Society

While you were sleeping: Charles Hamelin falls in 1000-m quarter-finals

But in good news, Slovenian hockey gets a historic win over Slovakia

Ivan Sekretarev/AP

Ivan Sekretarev/AP

Charles Hamelin was chasing history. Already with four career Olympic medals, three of them gold, he was a favourite to add one more in the 1000-m. Instead, Hamelin tripped on his own skates and finished last place in the quarter-finals.

Fellow Canadians Charlie Cournoyer and Olivier Jean also failed to advance to the semi-finals, meaning Canada will likely go without winning a medal today.

It was a bad start to the day for Canada, but Saturday, February 15 will go down in history for Slovenian hockey. With less than a thousand registered hockey players, many figured the tiny European nation would simply be happy to be in the Olympic hockey competition. Slovenia only has one NHL player and were going up against a strong team from Slovakia, who finished fourth place at the Vancouver Games.

But after holding the game to 0-0 into the third period, Slovenia surprised the hockey world with three quick goals.

A late goal by the Slovaks ruined the shutout, but Slovenia won’t care considering the momentous win.

Some good news for Canada, came from the curling rink. It was a regular day at the office for Jennifer Jones. Another game, another win. The skip helped Team Canada to an 8-6 victory over Japan to improve their record to 6-0.

Team Canada has virtually guaranteed a spot in the top four of the round robin standings, which would put them in the semi-finals.

Dispatches from Sochi: (Be sure to follow: @ChasGillis, @JonGatehouse, @kmqyvr, @KrRutherford and @reporterchris)

Jonathon Gatehouse: Patrick Chan on settling for silver: ‘I think I’ll be crushed when I go home’

Ken MacQueen: Jeff Carter hat trick lifts Team Canada over Austria

Jonathon Gatehouse: The heat is on in Sochi (VIDEO)

Charlie Gillis: Weather throwing Canadian cross-country skiers for a loop

Wake up! Still to come today: Skeleton finals and a big hockey game at the Bolshoy

In some non-Canadian content, Americans who remember the Miracle on Ice will be looking for a Miracle at the Bolshoy. Team USA will not be the same kind of longshots to win gold as they were in 1980, but they will be underdogs going head-to-head against the hometown Russians. Look for at least one of these two teams to be in the gold medal final, so call it scouting homework as a Team Canada fan. Puck drops at 7:30 a.m. EST/4:30 a.m. PST.

Calgary’s John Fairbairn and Eric Nielson of Kelowna, B.C. are longshots to a win a medal in skeleton (they sit in eighth and 12th place, respectively, after the first two of four runs), but watching them go slide face-first downhill at 135 km/h is enough to make anybody hold their breath. And the helmets are pretty cool too. Men’s skeleton starts at 9:45 a.m. EST/6:45 a.m. PST.

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