no less. Sitting on a stanchion in the middle of the oval, Bloemen couldn’t watch as his greatest rival went stride for stride around him, trying to knock him out of first place and steal gold.
In the early going, Kramer hovered around a second off Bloemen’s pace. By the midway point, it was nearly two. With 10 laps to go, the deficit stretched to four. And then Kramer’s energy systems crashed. Drastically. He fell 10 seconds back with six laps to go and plummeted from there, finishing a shocking sixth, more than 20 seconds off the pace. Bloemen was already celebrating.
's Ted-Jan Bloemen wins GOLD in the men's 10,000m long track, his 2nd medal in #PyeongChang2018 pic.twitter.com/59LhngVAwM
— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) February 15, 2018
It was Canada’s second-ever individual gold in long track speed skating, its first gold in the men’s 10,000, and its first medal of any variety in that event since 1932. And Toronto’s Jordan Belchos came close to making it a double, finishing fifth with a personal best time of 12:59:51, just 5.19 seconds back of the podium.
A silver for the lugers
At the 2014 Games in Sochi, Canada’s team relay lugers finished a heartbreaking fourth, only a 10th of a second behind the bronze medal-winning Latvians. When Alex Gough, Sam Edney, Tristan Walker and Justin Snith all returned for Pyeongchang — their third Olympics together — they were determined not to let it happen again.
Gough — who won individual bronze earlier this week, Canada’s first-ever Olympic luge medal — went first, starting Canada off with the fourth-fastest women’s single run. Edney was next, throwing down the fourth-fastest men’s single run, as well.
But it was the pairs duo of Walker and Snith who made the race for Canada, completing an exceptionally clean run that ended up second only to the gold medal-winning Germans. As they slowed to a halt, the Canadians mobbed Walker and Snith before they could even get off their sled.
Canada comes across in 1st and guarantees a team relay luge medal with two teams left to compete #PyeongChang2018https://t.co/OUkAONNDyG pic.twitter.com/CoGP4t463w
— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) February 15, 2018
With a silver medal around their necks, the veterans Edney and Gough will likely retire at the end of these games. The future of Walker and Snith is uncertain. But no matter what happens, these four will do it with redemption in hand.
now guaranteed at least a silver in luge team relay. Germany the only team left to go #PyeongChang2018https://t.co/OUkAONNDyG pic.twitter.com/WmpnD1Imco
— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) February 15, 2018
A bronze for the figure skaters
As she spun to a stop in front of her partner Eric Radford at the end of the pair’s free skate program Wednesday, Meagan Duhamel dropped to a knee and began to cry. Radford bent over at the waist and shook his head. A moment later, they embraced. And not long after that, the veteran duo skating out of Montreal learned they’d finally won their first individual Olympic medal in their eighth year skating together.
BRONZE | #CAN’s Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford leave it all on the ice and win the first individual Olympic medals of their careers. pic.twitter.com/PVQV0Rh6Bc
— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) February 15, 2018
It was a bronze — a well-earned reward for Duhamel and Radford’s crisp, technical program that included the first clean quad throw in Olympic history.
The Canadian duo couldn’t have done much else to best the gold medal-winning Germans, Aljona Savchenko and Bruno Massot, who skated flawlessly. Or the Chinese silver-medal winners Wenjing Sui and Cong Han, who entered the back-half of the competition with a large lead thanks to a stunning short program Tuesday.
As Duhamel put it as she awaited the conclusion of the event, “If that’s fourth, that’s the greatest fourth place in history.”
After their free skate, @mhjd_85 said, 'if that's 4th, that's the greatest 4th in history.'
As it turns out, the performance was podium-worthy, and the pair's first ever individual Olympic medal. pic.twitter.com/k6R6rMY3g9
— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) February 15, 2018
Homan’s rocky start
Rachel Homan’s Ottawa-based rink came into these Games as the overwhelming favourites to capture women’s curling gold. That could certainly still happen. But it’ll take some serious work, as Team Homan dropped its first two games of the tournament Wednesday and Thursday, in a disastrous start.
Canada played a wildly entertaining game with South Korea in its opener, falling behind 4-1 after the fifth end before battling back with a draw to score two in the sixth and a steal scoring one in the seventh. The Canadians then dodged a major bullet in the eighth as South Korea sat four with the hammer yet could only score one thanks to a perfectly placed stone from Homan.
Canada dodges a bullet as Korea misses their last shot and only goes ahead by a point to leave the score 5-4 heading into the ninth end. pic.twitter.com/H7KMr9iu6i
— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) February 15, 2018
But with a chance to tie the game in the ninth with a draw for one, Homan opted instead to go for a risky run back, which backfired and allowed the South Koreans to steal three. An end later, the South Koreans were celebrating an 8-6 victory.
Korea steals 3 as Canada misses their last rock in end 9 of the women's curling pic.twitter.com/7YZWbAu9RM
— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) February 15, 2018
Just eight hours later, Homan and Co. were back on the ice to play Sweden and found themselves down early as Sweden stole two in the very first end. Swedish skip Anna Hasselborg kept attacking and had her team up 5-3 going into the seventh, but Canada battled back, tying the game in the 10th to force an extra end.
But Homan put too much weight on her final rock in the 11th, an unforced error that left Hasselborg — who shot 81 per cent in the match — with a relatively easy draw around a guard for one, and the win, 7-6.
It’s the first time a Canadian women’s team has lost its first two games in an Olympic curling tournament. Team Homan now has about 18 hours to regroup before a chance to reverse their fortunes Friday when they take on Denmark at 12:05 a.m. ET.
The hockey check-in
Canada’s women’s and men’s hockey teams both came away with victories Thursday, although one was considerably more challenging than the other.
First, the Canadian women won a fierce, nerve-wracking contest over the United States, 2-1, thanks in large part to the spectacular play of goaltender Genevieve Lacasse, who stopped 44 of the 45 shots she faced. Canada was outshot and outplayed early, but there was no score through one as Lacasse made several key saves, including this breakaway stop on Hilary Knight.
#USA's Knight catches Canada on a change but is DENIED by Geneviève Lacasse https://t.co/J1MKpLT6lS pic.twitter.com/JUHrOZGEwq
— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) February 15, 2018
Canada finally broke through in the second, as Meghan Agosta buried a beautiful Natalie Spooner feed on a power play to open the scoring. Eight minutes later, Sarah Nurse added another, picking the top corner over U.S. goaltender Maddie Rooney’s right shoulder to extend the lead.
GOAL! Sarah Nurse with an absolute snipe to put Canada up 2-0 on the United States pic.twitter.com/tHNJtEsz7M
— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) February 15, 2018
But the Americans struck back only 23 seconds into the third, as the speedy Kendall Coyne split the Canadian defence and flipped the puck through Lacasse’s five-hole, halving the deficit.
Kendall Coyne scores the first goal for the United States! pic.twitter.com/SgL8ZoxXge
— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) February 15, 2018
That set the stage for a dramatic finish, including a disallowed Canadian goal, three penalties in the final four minutes, and an absolute free-for-all in front of the net as time expired.
Look, anything can happen. But odds are this isn’t the last time these two teams meet in the tournament, with a gold-medal game rematch in the offing. You won’t want to miss that one.
Meanwhile, the Canadian men cruised to a 5-1 victory over Switzerland in their tournament opener. Ben Scrivens stopped 28 of the 29 shots he faced, while Rene Bourque and Wojtek Wolski each scored twice.
Wojtek Wolski scores 's 2nd goal in under a minute, it's now 4-0 over https://t.co/nzCZEYiTJ1 pic.twitter.com/0EAdUjKde7
— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) February 15, 2018
The Canadian men next play Friday night at 10:10 p.m. ET versus Czech Republic.
Prominent Canadians in action on Day 7 (all times Eastern):
• Figure skating, men’s short program — Feb. 15, 8:00 p.m.
Three-time Olympian, three-time World Champion, and 10-time Canadian champion Patrick Chan will skate in the Olympics short program Thursday for the final time in his storied career. For that fact alone, this event is not to be missed. Keegan Messing will also make his Olympic debut.
• Women’s snowboard cross — Feb. 15, 8:00 p.m.
Although Sochi silver medal winner Dominique Maltais won’t be racing, Canada is entering a strong group in this year’s women’s snowboard cross competition. All four Canadians in the field are ranked in the top-15 on the World Cup circuit, including Meryeta O’Dine (No. 6), Zoe Bergermann (No. 10), Carle Brenneman (No. 12) and Tess Critchlow (No.15).
• Alpine skiing, men’s super-G — Feb. 15, 9:00 p.m.
At the 2014 Games in Sochi, this event produced Canada’s first Olympic alpine skiing medal in 20 years when Jan Hudec finished in a tie for bronze. Hudec’s back to defend in Pyeongchang — the only issue is he’s competing for the Czech Republic now after Canada cut ties with him. Alpine Canada thought it was still in good shape after Montreal’s Erik Guay won gold in the super-G at the 2017 World Championships. But there’s an issue there, too, as a back injury has held Guay out of these Games. Now, Canada’s hopes rest with 34-year-old Manuel Osborne-Paradis, who won super-G bronze at the 2017 Worlds, finishing just a half-second off Guay’s pace.
• Speed skating, women’s 5,000m — Feb. 16, 6:00 a.m.
After picking up bronze in the 5,000-metres at the 2017 World Championships, Ottawa’s Ivanie Blondin will try to return to the podium in Pyeongchang Friday morning. She’ll be joined in the field by fellow Ottawa native Isabelle Weidemann, who finished sixth in this event at the most recent Worlds, and fifth in 2016.
• Men’s curling, Canada vs. South Korea — Feb. 16, 6:05 a.m.
Playing Norway Thursday morning, Yellowknife’s Kevin Koe stole one in the eighth and escaped a jam in the ninth — thanks in part to a pair of tough misses by Norwegian skip Thomas Ulsrud, it must be said — to lead his rink to a 7-4 victory and remain undefeated in Pyeongchang. Next, Team Koe puts that record on the line against South Korea Friday morning. The hosts are 0-2 so far in the tournament, with lopsided losses to the United States and Sweden.
Sportsnet dispatches from Korea
Kristina Rutherford has reaction from the Canadian women’s hockey team after it’s wild victory over the United States.
Rutherford also has a terrific Big Read on Canadian bobsled pilot Kaillie Humphries and her unique relationship with American Elana Meyers Taylor, her training partner and rival.
Shi Davidi has the detailed story behind Duhamel and Radford’s terrific skate.
Continuing on the figure skating beat, Davidi sets up Patrick Chan’s upcoming skate, and what it means in the perspective of his decorated career.
Around the web…
The New York Times considers trail-blazing speed skater Shani Davis, the seemingly constant controversy that swirls around him, and his influence on a generation of athletes.
This piece from the Washington Post — and accompanying 360-degree video — brings you as close to the experience of luging as you’re going to get short of actually hopping on a sled.
Vox has a pair of interesting figure skating videos, one looking at the unique challenge of landing a triple axel and another examining the intricacies of the sport’s scoring system.
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