Every afternoon, Olympic enthusiast Drew Berner tracks the talking points from the the day’s competitions. Here’s our recap of day fourteen at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.
Canada Makes a Clean Sweep in Curling
They scored big and they scored small, but more importantly Canada’s men’s curling team scored early and often, beating Great Britain 9-3 to complete the gold sweep. In the first four ends alone Brad Jacobs’s team scored six points, including one by a paper-thin margin that required two official measurements to be sure. Canada just seemed to make all their shots, raising their tournament average to 85 per cent, while silver medallists Great Britain threw well below their average and had trouble getting anything right—perhaps the “aggression” Britain’s coach Soren Gran complained of a day earlier shook the Brits’ focus. The win ties Canada with the U.S. for second-most gold medals, and puts them third in the overall medal race.
One-Two Punch Wins Women’s Ski Cross
You don’t often hear about teamwork in freestyle skiing, but Canadians seem to be able to turn any competition into a team sport. Teammates Marielle Thompson and Kelsey Serwa won gold and silver, respectively, in women’s ski cross, and the two couldn’t say enough about how happy they were for each other and how glad they were to be able to share the podium. Serwa scored the best time in the seeding round and won nearly all her heats, but was more focused on her country’s two medals than which one she earned. The medals create a even split for Canada, with men and women each accounting for 11 medals so far and two coming in co-ed events (ice dancing and team figure skating).
Price is Right for Men’s Hockey Team
Medals aside, any hockey that features Canada and Team USA feels like an epic. The women’s final on Thursday added a historic chapter to the North American rivalry, while Friday’s rematch of the 2010 gold medal game carried as much weight as any championship. Goaltender Carey Price made the difference for Canada, stopping all 31 shots he faced from a powerhouse American squad that had scored at will in its previous games. Jamie Benn scored the lone goal for Canada, redirecting a pass behind US goaltender Jonathan Quick. Sunday’s gold medal match against Sweden won’t have quite the same drama of Friday’s game, but Canada could easily be bringing home silver if they lose their focus. The US will battle Finland for the bronze medal on Saturday—even if the Americans win, though, bronze will never replace a win over their continental rivals.
Maltais Misses Golden Opportunity; Cornoyer Cashes In
With medal hopefuls Charles Hamelin and Mariane St-Gelais eliminated early, things didn’t look great for Canada’s short track skaters. Still, Canada put a pair into each of the women’s 1,000m and men’s 500m quarterfinals, with Valerie Maltais and Charle Cornoyer advancing to their respective semis. Maltais was comfortably in second, set to qualify for the final, when she lost her edge on her last turn—a running theme among Canada’s short track skaters—shutting the door on her medal hopes. Cornoyer, meanwhile, kept his skates under him to make the final, then cruised to a bronze when Chinese skater Wenhao Liang crashed out of the race. It’s hard not to wonder if the Russians—whose skater Victor An took gold in the men’s 500m, his second gold and third medal of the Sochi Games—have been spending quality time with the skate sharpening machine.
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