Canada adds another two medals in skiing slopestyle
Sergei Grits/AP
Gold and bronze for Canada in skiing slopestyle
Dara Howell didn’t hold back. With an amazing score of 94.20 on her first finals run in skiing slopestyle, the Huntsville, Ont. native won gold in the sport’s Olympic debut. To boost Canada up the medal standings even further, Quebec City’s Kim Lamarre won the bronze with a score of 85.00 on her second run.
http://t.co/OfobmsxlSt < Two more medals! GOLD for @DaraHowell BRONZE for @kim_lamarre, ski slopestyle. #WeAreWinter pic.twitter.com/5wslWGtan3
— CDN Olympic Team (@CDNOlympicTeam) February 11, 2014
With @DaraHowell + @kim_lamarre going 1-3 in ski slopestyle, for now #Canada has outright medal lead. #WeAreWinter pic.twitter.com/MEfi4DHS9v — CDN Olympic Team (@CDNOlympicTeam) February 11, 2014
Canadians don’t just like winning here in Sochi. None of them want to get up on the podium alone.
— cathalkelly (@cathalkelly) February 11, 2014
Canadian Dara Howell, only 19-years-old, is an Olympic champion. Canada’s fourth gold medal, in as many days, comes in ski slopestyle.
— Arash Madani (@ArashMadani) February 11, 2014
Bronze for @kim_lamarre after a clutch performance. #WeAreWinter pic.twitter.com/zybzEjqdyz
— CDN Olympic Team (@CDNOlympicTeam) February 11, 2014
It wasn’t all good news for Canadians on the course. Canada’s four-time X-Games slopestyle skiing champion Kaya Turski, the gold medal favourite for Sochi, crashed on both her qualifying runs and failed to advance to the finals.
Ski slopestyle gold medal favorite Kaya Turski of Canada just crashed in qualifying. She’s torn three ACLs. pic.twitter.com/Drl4VYauCm
— Nick Zaccardi (@nzaccardi) February 11, 2014
Turski says repaired knee felt fine after fall on 1st run, but she did dislocate her shoulder—and pop it back in herself. #gutsy #sochi2014
— Charlie Gillis (@ChasGillis) February 11, 2014
“I don’t want this to be an excuse,” says Turski of illness. “It’s disappointing. I have to believe this moment doesn’t define who I am.”
— Charlie Gillis (@ChasGillis) February 11, 2014
Turski: “I’m proud to say an Olympian, even if I’m 22nd out of 22. I’ll take it.” #sochi2014
— Charlie Gillis (@ChasGillis) February 11, 2014
Well World…. I gave it my best shot. I truly did…… Thank you for all the amazing support. Everyone. Love you ??
— Kaya Turski (@kayaturski) February 11, 2014
Yuki Tsubota also had a bad crash in her second run in the finals.
bad crash in skislope finals, Yuki Tsubota of Canada was carried off by stretcher #olympics pic.twitter.com/QpyUOWUn36
— neonne (@neonne) February 11, 2014
But Canada will go home with another gold and bronze in an event that gained Olympic status thanks in large part to the late Sarah Burke.
Someone, somehow, is very happy right now!! Sarah Burke, look at what you’ve done!!! #CanadaProud #Sochi2014
— Veildedansinternet (@Veil1983) February 11, 2014
Watching ski slopestyle gave me sympathy knee pain, but what a perfect way to honour Sarah Burke. Way to go Dara! pic.twitter.com/I1cxCpmIn4
— Zoe Jean (@zoe_jean) February 11, 2014
Ladies Historical @Olympics free ski #Slopestyle debut in @Sochi2014 ! Thinking of you @sarah_j_burke Today!! Thanks pic.twitter.com/wtH5bSdICO
— Randy Ferguson (@fergyrg) February 11, 2014
Perfect start for Jennifer Jones
Brad Jacobs and the men’s team may be showing some early jitters, but Jennifer Jones is in Olympic form already. Not only has her team defeated China and Sweden handily, but the skip can’t seem to miss a shot.
Jennifer Jones in the zone vs Sweden. Wins 9-3 in 8 ends. Jones did not miss one of her 16 shots curling 100% and most were difficult.
— Joe Pascucci (@Pascucci015) February 11, 2014
Gotta say, I’ve seen Jennifer Jones play a lot of games over the years. Never seen her as focused as here. 96% yesterday, 100 so far today
— Al Cameron (@AlCameronCCA) February 11, 2014
Jennifer Jones pic.twitter.com/64nt5hjYWJ
— athleticsHR (@athleticsHR) February 10, 2014
a fun fact about jennifer jones is that when she isn’t being the best curler in the world she is also a corporate lawyer and a total #boss
— harriet m welsch (@langluy) February 11, 2014
The men’s team, skipped by Brad Jacobs, has struggled over the first two days of competition with one win and two losses so far. This morning against the reigning world champions from Sweden, Team Canada lost by a single point. With the hammer in the final end, Swedish skip Niklas Edin just barely got his draw.
If football is a game of inches, curling is a game of centimeters. Sweden beats Canada 7-6. pic.twitter.com/0Qvl5OxaHI
— BuzzFeed Sports (@BuzzFeedSports) February 11, 2014
Dispatches from Sochi: (Be sure to follow: @ChasGillis, @JonGatehouse, @kmqyvr, and @reporterchris)
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Charlie Gillis: Charles Hamelin, legend in the making
Jonathon Gatehouse: Women’s hockey too close for comfort
Ken McQueen: Will Sochi Games be good for Russia (VIDEO)
Wake up! Still to come today: curling, women’s ski jump Olympic debut, and snowboarder Shaun White
Atsuko Tanaka and Taylor Henrich are ready to fly for Canada. Regardless of how well they place, it will be a historic day marking ski jump’s Olympic debut for women. The women take flight at 12:30 p.m. EST/9:30 a.m. PST
It could be a gold medal preview on the curling rink when Canada’s Brad Jacobs goes up against Sweden’s Niklas Edin today. The two are very familiar with each other as Edin plays on the Canadian pro circuit. The two also faced off in last year’s world championships, with the Swedes winning gold. Will Jacobs avenge that loss? Updated: Sweden won 7-6, scoring a single point in the 10th end.
Shaun White said the slopestyle course was too dangerous and some of his competitors were angry at him pulling out last minute. That could just prove to be extra motivation for U.S. snowboarding legend, who is the heavy favourite in the snowboard halfpipe. If he wins gold again, he will become the first American to threepeat at the Winter Games. Expect to see him in the medal round, which starts at 12:30 p.m. EST/9:30 a.m. PST.