Ted-Jan Bloemen was on pace to medal halfway through his signature event.
Then he started running out of gas.
For the second time in five days, the Canadian speedskater failed to step onto the podium B次元官网网址� and failed to meet high expectations B次元官网网址� when he finished eighth in the menB次元官网网址檚 10,000 metres Friday at the Beijing Olympics.
Bloemen, the defending Olympic champion in the 10,000, was on pace for bronze before fading badly.
He showed signs of fatigue and physical distress, and appeared frustrated while passing his coach during the race, shaking his head.
Five days earlier, the 35-year-old from Calgary also faded in the 5,000, the distance heB次元官网网址檇 captured Olympic silver in four years ago in Pyeongchang. He ended that race 10th.
SwedenB次元官网网址檚 Nils van der Poel won gold in FridayB次元官网网址檚 10,000 in 12 minutes 30.74 seconds to shatter his own world record. Graeme Fish, a 24-year-old from Moose Jaw, Sask., finished in 12:58.80 for a sixth-place finish. Bloemen crossed in 13.01.39.
It was a great result for Fish, who missed a month of training after contracting COVID-19 in December.
B次元官网网址淗onestly, IB次元官网网址檓 probably back to where I was before I got it. I missed three or four weeks of training just to recover from it. Maybe I could have done better if I didnB次元官网网址檛 get it. But, honestly, IB次元官网网址檓 just happy with what I did today. And thatB次元官网网址檚 all I could ask for,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淢aybe it did (affect my performance today), maybe it didnB次元官网网址檛. Probably it did. But IB次元官网网址檓 happy. It doesnB次元官网网址檛 really matter if I got COVID or not.B次元官网网址�
Earlier at the Ice Cube, CanadaB次元官网网址檚 Jennifer Jones did something sheB次元官网网址檇 never done before: lose a match at the Olympic Games.
Jones dropped an 8-5 decision to JapanB次元官网网址檚 Satsuki Fujisawa in womenB次元官网网址檚 curling.
It was her first Olympic defeat after running the table en route to capturing gold at Sochi 2014. She won her opener in Beijing 12-7 over South Korea.
Jones was under pressure from the start Friday and could not settle into a rhythm. Fujisawa ran Jones out of rocks in the 10th end as Canada dropped to 1-1.
B次元官网网址淲e got behind early but we really fought until the end,B次元官网网址� Jones said. B次元官网网址淪o, IB次元官网网址檓 proud of how we finished. We just need to be a little bit sharper early.B次元官网网址�
CanadaB次元官网网址檚 Brad Gushue was scheduled to play SwitzerlandB次元官网网址檚 Peter de Cruz later in menB次元官网网址檚 curling.
In menB次元官网网址檚 hockey, a familiar face was back with the Canadian team after a scary accident.
Coach Claude Julien returned to the fold after not initially travelling with the group to China because of a harrowing sledding incident, the coach revealed.
B次元官网网址淚t was icy, slid off the trail there with the sled, ended up hitting a tree, and fracturing the ribs.B次元官网网址�
The initial diagnosis was bruised ribs. A follow-up visit confirmed the damage was far greater: a broken rib and a punctured lung.
B次元官网网址淭hey ended up bringing me to another hospital where they were able to do the surgery.B次元官网网址�
Julien credited doctors in Switzerland for his recovery, and Hockey Canada with getting him to China.
Canada (1-0) meets the U.S. (1-0) in their next game.
Skier Marie-Michele Gagnon of Lac Etchemin, Que., was pleased with her 14th-place finish in the womenB次元官网网址檚 super-G B次元官网网址� 1.14 seconds behind gold medallist Lara Gut-Behrami of Switzerland.
B次元官网网址淚 really attacked and put it all on the line through all the sections. There were little mistakes here and there but it was a really tight race,B次元官网网址� said Gagnon.
Roni Remme of Collingwood, Ont., was 24th after completing her run in one minute 15.78 seconds.
At the Yanqing National Sliding Centre, OttawaB次元官网网址檚 Mirela Rahneva set a track record in the opening heat in womenB次元官网网址檚 skeleton, crossing the finish line in 1:02.03. A slower second heat saw the Canadian drop into ninth.
Jane Channell of North Vancouver, B.C., was 17th after the second heat.
In the menB次元官网网址檚 15-kilometre cross country ski race, three Canadians were in the top-40.
Olivier Leveille of Sherbrooke, Que., was 29th, finishing nearly three minutes after gold-medal winner Iivo Niskanen of Finland. Remi Drolet of Rossland, B.C., was 33rd, while Antoine Cyr of Gatineau, Que., came in 37th.
B次元官网网址擳he Canadian Press
