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Ottawa at the Olympics Day 13 Recap: Curling flips script, bobsled begins
By Dan Plouffe & Martin Cleary (This article was first sent to subscribers of the Ottawa at the Olympics Daily Newsletter. Sign up to receive it, for free, here.)
Evelyn gets first bobsled run going
Mike Evelyn started in a crouch position alongside pilot Chris Spring. The two sliders represented Canada’s best shot at a gold medal in two-man bobsled, and when the green light went off they pumped their legs like mad.
Canada’s coaches hollered for some encouragement as the 6-foot-3 Evelyn bobbed his shoulders up and down as he sprinted and hopped into his spot in the back of the sled.
Evelyn, a former hockey player, helped Canada off with a strong push, and once the run concluded he excitedly tapped Spring on the head. The duo’s 59.54 time put them in a respectable sixth place after one run, but it was still well behind the leader, German Francesco Friedrich.
The Germans were expectedly dominant, and the quality of their equipment plays into that success. In the four-man bobsled event, in which Evelyn will compete later, Canada is actually using Germany’s gold medal-winning sled from the 2108 Pyeongchang Games.
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“There’s what I think of as a trifecta,” Evelyn’s teammate Cody Sorensen told the Sports Pages. “You need an awesome push, you need a good drive, and you need good equipment if you want to be in the mix.”
There’s less moving parts in two-man, but the recipe remains the same. Evelyn’s big push gives the pairing its power and Spring’s experience as a pilot helps him finesse the ins and outs of the course.
Evelyn’s second run was a touch slower at 1:00.03, leaving their sled with a difficult path to the podium in Day 2.
Team Jones flips the script with two wins
“Jennifer Jones has arrived at the Olympics, ladies and gentleman.”
It was subtle but astute observation by CBC broadcaster Mike Harris, as Jones hit a beautiful shot in the eighth end of Canada’s 7-3 win over Great Britain.
She was brilliant throughout the match, using a gentle touch to slide her stones with pinpoint accuracy, notably clearing Canada of some trouble in a messy seventh end.
The win against Great Britain helped Canada’s curling foursome continue its tightwire act into playoff position. On Sunday evening, Team Jones trounced the Russian Olympic Committee, seizing the lead early with some massive steals and then never looking back.
“One million per cent we needed to win that game. That was a massive win,” Jones said after the 11-5 win over ROC, per CBC.
Weagle soaking in Olympic atmosphere
As the tournament progress, it’s looking increasingly likely Lisa Weagle, the fifth member of Team Jones, may not throw a stone. But that’s alright, she said.
“All I want to see are these girls up on the podium at the end of the week,” Weagle wrote in a Curling Canada blog. “For me, that role won’t involve being on the ice, but I’m willing to do everything and anything I can off the ice to make sure the path to the playoffs is as straightforward as possible.”
In the meantime, Weagle has enjoyed her experience in Beijing, where she got to be a special part of a marvelous opening ceremony.
“It’s something that I’ll never forget and reminds me of why it’s important to dream big,” she wrote.
In a bench role, Weagle is blessed with an outsider’s perspective on her rink’s performance so far. She recognized the field is strong — meaning results aren’t guaranteed — but said as long as Canada knows it maxed out its effort, then that’ll be good enough.
“At the end of the day, as long as we can all look at ourselves in the mirror and know that we did absolutely everything we can this week, then we’ll be proud of ourselves,” Weagle wrote.
Gold medal within reach for women’s hockey
There were no surprises for Jamie Lee Rattray and the women’s hockey team Sunday. Despite allowing three goals, Canada ripped through Switzerland — a team it has now beaten twice in these Olympics — to advance to the gold medal game.
Canada’s 10-3 win over the Swiss was a mere appetizer for the inevitable championship matchup versus the Americans, who defeated Finland to advance. Canada’s coaches knew the U.S. was always going to be the final challenge. The broadcasters knew it. The players knew it too, but the moment isn’t lost on them.
“We worked all year for this, we worked so hard, so we’re going to be ready to go in that final game and really give it our all,” Canadian forward Rebecca Johnston told CBC. “That gold medal is definitely on our mind.”
Canada gets a day off before the gold medal match begins Wednesday at 11:10 p.m. eastern time.
Day 14 Preview: A wild ride for youngster McTavish
The NHL’s decision to not send its best players to the Games forced Canada to rework the entirety of its roster. The weeks-long scramble resulted in a mishmash of players — some young, some old, some ex-NHLers, and some international players.
Yet 19-year-old Mason McTavish stands out among the rest. The Carp native was selected third overall by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2021 draft. He’s already made his NHL debut, and now he’s looking to snatch a gold medal for Team Canada.
“It’s definitely been a busy last year but it’s been fun,” McTavish told the Toronto Sun. “Lots of new faces and lots of new people I’ve been meeting, especially here.”
At 6-foot-1 and 207 pounds, McTavish doesn’t look like a naïve kid. Instead, he embodies the aggressive, physical style of play Canada has used in Beijing, and he’s earned the respect of his teammates.
“Great player, man,” team captain Eric Staal said of the youngster. “He’s going to play a long time, you can tell that pretty quick. To be out there with him, for me is a lot of fun. Great energy. He’s a big, strong kid and he knows where to be on the ice.”
Lacking some of the speed of other nations, Canada has done its best to bully their opponents, having only been bested by the Americans so far in round robin play. McTavish and fellow Ottawa native Eric O’Dell have laid some massive hits in the tournament, but finesse often wins out on the spacious Olympic ice surface.
It’s always tough to lose to the U.S., but Canada bounced back with a decisive victory over host China, growing some team chemistry in the process. They’ll rematch the Chinese team Tuesday at 8:10 a.m. eastern in a qualification game that’ll see the winner advance to the tournament’s playoffs.
Ottawa athletes also in action on Day 14:
Isabelle Weidemann will look to secure her third medal of these Olympic Games, when she — along with teammate Ivanie Blondin — will race in the team pursuit semi-finals and finals early Tuesday morning.
Canada’s skating squad looked sharp in the quarterfinal portion, finishing second behind Japan. Now, Weidemann, Blondin, and Valerie Maltais will race against teams from Russia, the Netherlands, and Japan in the semifinals.
Evelyn will take his third and fourth runs in the two-man event Tuesday at 7:15 a.m. eastern.
(This article was first sent to subscribers of the Ottawa at the Olympics Daily Newsletter. Sign up to receive it, for free, here.)
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