A silver lining for Dominique Maltais
Snowboard cross is built for crashes, six riders all flying through the air on big jumps and fighting for position on every corner, and fans saw plenty of them Sunday morning.
USA’s Jackie Hernandez is sitting up after a horrifying crash in the snowboarding cross. http://t.co/tuJXDNlsFu
— BuzzFeed Sports (@BuzzFeedSports) February 16, 2014
It’s not snowboard cross, it’s snowboard crash!!
— LS10SuzukiMitsubishi (@RobinLuscombe) February 16, 2014
The crashes also took out Canada’s reigning gold medallist from Vancouver, Maelle Ricker.
LIVE: SBX – @maellericker in a crash in the quarters, will not advance. @DodoMaltais up next: http://t.co/GSR3SUVIvZ pic.twitter.com/LkLNmFxP2h
— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) February 16, 2014
2010 champ Maelle Ricker one of 3 riders to crash in the second quarterfinal of the women’s snowboard cross. Wild stuff. #Sochi2014
— Evan Doherty (@YSportsEvan) February 16, 2014
Amid the chaos, however, Canada’s Dominique Maltais came through with the silver medal. It was tight racing all day, with Maltais winning the semi-finals in a photo finish.
Unbelievable photo finish. @DodoMaltais wins, through to the final. #WeAreWinter pic.twitter.com/HuN5EOjLgK — CDN Olympic Team (@CDNOlympicTeam) February 16, 2014
In the finals, Eva Samkova of the Czech Republic won gold, dominating from start to finish. For Maltais, however, the silver was a great way to forget memories of Vancouver, where a serious injury cost her a chance at a medal.
@DodoMaltais Silver! Vindication after tough Vancouver 2010 @maellericker crushed by DNF — Ken MacQueen (@kmqyvr) February 16, 2014
Awesome snowboard sross silver win for Maltais #GoCanadaGo #Sochi2014 #WeAreWinter #WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/VbqC1rq9IK — Esteban Contreras (@socialnerdia) February 16, 2014
Ladies’ snowboard cross CONGRATS #Maltais, Silver!!! Woooooooo!!! #Sochi2014 pic.twitter.com/f0mFIMiFvP — ???? (@ooozmin) February 16, 2014
Canada was catching up, but Quebec back in the lead. They now have 7 individual medals to the rest of the country’s 6. — cathalkelly (@cathalkelly) February 16, 2014
A lucky loonie and a super bronze
Jan Hudec won Canada’s first medal on Sunday morning, taking home the bronze in the men’s alpine skiing Super G. (Click here to read Jonathon Gatehouse reporting from Sochi on the historic race.)
http://t.co/4Z93ILmndV < BRONZE! @pandaHAUSofROCK has tied for 3rd in the men’s super-G. #WeAreWinter pic.twitter.com/g706dLj25c
— CDN Olympic Team (@CDNOlympicTeam) February 16, 2014
History on the mountain. For the first time in 20 years, Canada has a medal in Olympic alpine skiing. Jan Hudec wins bronze in the Super G.
— Arash Madani (@ArashMadani) February 16, 2014
Jan Hudec wins bronze. Well done. Heard a great line from a colleague last night: “Canadians, we only see you at the bar or on the podium.”
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) February 16, 2014
It was a historic victory for Canada, being the first Olympic medal in alpine skiing in two decades. Hudec always had the skill to medal at Sochi, but to make sure luck was on his side, he burried a lucky loonie at the finish line. (Did it work? He ended up in a tie for bronze with American favourite Bode Miller.)
Jan Hudec, with the most famous loonie in Russia. pic.twitter.com/uwgFGJmToo
— SeanFitz_Gerald (@SeanFitz_Gerald) February 16, 2014
Congrat’s to Jan Hudec!! What an awesome Tie Bronze Medal Finish!! Loonie Finish paid off!!
— Diana Boyd (@BoydDiana) February 16, 2014
Jan Hudec has persevered through so much &skied his face off to win bronze. Please credit him for his achievement, not a finish-line loonie.
— M.GrittaniLivingston (@GrittaniLiving) February 16, 2014
Team Jacobs on a roll Remember when Canada’s men’s curling team had a record on 1-2 and many were worried if they would make the playoffs? Brad Jacobs and his rink from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. have put those fears to rest with their fifth straight victory, beating the U.S. 8-6 this morning. Now with a record of 6-2, the Canadians have guaranteed a spot in the semi-finals, and they still have yet to peak on the rink.
That was a personal struggle that I don’t intend to let happen again. Great job by the boys to hang in there #fighting #grinding #gutcheck — Ryan Fry (@ryanfry79) February 16, 2014
Playoff-bound, and couldn’t be happier! Gutsy effort from the boys! Here’s a blog from @eharnden83: http://t.co/JMhItoyz3O #WeAreWinter — Team Jacobs (@TeamBradJacobs) February 16, 2014
Maybe all they needed was a little support Canada’s men’s hockey goalie Roberto Luongo yesterday.
Always been #TeamJacobs kind of guy pic.twitter.com/cBPdYQkYEn
— Strombone (@strombone1) February 15, 2014
Dispatches from Sochi: (Be sure to follow: @ChasGillis, @JonGatehouse, @kmqyvr, @KrRutherford and @reporterchris)
Jonathon Gatehouse: Jan Hudec’s good luck bronze
Charlie Gillis: Record-setting gold eludes Charles Hamelin
Kristina Rutherford: Team Jennifer Jones hasn’t peaked yet
Chris Johnston: A historic victory for Slovenian hockey
Wake up! Still to come today: biathalon, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, and Team Canada hockey
Canadian figure skaters have already won several medals at Sochi, but none of them gold. Look for Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue to change that trend in today’s pairs ice dance short program. Their main competition will be Americans Meryl Davis and Charlie White. The battle at the Iceberg Skating Palace starts at 10 a.m. EST/7 a.m. PST.
How often to you get to watch someone ski 15-km with a gun? Jean-Philippe Le Guellec is Canada’s best hope for a medal in today’s men’s biathlon, though it’ll be tough to beat the Norwegians. The ski and shoot begins at 10 a.m. EST/7 a.m. PST.
Canada will be glued to the televisions when the men’s hockey team take the ice. Sidney Crosby and crew will have their first real test of the tournament when they face off against Finland (no disrespect Norway or Austria) and a win is paramount for divisional standings. A loss could mean Canada will play Russia in the quarter-finals, and no one wants to play the hometown favourites so soon. The puck drops at noon EST/9 a.m. PST.