CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy – After a tumultuous two weeks at the Olympics that included allegations of cheating and profanity, the Canadian men will play for a gold medal at the Milan Cortina Games.
Canada defeated Norway 5-4 in Thursday night’s semi-finals after losing to the Norwegians earlier in the day.
The Canadians were the subject of a controversy that attracted attention far beyond the ice when several players were accused of touching the rock twice, a violation of the rules.
Canada’s opponent in Saturday’s gold medal game will be Britain, which defeated Switzerland 8-5. The Swiss remained undefeated in the semi-finals.
Norway will play Switzerland on Friday for the bronze medal.
The sport was thrown into turmoil last week when Sweden’s Oscar Eriksson accused Canada’s Mark Kennedy of breaking rules by touching the rock again after initially leaving it under a blanket of snow. Kennedy responded with expletive-filled indignation.
Several more allegations of double touching followed, and Canada lost its next match against Switzerland before reaching the semi-finals.
Against Norway, Canada led 3–1 after the end of the sixth. Norway tied the score with a single in the eighth. Canada led 4-2 in the ninth.
Norway had the hammer in the tenth end. After a shot from Brad Jacobs that left Norway’s stone at the home sideline, Norway pulled off a double, tying the match at 4–4 and forcing it into an extra end.
But Norway missed their final shot of the extra end and sent the emboldened Canadians into the final. They are seeking their first gold medal in men’s curling since the 2014 Sochi Games, when Britain was also their opponent in the final.
Knowing that Canada is guaranteed a medal is a “pretty incredible feeling,” Kennedy said.
“We found some old people [on the team]So we’ll rest before Saturday’s match”, he said. “It’s going to be a good battle.”
Jacobs said her 11-year-old daughter and other family members were crying in the stands.
“To give them another game to cheer for means everything to all of us,” he said.
Switzerland were in control for a large part of the match against Britain.
The British scored two goals in the eighth end to take a 6–5 lead, their first scores of the match, and Switzerland were defeated in the ninth. Britain surprised by scoring two more in the 10th.
Curling commentator John Cullen posted on X, “GB are in the final with a record of 6-4 and Switzerland are out with a record of 9-1. The Olympics are a cruel, cruel mistress.”
Britain won the silver medal at the 2022 Beijing Games, losing to Sweden in the final.
“It’s been a lot of ups and downs,” skip Bruce Mouat said of the tournament. “But when it counts we play well.”
The Edinburgh native got emotional when he saw his family and friends cheering for him, but shedding tears isn’t his style, saying, “I don’t think I have tear ducts.”
Nor, apparently, did any of the women in the British fanbase, who spent much of the game knitting.
The women’s bronze medal game is on Saturday, and the gold medal game is Sunday.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
