The Olympic spirit is alive and well on Day 8 of the Milan Cortina Games, and Canada is making its mark!
Canada's Medal Count Grows
Canada's speedskater, William Dandjinou, has brought home the bronze in the men's speedskating 500 meters, marking Canada's eighth medal of the Games. But here's where it gets controversial... Dandjinou, who was favored for a medal, finished just 0.43 seconds behind the leader, Jens van 't Wout from the Netherlands. Silver went to South Korea's Hwang Daeheon, and Latvia's Roberts Kruzbergs claimed the bronze.
Canadian Women Advance in Speedskating
The Canadian women's speedskating team is on a roll! Courtney Sarault, Kim Boutin, Florence Brunelle, and Danae Blais have advanced to the A Final in the 3,000-meter relay. They finished second in their semifinal heat, just 0.127 seconds behind South Korea. The final will be a thrilling showdown on Wednesday.
Curling Losses for Canada
Unfortunately, it's not all wins for Canada on the curling front. The women's team, led by Rachel Homan, suffered an 8-7 loss to Switzerland, following a 7-6 defeat to Great Britain earlier in the day. This marks the third straight loss for Homan's team, leaving Canada in eighth place with a record of 1-3.
Canadian Short-Track Speedskaters Advance
William Dandjinou and Steven Dubois are through to the final of the men's 1,500 meters. Dandjinou won his semifinal in an impressive 2:15.619, while Dubois advanced after being interfered with, resulting in a penalty against Italy's Thomas Nadalini. Dandjinou, the reigning world champion, and Dubois, who won silver in this event at the Beijing 2022 Games, are both looking strong.
Freestyle Skiing Success
Megan Oldham and Naomi Urness have qualified for the women's big air finals in freestyle skiing. Oldham topped the leaderboard with a score of 171.75, while Urness ranked seventh with 161.25. The finals will take place on Monday, and these Canadian athletes are ones to watch!
More Speedskating Success
Courtney Sarault, Kim Boutin, and Florence Brunelle have qualified for the women's 1,000-meter short track quarterfinals. Sarault, who already has a bronze medal in the women's 500 from earlier in the week, is a force to be reckoned with. The quarterfinals will be held on Monday.
Skeleton Results
In the women's skeleton, Canadians Jane Channell and Hallie Clarke finished 18th and 19th, respectively. Austria's Janine Flock took the top spot with a time of 3 minutes and 49.02 seconds, followed by Germany's Susanne Kreher and Jacqueline Pfeifer.
Canadian Women's Hockey Captain Returns
Marie-Philip Poulin, captain of the Canadian women's hockey team, has tied Hayley Wickenheiser's record for most career Olympic goals. Poulin scored a power-play goal in the third period of the quarterfinal match against Germany, matching her former teammate's record of 18. Poulin's return to the lineup after missing two games due to injury has been a boost for the team, leading them to a 5-1 victory.
Speedskating Bronze for Canada
Laurent Dubreuil won the bronze medal in the men's 500 meters, finishing the race in 34.26 seconds. He was just behind Jordan Stolz of the United States and Jenning de Boo of the Netherlands, who took gold and silver, respectively. Dubreuil's performance is a notable improvement from his fourth-place finish in this event at the Beijing 2022 Games.
Curling Losses for Canadian Men
The Canadian men's curling team suffered a loss to Switzerland, dropping their record to 3-1. Switzerland's Yannick Schwaller and his team defeated Brad Jacobs' Calgary-based squad by a score of 9-5. The Swiss foursome used their hammer advantage to score early and maintained their lead throughout the game.
Women's Hockey Quarterfinal
Marie-Philip Poulin returned to the ice for Canada's quarterfinal match against Germany. Canada took an early lead with a goal from Brianne Jenner, but Poulin's status for the remainder of the game was uncertain after missing the previous two round-robin games due to injury.
Speedskating Team Pursuit
Canada's speed skaters dominated the women's team pursuit quarterfinal, with defending Olympic champions Isabelle Weidemann, Ivanie Blondin, and Valérie Maltais crossing the line in an impressive time of two minutes, 55.03 seconds. Japan, the Netherlands, and the United States also qualified for the semifinals on Tuesday.
Brazilian Ski Racer Makes History
Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, a Brazilian ski racer, is on the cusp of making history by earning South America's first medal at a Winter Games. He leads the field after the top 30 fastest from the first run in the Olympic giant slalom. Braathen finished with a combined time of 2 minutes, 25 seconds, ahead of Swiss racer Marco Odermatt, the defending Olympic champion.
Curling Tensions
The Canadian men's curling squad faced Switzerland in a round-robin game, which attracted extra attention due to on-ice tensions between Sweden's Oskar Eriksson and Canadian vice Marc Kennedy during a previous game. The incident, which involved a complaint about double-touching the stone, resulted in some heated exchanges and drew international headlines.
Cross-Country Skiing Results
Canada's cross-country ski team finished eighth in the women's 4 x 7.5-kilometer relay. The team of Alison Mackie, Jasmine Drolet, Liliane Gagnon, and Sonjaa Schmidt combined for a top-10 finish. Norway took the gold, followed by Sweden in silver and Finland in bronze.
Women's Curling Loss
Rachel Homan and her Canadian teammates suffered a 7-6 loss to Great Britain's Sophie Jackson in the women's curling round robin. Homan, the top-ranked skip, missed a crucial double-takeout in the third end, allowing the British team to score three points. Homan will face Switzerland's Silvana Tirinzoni, the second-ranked skip, in the evening session at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium.
Curling Incident and Response
World Curling has confirmed that official protocol was followed after a complaint about double-touching the stone in a men's curling game between Canada and Sweden. The game, won by Canada's Brad Jacobs, received attention due to the broadcast of profane language from player microphones. World Curling stated that umpires addressed the complaint and monitored deliveries for three ends, but no violations were found. The incident, involving an accusation by Sweden's Oskar Eriksson, led to a viral moment as Canadian vice Marc Kennedy responded with some choice words.
Short-Track Speedskating Gold Medal Hope
William Dandjinou, a Canadian short-track speedskater, is aiming for Canada's first gold medal of the Milan Cortina Olympics. Dandjinou, from Sherbrooke, Que., will compete in the men's 1,500 meters after winning silver in the mixed team relay and narrowly missing the podium in the 1,000-meter event. Meanwhile, Canada's women's hockey team begins the playoff round, facing Germany in their first elimination game. The defending Olympic champions have had a mixed performance so far, with wins over Czechia and Finland and a loss to the United States.
This report captures the excitement and drama of Day 8 at the Milan Cortina Olympics. Canada's athletes are putting on a show, and the competition is heating up! Stay tuned for more updates as the Games progress.
