Russian Athlete Fails Drug Test at 2018 Winter Olympics
Feb 18, 2018
A spectator waves the Russia flag during the men's preliminary round ice hockey match between the Olympic Athletes from Russia and Slovenia during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Gangneung Hockey Centre in Gangneung on February 16, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / Brendan Smialowski (Photo credit should read BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images)
A spokesman for the Olympic Athletes from Russia has confirmed one of their athletes failed a drug test during the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.
According to James Ellingworth of the Associated Press, Russian state news agencies have reported the failure. The report made no mention of the athlete or sport, but Nick Butler of Inside the Games reports it is Alexander Krushelnytsky, a member of the mixed doubles curling team.
Sport Express(h/t Sean Ingleof theGuardian) also reported the athlete in question is Krushelnytsky. He and his wife Anastasia Bryzgalovoy won the bronze medal at the 2018 Olympics. Per the report, the drug in question is meldonium, a medication used to treat heart victims.
Russia have been banned from the 2018 Olympics as part of a massive investigation into systematic doping abuse, forcing hundreds of athletes to compete under a neutral flag.
Per Ellingworth, the International Olympic Committee have "taken note" of the statement from the Russian spokesman, but the case has not been confirmed. The Court of Arbitration for Sport has not yet been notified.
Meldonium was moved to the list of banned substances in 2016, and several top athletes have been punished for using the product since then. Heavyweight boxing contender Alexander Povetkin and tennis superstar Maria Sharapova are two of the biggest names who were caught using the drug.
Japanese speed skater Kei Saito was the only athlete removed from the 2018 Olympics for a doping incident so far.
Curling Round-Robin Early Sunday Results at Olympics 2018
Feb 18, 2018
Sweden's Sofia Mabergs (R) brushes in front of the stone during the curling women's round robin session between Britain and Sweden during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Gangneung Curling Centre in Gangneung on February 18, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / WANG Zhao (Photo credit should read WANG ZHAO/AFP/Getty Images)
It was a tremendous day for Sweden on Sunday at the Winter Olympics curling, as their men's and women's teams kept their perfect form going in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Niklas Edin was able to steer his quartet to a comfortable win over Japan, making it six wins in succession in the round-robin event.
Earlier in the day, there was more joy for the Swedes, as their women's team kept up their perfect record at the Games, beating Great Britain 8-6 after an extra end. There were also big wins for South Korea and Canada in Session 7.
Here are the results in full from Sunday's play at the Gangneung Curling Centre and a recap of a key day in the men's and women's competition.
Sweden's Niklas Edin watches the stone during the curling men's round robin session between Canada and Sweden during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Gangneung Curling Centre in Gangneung on February 17, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / WANG Zhao
The matches in the women's draw got the day started, with Sweden seeking to extend their winning run at the Games.
They just about did so, as they overcame Great Britain in an extra end. However, the finish was not without controversy, as the final stone for Team GB skipper Eve Muirhead was removed from play after what was deemed a hog line violation.
Afterwards, Muirhead admitted she was confused by the decision, with replays seemingly showing she'd let go of the stone before the line, per BBC Sport:
"It was the first stone I've probably ever hogged in my life," she said afterwards, per BBC Sport. "There's nothing we can do. We have to move on. I don't know [whether it did cross the line]. If I did, I'd be out there telling them. When something like that happens, it makes it very tough to take and it's gutting it finished that way."
Players from Sweden (L) and Britain watch during the curling women's round robin session between Britain and Sweden during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Gangneung Curling Centre in Gangneung on February 18, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / WANG Zhao
It gave Sweden the chance to pick up a routine double in the end and secure victory as a result. After five matches, Anna Hasselborg's crew remain unbeaten and have already managed to battle their way through some tight contests.
There was also a big win for Canada on Sunday, as they recovered from 7-4 down to beat Switzerland 10-8, keeping their chances of progression alive. This post from the team's Twitter account summed up their fightback:
Later in the day, the Sweden men's team were expected to continue a positive day for their country, as they were the heavy favourites for victory against Japan.
Edin and his squad delivered, too, as they were 5-1 up after three ends and subsequently in total control early on. They eventually clinched the win with five points in the eighth end.
There was drama involving the hosts in their match with Denmark. As relayed by Mark Staniforth of the Press Association, South Korea produced a brilliant steal to take the match into an extra end:
Meanwhile remarkable scenes on the adjacent rink as the Koreans steal a two against the hammer on the final end to go 8-8 against Denmark.
But the Danes were able to rally, earning a steal of their own in the 11th to pick up the victory.
Elsewhere, there was a victory for Norway, who produced a fine comeback to beat the United States. Great Britain and Italy also went into an extra end in their match, with the former eventually coming out on top thanks to a nerveless final shot from Kyle Smith.
Curling Round-Robin Early Saturday Results at Olympics 2018
Feb 17, 2018
Italy's skip Joel Retornaz prepares to launch the stone during their men's curling match against Japan at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, Saturday, Feb. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Sweden took the win over Canada during Saturday's battle of the men's unbeaten curling teams at the 2018 Winter Olympics, while the Canadian women's team finally grabbed their first win, beating the United States.
In the men's draw, the Swedes were clearly a cut above their Canadian rivals, underlining their status as favourites for the gold.
The Canadian women dominated the USA, finally getting their play-off bid on track after three straight defeats.
Here's a look at Saturday's results in Pyeongchang, South Korea:
Men's Round Robin Session 6
Sweden 5-2 Canada
Japan 6-5 Italy
Korea 11-5 Great Britain
Swizerland 7-5 Norway
Women's Round Robin Session 6
Olympic Athletes from Russia 5-10 Japan
China 10-7 Denmark
Korea 7-4 Great Britain
Canada 11-3 USA
Recap
All eyes were on the Swedish and Canadian teams on Saturday, as the two unbeaten sides went head-to-head. After a bright start from Canada, who scored two in the second, it became one-way traffic for skip Niklas Edin and the Swedes, who didn't even need a 10th to grab the win.
Edin curled an incredible 99 per cent through nine ends, with several remarkable shots that kept Canada from edging closer. He made the difference in the sixth with an excellent freeze and cruised to the finish line from that point on.
Per CBC's Devin Heroux, Canadian skip Kevin Koe was satisfied with his own performance:
“No time to panic” skip Kevin Koe tells me right now.
“I liked the way we played. I had a couple of misses but overall we played well.” #cbccurl
Canada and Sweden are expected to meet again in the gold-medal match, where it will take some effort to beat the latter side.
Hosts Korea took their first win of the tournament in a big way, crushing the British side 11-5. The win came as something of a shock, especially after Great Britain opened up an early lead but faltered through the middle portions of the contest.
Skip Kyle Smith curled just 63 percent, compared to 80 percent for Korea's Kim Chang-min. With two wins under their belt, the Brits remain in contention for a play-off spot.
In the womens' draw, Canada finally grabbed their first win in a dominant showing against the United States. Skip Rachel Homan and her troops had a great start with three in the first, setting up a comfortable match.
With three more in the fifth and four in the seventh, the contest came to an early end, allowing Canada to grab some much-needed momentum. With three losses, the team faces an uphill battle to qualify for the play-offs, but Saturday's outing was certainly a step in the right direction.
Curling Round-Robin Early Friday Results at Olympics 2018
Feb 16, 2018
Canada's team take a rest during a women's curling match against Denmark at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, Friday, Feb. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
The Canadian men beat hosts South Korea in the fifth session of curling during the 2018 Winter Olympics on Friday, but their female compatriots lost yet another match, become the first Canadian women's team to start with three straight defeats at an Olympics.
Denmark beat Canada 9-8 to win their first match of the Pyeongchang Games, and after four sessions, skip Rachel Homan and her troops are the only winless team left.
Here's a look at Friday's early results:
Men's Round-Robin Session 4
Italy 4-6 Denmark
Norway 7-5 Korea
Sweden 10-4 USA
Women's Round-Robin Session 4
Denmark 9-8 Canada
Korea 7-5 Switzerland
Sweden 5-4 Olympic Athletes from Russia
Men's Round-Robin Session 5
Canada 7-6 Korea
Denmark 5-9 USA
Japan 5-6 Switzerland
Sweden 8-6 Great Britain
Korea added some late excitement to their contest with the unbeaten Canadian men, but Kevin Koe continued his brilliance with the rocks, leading Canada to another win.
Canada held a solid advantage for large stretches of the match, and per CBC News' Devin Heroux, the contest appeared all but over heading into the ninth end:
This was BIZARRE.
Korea tried to blank. Hit one Canada rock. But the shooter ticked another Canadian rock (out of the house) in and it’s a steal for Canada.
To their credit, the hosts did not let up, with two in the ninth and one in the 10th to give the home fans something to cheer about. Canada held on for the win, however, leaving Korea winless after five sessions.
In their early contest, the Swedes cruised to a 10-4 win over the United States in a dominant showing. Niklas Edin and his team-mates grabbed an early advantage and never looked back.
The USA featured again later on Friday, running out to a quick lead against Denmark. The Danes had beaten Italy earlier in the day, so a win was crucial for the Stars and Stripes with an eye on the play-offs.
GANGNEUNG, SOUTH KOREA - FEBRUARY 16: Yusuke Morozumi of Japan competes in the Curling Men's Round Robin Session 5 held at Gangneung Curling Centre on February 16, 2018 in Gangneung, South Korea. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
John Shuster and his team didn't even need the 10th, holding off the Danes for their second win of the tournament. Great Britain fared better against Sweden, keeping things tight until the 10th, but Edin provided a lovely finish to the match to maintain his team's perfect run.
In the women's draw, Sweden continued their unbeaten start with a close win over the OAR team. Skip Anna Hasselborg left it until the 11th, securing the win with a beautiful move.
Here's a look at the delivery, via Eurosport Sverige:
It marked Sweden's second straight thriller, just one round after another close victory against Canada.
The Canadians came close to grabbing their first win of the tournament in a battle near the bottom of the standings, but they lost another nailbiter, this time to Denmark. Homan missed a key shot in the extra end, dropping the team to the bottom of the play-off race―every other side has won at least one match.
For the Canadian women, the situation appears dire. It's possible to make the play-offs with four losses, but Homan did not make a good impression against Denmark and can no longer afford to make mistakes.
Curling Men's Round-Robin Late Thursday Results at Olympics 2018
Feb 15, 2018
Sweden's Niklas Edin throws the stone during the curling men's round robin session between Denmark and Sweden during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Gangneung Curling Centre in Gangneung on February 14, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / WANG Zhao (Photo credit should read WANG ZHAO/AFP/Getty Images)
Sweden earned another win to join Canada as the only undefeated teams through four sessions of the men's curling round-robin at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
A 10-4 victory over the United States helped Sweden move to 3-0, matching Canada for first place while gaining separation on the rest of the field. Denmark and Norway also picked up their first wins of the tournament to remain competitive at 1-2.
We are now a third of the way through the preliminary rounds in Pyeongchang, South Korea, which means those at the bottom of the standings will need to make a move quickly if they want to compete for a medal.
Session 4 Results
Sweden 10, USA 4
Denmark 6, Italy 4
Norway 7, South Korea 5
Off: Canada, Great Britain, Japan, Switzerland
Latest Standings
1. Canada - 3-0
1. Sweden - 3-0
3. Great Britain - 2-1
4. Italy - 2-2
5. Japan - 1-1
6. USA - 1-2
6. Switzerland - 1-2
6. Denmark - 1-2
6. Norway - 1-2
10. South Korea - 0-3
Recap
Sweden 10, United States 4
A curling match is usually 10 ends long, but this one was almost over after the first.
The two skips had very different results with their early attempts, leading to a 4-0 lead for Sweden, as Team Shuster explained:
Niklas Edin makes a nice double on his first shot and then Shuster's last stone sails right thru the house. #Sweden grabs 4 and a 4-0 lead to begin the game. #PyeongChang2018#curling#TeamShuster
USA also allowed an early five-point end to Italy in a previous loss this tournament, consistently finding ways to put themselves in an early hole.
American skip John Shuster continued to struggle, hitting just 66 percent of his stones. Meanwhile, Sweden's Niklas Edin came through with an 83 percent success rate.
Down six stones, the United States was forced to concede with two ends remaining.
Denmark 6, Italy 4
One-point ends are nice, but you really succeed in the sport by getting multiple points with the last rock. This is what fueled Denmark to an upset victory over Italy.
The Danes scored two points each in the first and third ends and then held onto the last rock for four straight ends before making the move. Skip Rasmus Stjerne had a chance to effectively put the match away with three in the ninth but was still able to get two after his missed shot.
Italy tried to come back in the last end but only managed one point in the eventual loss.
Although the Italians were 84 percent on their shots, vice skip Amos Mosaner hit only 72 percent of his attempts from the fourth spot. While he had justified his position to start this tournament, he will need to be better in order for this squad to compete for a medal.
Norway 7, South Korea 5
In a battle of two teams looking for their first win in this event, Norway came through with a narrow victory over South Korea.
The hosts fought hard in front of the cheering fans, but South Korea struggled to get enough points with the last rock. Kim ChangMin's teammates didn't give the skip too many quality chances in the house, forcing him to settle for just one point several times.
When South Korea finally earned two points in the ninth end, it was already trailing by three and couldn't overcome the deficit.
Norway closed things out with a one-point finish to move to 1-2 for the tournament. Despite the poor start, this is a team that can jump into the top half of the standings if it finds more consistency in the coming matches.
All results, standings and statistics courtesy ofOlympic.org.
Curling Round-Robin Early Thursday Results at Olympics 2018
Feb 15, 2018
Canada's Kevin Koe throws the stone during the curling men's round robin session between Canada and Britain during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Gangneung Curling Centre in Gangneung on February 14, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / WANG Zhao (Photo credit should read WANG ZHAO/AFP/Getty Images)
Canada continued their hunt for a curling gold medal as their men's team made it three wins from three in the round robin on Thursday at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
There were also wins for Great Britain, Italy and Switzerland in the third session of their round robin in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Earlier, in the women's competition, Japan maintained their winning start after they dispatched Denmark 8-5 in the second round-robin session and Korea 7-5 in the third, while Great Britain bounced back from a defeat to the USA with a narrow win over China.
Here are the results from Thursday's action, along with a recap of the top moments from the Gangneung Curling Center.
Thursday Curling Results
Men's Round Robin
Session 3
USA 9-10 Italy
Norway 4-7 Canada
Great Britain 6-5 Japan
Denmark 7-9 Switzerland
Women's Round Robin
Session 2
Canada 6-8 South Korea
Denmark 5-8 Japan
China 6-7 OAR
Great Britain 4-7 USA
Session 3
China 7-8 Great Britain
Canada 6-7 Sweden
USA 5-6 Switzerland
South Korea 5-7 Japan
For the schedule in full, visit the Pyeongchang 2018 website.
Thursday Recap
Norway took a surprise lead over Canada in the sixth end of their clash, but the match ultimately boiled down to the two skips, Thomas Ulsrud and Kevin Koe.
Canada battled back to lead 5-4 in the ninth end but were put on the back foot early on until Koe intervened, per CBC's Devin Heroux:
All it took was two Koe darts to get Canada out of this end.
Meanwhile, Italy narrowly held off the USA in a thrilling match in which the pendulum swung back and forth between the two teams.
The Italians scored five in the third end to take a commanding 6-1 lead, but the USA made up that gap in just two ends, scoring three in the fourth before stealing two in the fifth, per Team Shuster:
Italy earned three in the following end, though, and despite a late rally from the United States to pull level heading into the 10th end, they clinched it at the death.
USA's women's team were more successful as they came from behind to enjoy a memorable victory over Great Britain.
Team GB led 3-2 at the halfway point, but the Americans scored five over the final five ends to seal the win.
Despite taking an early lead against China, Great Britain made some early errors as they let some opportunities slip, with skip Eve Muirhead guilty of knocking her own stone away and misjudging the length of a couple of shots.
A superb shot from counterpart Wang Bingyu earned China three in the fourth end, and by the sixth they had a 5-3 lead in the match.
Some improved delivery from Muirhead brought GB back into contention:
That's more like it! 🙌 @Team_Muirhead are back in it, They head into the final two ends 6-5 down.
Indeed Great Britain continued their recovery and held a 7-6 lead heading into the 10th end, but China capitalised on the hammer to force a decider.
It eventually came down to the final shot, and Muirhead made the decisive effort in the clutch moment to earn her team a win.
Curling Women's Round-Robin Late Wednesday Results at Olympics 2018
Feb 14, 2018
China's Zhou Yan, left, and Liu Jinli sweeps the ice during their women's curling match against Switzerland at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
The women's curling round-robin has already featured significant parity through two sessions at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
Japan is the lone 2-0 team, while Denmark is the only one to start 0-2. The rest of the squads are somewhere in the middle so far in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
This is just the start of 12 sessions in this round, which will feature each of the 10 teams playing nine games, but it seems as though we are in for an exciting competition over the next week.
Session 2 Results (Wednesday E.T.)
South Korea 8, Canada 6
Japan 8, Denmark 5
OAR 7, China 6 (11 ends)
USA 7, Great Britain 4
Off: Sweden, Switzerland
Standings Through Session 2
1. Japan 2-0
2. South Korea 1-0
2. Sweden 1-0
4. China 1-1
4. Great Britain 1-1
4. USA 1-1
4. OAR 1-1
8. Canada 0-1
8. Switzerland 0-1
10. Denmark 0-2
Results
South Korea 8, Canada 6
Canada is the defending gold medalist in this event and already won the mixed doubles gold medal at these Olympics, but its first match in this tournament didn't quite go as expected.
South Korea seemed to be fueled off the home crowd and kept making great shots throughout the night.
While Canada overcame an early 4-1 deficit, the game changed in the ninth end with South Korea up 5-4. Canadian skip Rachel Homan went for a big shot but ended up giving the hosts a three-point steal.
Canada could only manage two points in the 10th end while losing by two.
Devin Heroux of CBC News discussed the performance from South Korea:
Not the start Canada wanted here at the #Olympics.
But folks, this Korean team is VERY good. This is not an upset. They will challenge for the podium.#cbccurl
It's hard to tell much in the first match for both teams, but each looks like a legitimate contender.
Japan 8, Denmark 5
Japan's Yumi Suzuki (R) brushes in front of the stone beside teammate Yurika Yoshida during the curling women's round robin session between Denmark and Japan during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Gangneung Curling Centre in Gangneung on
Steals are generally difficult to come by in curling, with the last rock usually serving as a significant advantage. However, this matchup between Japan and Denmark didn't go according to script.
Each team earned a steal in the first six ends, with Denmark moving in front with a 4-3 score. However, Japan turned things around with a three-point end in the seventh and then a two-point steal in the eighth.
After only managing one point in the ninth end, Denmark was forced to concede, as the remaining deficit was too much to overcome.
It was a sloppy match for both sides, with neither team getting a good grasp on its draws. However, Japan came through when it mattered to move to 2-0.
Olympic Athletes of Russia 7, China 6
Down two points going into the 10th end, Russian skip Victoria Moiseeva hit two perfect shots for a double, evening things up at 6-6 and forcing an 11th end.
In the extra end, the Russians came through once again to grab the steal and the victory.
China was the more consistent team in this matchup, succeeding on 83 percent of shots compared to 80 percent for OAR. In a match that comes down to just a few shots, however, the Russians were simply more clutch.
Skip Wang Bingyu will have the pressure on her as China seeks to rebound from this devastating loss.
United States 7, Great Britain 4
Although seemingly overmatched by the 2014 bronze medalists, the United States managed to keep things close throughout this match.
Mike Canter of NBC Olympics discussed the strong start:
Halfway through, @TeamRothUSA18 is hanging tough with a great @Team_Muirhead rink. Nina Roth (@Spatzyc) looks far more confident, and each curler from @usacurl has a higher shooting % than her Scottish counterpart. Plus, no steals allowed! #Olympics#Curling
This continued in the second half, with all four Americans finishing with better marks than their British counterparts. Becca Hamilton, who also competed in mixed doubles, was the best on the day with a 91 percent success rate.
Great Britain had a chance to either force overtime or win in regulation down one in the 10th end, but Eve Muirhead missed her draw attempt as the U.S. ended up grabbing a two-point steal.
After both teams finished with blowouts in their first games, this was a massive turnaround to even things up after two sessions.
All results and statistics courtesy of Olympic.org.
Curling Round-Robin Early Wednesday Results at Olympics 2018
Feb 14, 2018
Canada's skip Kevin Koe throws a rock during a men's curling match against Italy at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Kevin Koe got Canada's quest for gold off to the best possible start at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, as the men's curling team earned two wins on Wednesday in round-robin competition.
The quartet of Koe, Marc Kennedy, Brent Laing and Ben Hebert are the big favourites for the title, and they showed why with impressive wins over Italy and Great Britain. Sweden, who are expected to be their biggest rivals for the prize, were also able to get a couple of wins on the board.
The women's competition also got underway with a set of matches on Wednesday, with Sweden and Great Britain both picking up emphatic victories.
Here are the results from another jam-packed day at the Gangneung Curling Center and a recap of some of the standout moments.
Wednesday Curling Results
Men's Round Robin
Session 1
Denmark 5-9 Sweden
Canada 5-3 Italy
South Korea 7-11 United States
Switzerland 5-6 Great Britain
Session 2
Canada 6-4 Great Britain
South Korea 2-7 Sweden
Switzerland 4-7 Italy
Norway 4-6 Japan
Women's Round Robin
Session 1
Japan 10-5 United States
OAR 3-10 Great Britain
Denmark 3-9 Sweden
Switzerland 2-7 China
For the schedule in full, visit the Pyeongchang 2018 website.
Wednesday Recap
Given they've won gold in the last three Winter Olympics, the Canadian men's team have a proud reputation to protect over the coming days.
Koe's squad set a brilliant precedent with that in mind, as they were methodical. While they did fall behind against Italy in the fourth end, 1-0, they injected some quality into the occasion late—including a two-point eighth end—and pulled away from their opponents.
After that 5-3 win, they faced a potentially tricky clash with Great Britain. They made it look decidedly straightforward, however, with two-point first and third ends leaving them in total control.
CBC's Devin Heroux praised the Canadian foursome's ability to frustrate their opposition:
Through 15 ends of men’s curling at the #Olympics Canada has allowed five points against.
After the interval, Team GB fought back and chopped down the deficit with some smart play. But Canada showed their mettle, and while they weren't at their best, they handled the crucial moments much better than their rivals.
Elsewhere, Norway didn't have the best day, as Japan defeated them 6-4. However, the team did lighten the mood on the ice with their Valentine's Day-themed trousers, per Anthony D'Orazio:
Canada are also favourites to win gold in the women's event, although the spectators will have to wait until Thursday to get a glimpse of them.
Some other medal contenders had the chance to show what they're capable of, though, and Great Britain in particular were excellent, beating the Olympic Athletes from Russia 10-3. 2014 Olympic bronze medalist Anna Sloan praised their effort:
What a brilliant opening game for @Team_Muirhead! There were some big scores out there but that's it for today, the girls will be back on the ice tomorrow.
Sweden are also expected to do well at the Games and had few issues against Denmark, winning in routine fashion. The women have a busy Thursday. The Swedes will face Canada in the third round-robin session at 8:05 p.m. Korean time, and many anticipate the encounter will be a preview of the gold-medal match.
The United States, meanwhile, have a lot of work to do, as they slumped with their loss to Japan.
Curling Men's Round-Robin Tuesday Results at Olympics 2018
Feb 13, 2018
American skip John Schuster delivers the stone in a match aginst Norway in men's curling at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Monday, Feb. 22, 2010. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
The men's curling tournament at the 2018 Winter Olympics is underway with four teams kicking off the week with a strong start.
The United States, Sweden, Canada and Great Britain all earned victories in the first of 12 sessions on Tuesday (Wednesday in Pyeongchang, South Korea). Each of the 10 teams will face each other once, with a few byes along the way, and the top four squads in the standings will advance to the semifinals.
This means there is a lot of action still to play out in this event, but every match matters as the teams try to bring home a medal.
Denmark tried to fight its way back but couldn't keep up with the talented opponent.
Canada 5, Italy 3
Canada has already secured one curling gold medal inPyeongchangin mixed doubles, and it is one of the favorites to win in this event as well.
It wasn't easy in the first session, however, with Italy providing serious resistance. The match stayed scoreless through the first three ends with both sides remaining extremely conservative to start the tournament.
Canada finally scored its first point in the fifth end and grabbed two in the eighth, the latter serving as the difference in the match.
Italy needed to steal a point in the 10th end to stay alive but couldn't get on the board after a great final shot from KevinKoe.
The experiencedKoewasn't at his best in this one for Canada, finishing with just a 75 percent success rate on his draw shots. Fortunately, he came through when it mattered most, doing just enough to help Canada start with a 1-0 record.
United States 11, Korea 7
JohnShuster is trying to overcome his struggles as skip for the last two Olympic Games, and he got his team off to a strong start over the hosts in the first match.
RachelBlountof theStar TribunediscussedShuster's top shots:
Another big end for @TeamShuster, which is on 🔥 in its Olympic opener. It leads Korea 8-3 at the halfway mark. #StribOly18
Both teams did a good job of taking advantage of the last rock, with multiple points coming in six of the nine official ends.
The United States was more consistent, however, doing enough to secure the win. Matt Hamilton, who had his problems in the spotlight in mixed doubles with his sister, Becca, was the best on the team with a 93 percent success rate.
More of this could help the USA contend for a medal in this event.
Great Britain 6, Switzerland 5
This was one of the most competitive matches of the day as neither side held more than a one-point lead from start to finish.
Great Britain, the silver medalists fromSochi, went up one heading into the 10th end, but Switzerland matched with one point to force overtime
In the 11th end, the two sides played to an open house before Kyle Smith drew for the win for Great Britain.
The squads seemed extremely evenly matched from start to finish, but Great Britain had the last rock in the first end and played it well enough to have the advantage in the extra frame. This was the difference to come away with an opening win.
Canada Tops Switzerland to Win Curling Mixed Doubles Gold Medal at 2018 Olympics
Feb 13, 2018
GANGNEUNG, SOUTH KOREA - FEBRUARY 12: John Morris of Canada celebrates an 8-4 win over Norway with Kaitlyn Lawes during the Curling Mixed Doubles Semi-Finals Session One at Gangneung Curling Centre on February 12, 2018 in Gangneung, South Korea. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Canada have been crowned the inaugural curling mixed doubles champions after they beat Switzerland 10-3 to clinch the gold medal in Tuesday's final at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
In the first running of this event at any Winter Olympics, the Canadian team of Kaitlyn Lawes and John Morris swept their way to first place and led by seven points before Swiss counterparts Jenny Perret and Martin Rios called time.
Canada edged ahead with an early four-pointer before steadily growing their lead through some tactical stones, although a nervous performance from Switzerland's Rios helped their cause.
Here's a look at the updated medal standings after Canada clinched gold in the mixed doubles curling final:
The two teams engaged in a tense tug of war in the first couple of ends, and Switzerland hit back immediately after surrendering two points in the opener, levelling at two points apiece through Perret.
Rios missed an opportunity to slow Canada's rise in the third end but failed to clear any of the opposition's four stones close to the house, allowing Lawes to clear up with the hammer for an early four-point swing in Canada's favour.
The achievement was all the more impressive considering CBC reporter Devin Heroux pointed out Canada's pair came into these Games at a marked disadvantage:
Remember, y’all.
This team was formed for the Olympics less than two months ago.
John Morris and Kaitlyn Lawes practiced for about 30 minutes prior to Olympic trials
Morris and Lawes again demonstrated their great team dynamic at the climax of the fourth end, the former angling his stone to slow Switzerland's progress and lead 6-3 at the halfway mark.
After such a disastrous miss in the third end, Rios in particular appeared to be feeling the pressure of the occasion, which Heroux noted still appeared to be affecting him an end later:
Rios showed flashes of the shot selection that helped get Switzerland to the decider but saw the deficit increased to 10-3 after six ends, at which point Switzerland surrendered the result to their opponents.
Morris and Lawes may have only been together as a curling team for a short time but showed the pedigree of a pair playing together for years as they ran to victory with a couple of ends to spare.
Rios will have been disappointed not to have reached his best when it counted in the final, settling for silver while the Olympic Athletes from Russia clinched bronze with an 8-4 triumph over Norway.
Canada have been crowned the inaugural curling mixed doubles champions after they beat Switzerland 10-3 to clinch the gold medal in Tuesday's final at the 2018