Team Canada enjoyed its most successful day so far at the Beijing Winter Olympics with a four-medal haul on Thursday.
Snowboarder Eliot Grondin and speedskater Isabelle Weidemann each collected silver medals, while alpine skier Jack Crawford and CanadaB次元官网网址檚 mixed aerials team each nabbed bronze.
Canada, with 12 total medals, now sits tied with Norway for second on the Olympic medal table. Austria leads with 13.
Grondin had not been challenged all day.
The Canadian cruised through every race on his way to the menB次元官网网址檚 snowboard cross final in Zhangjiakou at the Beijing Olympics, where he fought hard for a silver medal that was a photo finish away from being gold.
Grondin of Ste-Marie, Que., crossed the finish line 0.02 seconds behind AustriaB次元官网网址檚 Alessandro H盲mmerle for CanadaB次元官网网址檚 second medal Thursday.
Just a few minutes earlier B次元官网网址� and a few hundred kilometres away in the Yanqing zone B次元官网网址� Jack Crawford held on tight for third place in the alpine combined.
The 20-year-old Grondin led every race heading into the big final. Then it was his turn to play catch-up. He stuck close to H盲mmerle from start to finish, never letting the Austrian break away.
It stayed that way until Grondin plunged to the finish line for the nail-biting finish. After a few tense moments, the CanadianB次元官网网址檚 silver medal was confirmed.
B次元官网网址淚 kind of knew I was going to be silver, but I tried everything I had,B次元官网网址� he said.
B次元官网网址淛ust to share the podium with Alessandro is amazing.B次元官网网址�
It was CanadaB次元官网网址檚 fourth medal in snowboarding at Beijing and second in as many days after Meryeta OB次元官网网址橠ine captured bronze in the womenB次元官网网址檚 snowboard cross on Wednesday.
On the slopes, Crawford finished third with a total time of two minutes 32.11 seconds for CanadaB次元官网网址檚 first-ever medal in alpine combined.
The Toronto native entered the slalom portion of the event in second place after going 1:43.14 in the downhill. He then did a 48.97 in the slalom.
Johannes Strolz of Austria won gold (2:31.43) while Aleksander Aamodt Kilde of Norway took home the silver (2:32.02).
The 24-year-old Crawford came close to a medal on two previous occasions in Beijing. He was sixth in the menB次元官网网址檚 super-G on Tuesday and fourth in the menB次元官网网址檚 downhill event on Monday, finishing seven-hundredths of a second behind the bronze medallist.
Crawford says recent changes to his skiing style and overall approach have given him more of a winnerB次元官网网址檚 mindset.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e taken on this new mentality of B次元官网网址榟ow do I put myself in a position to win every single race,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淎nd even if youB次元官网网址檙e not winning, even if youB次元官网网址檙e not coming in the top 10, if you have that mentality and you have that ability to push and put yourself in the position where you could win, itB次元官网网址檚 probably going to be a good day regardless of where you end up.
CanadaB次元官网网址檚 mixed aerials team picked up CanadaB次元官网网址檚 third medal of the day B次元官网网址� and second bronze B次元官网网址� at the Zhangjiakou Genting Snow Park.
The United States claimed gold with 338.34 points while China settled for silver with 324.22.
The Canadian trio of Marion Thenault of Sherbrooke, Que.; Miha Fontaine of Lac-Beauport, Que.; and Quebec CityB次元官网网址檚 Lewis Irving finished the final with a total of 290.98 points to edge out fourth-place Switzerland, which totalled 276.01 points.
Irving, who took the teamB次元官网网址檚 third and final jump, gave credit to his teammates for even having the Canadians in a position to win a medal.
B次元官网网址淭hey did great,B次元官网网址� said Irving. B次元官网网址淢iha, I watched him go and put it down. So it was up to me and itB次元官网网址檚 just amazing to be able to support a team like that and get it done.B次元官网网址�
Flavie Aumond and 脡mile Nadeau also competed for Canada in the qualifying rounds of the freestyle skiing event, which was making its Olympic debut at the Zhangjiakou Genting Snow Park.
It is CanadaB次元官网网址檚 first aerials medal since the 2002 Salt Lake Games, when Veronica Brenner won silver and Deidra Dionne claimed bronze in the womenB次元官网网址檚 event.
Meanwhile, Weidemann won silver in the womenB次元官网网址檚 5,000 metres.
The 26-year-old from Ottawa collected her second medal in Beijing after a bronze in the 3,000 metres.
The Canadian posted a time of six minutes 48.18 seconds skating in the penultimate pairing.
Dutchwoman Irene Schouten then beat WeidemannB次元官网网址檚 time for gold in an Olympic-record 6:43.51.
B次元官网网址淚 really emptied the tank today. I gave all my energy. So I looked up (but) I couldnB次元官网网址檛 really see the time. I havenB次元官网网址檛 skated that deep into the hole in a while. And I was just trying to stay on my feet,B次元官网网址� Weidemann said of her effort.
On the ice, Ben Street had a goal and an assist as CanadaB次元官网网址檚 Olympic menB次元官网网址檚 hockey team stormed out of the gate early before cruising to a 5-1 victory over Germany on Thursday at the Beijing Games.
Alex Grant, Daniel Winnik, Maxim Noreau and Jordan Weal also scored for Canada while goaltender Edward Pasquale made 23 saves.
Canadian skip Jennifer Jones opened the womenB次元官网网址檚 curling round-robin schedule Thursday night with a 12-7 victory over South KoreaB次元官网网址檚 EunJung Kim at the Ice Cube.
Jones iced the win with a steal of two in the 10th end.
B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 typical Team Jones fashion I think,B次元官网网址� said vice Kaitlyn Lawes. B次元官网网址淯sually we bring it down to the wire, so what a way to start the Olympics.B次元官网网址�
On the menB次元官网网址檚 side, CanadaB次元官网网址檚 Brad Gushue improved to 2-0 by downing NorwayB次元官网网址檚 Steffen Walstad 6-5 in menB次元官网网址檚 round-robin play.
At the Capital Indoor Stadium, CanadaB次元官网网址檚 Keegan Messing, who arrived a week late to the Games after a positive COVID-19 test, finished 11th in menB次元官网网址檚 singles figure skating amid perhaps the finest Olympic field ever assembled.
MessingB次元官网网址檚 Olympic story wasnB次元官网网址檛 what heB次元官网网址檇 hoped to write. He missed the team event entirely. And in his free program, he downgraded one of his two quadruple jumps to a triple, a costly mistake in a field full of big jumpers that he wishes he could have back.
Still, competing in Beijing at all felt like a victory.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 just happy to be here. IB次元官网网址檝e got the biggest smile on my face,B次元官网网址� Messing said through his face mask. B次元官网网址淎nd I feel full. ItB次元官网网址檚 everything. This is the Olympic dream, I never thought I was going to come twice. And here I am.B次元官网网址�
Meanwhile, the drama continued off the ice in figure skating.
Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva practised as usual Thursday morning despite reports the 15-year-old had tested positive for a banned heart medication.
If that leads to a disqualification for the gold medal-winning Russians in the team event, fourth-place Canada could be in line to win bronze.
Earlier, Elizabeth Hosking from Longueuil, Que., placed sixth in womenB次元官网网址檚 snowboard halfpipe, improving 13 spots from the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics. She said getting significantly closer to the podium has just added fuel to her fire.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a big achievement going to the Olympics, but I guess IB次元官网网址檓 just a person that is never settled,B次元官网网址� said Hosking.
B次元官网网址淵ou know, thatB次元官网网址檚 what fires me. I just want better for myself and better for my competitive career.B次元官网网址�
American Chloe Kim successfully defended her Olympic title, throwing down a 94.00 in her first run to win gold. SpainB次元官网网址檚 Queralt Castellet (90.25) took home the silver and JapanB次元官网网址檚 Tomita Sena (88.25) finished with bronze.
B次元官网网址擳he Canadian Press
