BEIJING — Two measures were needed to confirm what Canada’s John Morris already knew on Monday morning.
His team’s final stone was a whisker outside the Italian rock in a dramatic extra-end finish at the Ice Cube.
With an emphatic wave from the official, it was confirmed. A second go-around locked it in.
Italy had earned the decisive point for an 8-7 victory that kept Morris and Rachel Homan out of the mixed doubles curling playoff mix at the Beijing Games.
“It’s a heartbreaking loss,” Morris said. “That’s as tough as they get in your life. We battled with everything we had.”
Morris groaned after the Canadian stone tapped the backing on the four-foot ring, just wide of the opposing stone on the side of the button. He shook hands with Amos Mosaner and Stefania Constantini before the measurement was complete.
Homan said the rock felt good coming out of her hand.
“I had a bit of a mover on my last one,” she said. “I always try to go aggressive on it. I literally went aggressive on it by an eighth of an inch.”
It was the second straight loss for Canada, which dropped an extra-end decision to last-place Australia the night before.
Canada finished tied in fourth place at 5-4, but Sweden took the tiebreaker to move on to the evening semifinals. Italy (9-0), Norway (6-3) and Great Britain (6-3) earned the top three seeds.
Morris won gold with Kaitlyn Lawes at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games in the discipline’s Olympic debut. Homan skipped the Canadian women’s team in South Korea but missed the podium.
The duo was selected for these Games by Curling Canada after COVID-19 issues forced the cancellation of the mixed doubles trials in December.
Morris and Homan looked unsettled in an opening loss to Great Britain but found their groove with wins over Norway, Switzerland and China.
The Australia loss stung though and it set up a win-and-you’re-in scenario against a steady Italian pairing that made few mistakes.
Canada had a chance to put pressure on in the eighth end but Homan was light with her final draw that set up an Italian deuce.
With guards cleared in the extra end, the Canadians slightly mismanaged their final shot.
“In the end we got a little bit lucky because they overswept the last shot a bit,” Mosaner said.
Semifinal winners will play for gold on Tuesday. Losing teams will meet for bronze.
The Czech Republic finished in sixth place at 4-5, ahead of Switzerland, the U.S. (both 3-6), China and Australia (both 2-7).
“I’m proud of our efforts,” Homan said. “We were fighting for every inch out there. I just guessed wrong on a couple of them and that’s the difference.
“It’s a game of millimetres out there. One more shot and we’re into playoffs.”
Morris said it was the deepest mixed doubles competition he has ever played in.
“With one half a break or one millimetre here or there and we’re playing in that semifinal,” Morris said. “So there’s no point beating a dead horse.
“There’s nothing more we can talk about with how and why we lost.”
In addition to some late-game letdowns, there were some early ones too. Canada started only two games with the hammer due to poor draw-shot challenge numbers.
Ineffective clock management against the Czechs on Sunday afternoon required a literal last-second throw in an extra-end game they were fortunate to win.
Canada was outplayed or underperformed in critical moments, and that proved costly.
“I know how much time and effort and work that they’ve put in to being the best curlers that they can be,” said coach Scott Pfeifer. “I really feel for them right now.”
Morris, 43, was hoping to reach the Olympic podium for the third time in his career. He also won gold at the 2010 Vancouver Games as vice for Kevin Martin.
“Rachel will be back again,” Morris said. “I’m not sure about myself. The tank is almost empty.”
The Canadian focus now shifts to the team events.
Brad Gushue’s side will begin men’s round-robin play on Wednesday night against Denmark. Jennifer Jones will lead her rink into action on Thursday evening against South Korea.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 7, 2022.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
