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Canada's teams golden in Sochi
SOCHI — Canada is officially on top of the curling world.
Both Canadian teams received their gold medals on Saturday night in Sochi at the medal plaza, and were saluted later on that evening at Canada Olympic House by Canadian Olympic Committee president Marcel Aubut.
It was the first time in Olympic history that one country has swept both curling gold medals.
Brad Jacobs and his team from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. — third Ryan Fry, second E.J. Harnden, lead Ryan Harnden, alternate Caleb Flaxey, team coach Tom Coulterman, national coach Rick Lang, assistant coach Paul Webster — won Canada’s third consecutive men’s gold medal on Friday night, beating Great Britain’s David Murdoch 9-3 in the final.
A night earlier, Jennifer Jones’s Winnipeg team — third Kaitlyn Lawes, second Jill Officer, lead Dawn McEwen, alternate Kirsten Wall, team coach Janet Arnott, national coach Elaine Dagg-Jackson, assistant coach Connie Laliberte — claimed Canada’s first women’s gold medal since Sandra Schmirler prevailed in 1998 in Nagano. The Jones gang beat Sweden’s Margaretha Sigfridsson 6-3 in the final.
Both teams will participate in the closing ceremonies at Fisht Stadium on Sunday before catching flights home to Canada early on Monday.
Now, Canada’s curling focus will turn to Flims, Switzerland, host of the World Junior Championships beginning Wednesday, and then to Kamloops, B.C., where the 2014 Tim Hortons Brier, presented by SecurTek, begins on Saturday.
Team Canada’s gold-medallists. From left, front, Jennifer Jones, Kaitlyn Lawes, Jill Officer, Dawn McEwen, Kirsten Wall. Back, Brad Jacobs, Ryan Fry, E.J. Harnden, Ryan Harnden, Caleb Flaxey. (Photos, CCA/Michael Burns)