After hockey elation and curling heartbreak for Canada on Day 13, the schedule is a bit quieter on Day 14 as we hit the homestretch for the Beijing Olympics.
The good news for Canadian fans is that a solid medal chance could come early in the day in China — prime time, or dinner hour, in Canada.
Here are five stories to watch on Day 14.
Editor’s note: All events are Friday in Eastern Time unless otherwise noted.
Rachael Karker, Cassie Sharpe, Amy Fraser
Women’s freestyle ski halfpipe final, 8:30 p.m. (Thursday)
Twenty-five per cent of the skiers going for gold in the 12-person final are Canadian. Sharpe won gold in this event at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, while Karker took silver at last year’s World Championship and was second in qualifying on Day 13. The favourite is Chinese mega-star Eileen Gu, the American-born teenager looking for her third medal in Beijing.
Brady Leman, Reece Howden
Men’s ski cross, 1-2:30 a.m.
After Marielle Thompson’s silver in the women’s event on Day 13, the Canadian men have their chance. Leman won gold in this event at the Olympics four years ago and took silver at the Beijing course at a World Cup race earlier this season. Howden won the World Cup overall title last season.
Canada played hard, but it wasn’t enough today against a strong Swedish team.
Set your alarms for 1:05 a.m. ET tomorrow and let’s get ready to cheer on @TeamGushue in the bronze medal game!!! #Beijing2022
: WCF / STEPHEN FISHER pic.twitter.com/IoU9l4TtOY
— Curling Canada (@CurlingCanada) February 17, 2022
Brad Gushue
Men’s curling bronze medal game vs. United States, 1:05 a.m.
The Canadian skip lost 5-3 in a heartbreaker against Niklas Edin in semifinal play on Day 13. If Gushue doesn’t beat the U.S., Canada will not win a curling medal for the first time since the sport returned to the Olympic program in 1998.
Hi, I’m everybody’s biggest fan https://t.co/J7t6JFJMDF
— Kirsten Moore-Towers (@Kirsten_MT) February 8, 2022
Kirsten Moore-Towers and Michael Marinaro
Pairs figure skating, short program, 5:30 a.m.
Last chance for Canada to avoid a rare medal shutout in figure skating — though it’s possible the country’s fourth-place team finish could be bumped up because of the Kamila Valieva situation. Moore-Towers and Marinaro finished sixth at last year’s World Championship.
HISTORIC BRONZE
Christine de Bruin slides to a bronze medal in the Olympic debut of women’s monobob
Details: https://t.co/GNodOx3IsS pic.twitter.com/LYKbaTgxEp
— Team Canada (@TeamCanada) February 14, 2022
Christine de Bruin, Kristen Bujnowski
Two-woman bobsled, Run 1 at 7 a.m., Run 2 at 8:30 a.m.
de Bruin won bronze for Canada in monobob. Winning gold in that first-time event was former Team Canada star Kaillie Humphries, now competing for the United States after a bitter split with her old team. Humprhies also is a strong medal contender here.
