Day 8: One Medal but Another Rough Day for Canada

Meryeta O'Dine and Éliot Grondin on the podium after finishing third in Mixed Team Snowboard Cross. Credit: Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press

Canada was able to grab another medal to add to their total, however, the day features, a couple of losses and near podium finishes.

It was the Olympic debut of the Mixed Team Snowboard Cross. Canada has two teams in the event. One consisted of Liam Moffat and Tess Critchlow, and the other more notably consisted of silver medalist Éliot Grondin and bronze medalist Meryeta O’Dine.

Moffat and Critchlow could not make it past the quarterfinal, but Grondin and O’Dine as expected made the final, as their individual success had them favoured to medal.

A scary moment in the anchor leg of the final as O’Dine was in third and Italian racer Caterina Carpano landed a jump on top of O’Dine. Both racers were down as contact was made with O’Dine’s head. However, the Canadian quickly got up and powered through to the finish to secure the bronze medal for Canada.

Canada now has a total of 13 medals. One Gold, four Silver and eight Bronze.

Canada falls to Sweden in curling not once, but twice.

The opening draw of the day saw Jennifer Jones, the gold medalist in 2014, against Anna Hasselborg, the gold medalist in 2018.

It was a rough start for Team Jones as they fell behind 5-2 after the first five ends as they struggled to start the game. However, they made it interesting. Down by two in the 10th, Team Canada had a chance to tie and maybe win. After a measurement, it was deemed Canada only scored one resulting in a 7-6 loss.

The next draw was 2006 gold medalist Brad Gushue against 2018 silver medalist Niklas Edin.

It was a close game early but some key missed by Canada toward the end of the match made the difference. Canada was down 4-2 after six ends of play. With the hammer in the seventh, Canada could not capitalize as they surrendered a steal of one after a miss by Gushue. On to the final end, Canada is down 6-4 with a shot at three for the win. Gushue’s shot was just wide and it was a steal of one for Sweden to win the game 7-4.

Both the men and women have lost their last two games. Gushue sits with a record of 2-2, while Jones has a record of 1-2.

In hockey, Canada and the US were at it on the men’s side. Just a few days after the Canadian women defeated Team USA 4-2, the men looked for the same success. However, it was not to be as they are defeated by the rival Americans 4-2.

In Long Track Speed Skating, three Canadians including gold medal favourite, Laurent Dubreuil competed in the Men’s 500m. Antoine Gélinas-Beaulieu finished 29th and Gilmore Junio finished 21st. As for Dubreil, he finished just off the podium in fourth place by 0.03 seconds.

After her first two runs had her in ninth, Mirela Rahneva rebounded with a solid third run that moved her into fifth. She could not make up any ground on her fourth and final run resulting in her staying in that fifth spot 1.53 seconds back of the lead. Teammate Jane Chanell finished 17th.

Figure Skaters Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier will head to the Free Dance in sixth place with a score of 83.52 after the Rhythm Dance, as the top Canadian pair. Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Sørensen are not far behind as they sit eighth with a score of 78.54. Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha are in 13th with a score of 72.59.

On Day 9:

In curling, the men take on Team USA, while the women take on Switzerland.

Women’s Monobob runs one and two featuring Cynthia Appiah and Christine De Bruin.

Freestyle Skiing with two qualifying events: Women’s Slopestyle and Women’s Aerials

In Short Track Speed Skating, medals will be handed out in the Men’s and Women’s 500m and the Women’s 3000m relay.

Canada will play their final game of the group stage against China in Men’s Hockey.

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