Canada sets new medal mark at Olympics

Canada has secured its highest medal count at a Winter Olympics, and that’s without expected contributions in sports it normally dominates.

A three-medal day, led by Kelsey Serwa’s gold and Brittany Phelan’s silver in women’s skicross and Kaetlyn Osmond’s figure-skating bronze, gave Canada 27 overall medals at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, eclipsing its previous high of 26 from the 2010 Vancouver Games.

But an expected medal in men’s curling will not be added to the coffers after Kevin Koe lost 7-5 to Switzerland in the bronzemedal game. Coupled with Rachel Homan’s disappointing showing in the women’s tournament, Canada will be without a medal in both team events since the sport was reintroduced to the Winter Games in 1998.

And it remains to be seen whether the men’s hockey team will be able to up the medal count after a shocking 4-3 semifinal loss to Germany. Canada will now face the Czech Republic for bronze, while the upstart Germans face the Olympic Athletes from Russia in Sunday’s final.

Canada had won the last two Olympic gold medals, though those victories came with starstudded rosters. Canada’s best players were not available for these Games as the NHL decided not to interrupt its season to allow its players to participate.

Despite a few high-profile disappointments, Canada was in second in the overall medal count heading into the final weekend of the Games with 10 gold, eight silver and nine bronze. Norway had an unassailable lead atop the standings with 37, while Germany was one behind Canada at 26.

The Norwegians and Germans lead the gold-medal standings with 13 apiece, while Canada sat third. Canada had 14 gold in Vancouver and will be hard-pressed to match that total in Pyeongchang.

As they have all Games, Canada’s freestyle skiers started the day with a bang when Serwa, from Kelowna, and Phelan, from MontTremblant, Que., finished 1-2 in the women’s skicross.

The medals were the sixth and seventh for Canada’s freestyle team.

“Our skis were rockets today,” said the 28-year-old Serwa, who finished second in Sochi four years ago behind fellow Canadian Marielle Thompson.

“I had a plan and executed it, and was so fired up. And to be there with my teammate and best friend Britt too.”

Phelan called the 1-2 Canadian finish “absolutely amazing.”

“It couldn’t have worked out any better,” she said. “To finish second behind my best friend, it’s like a dream come true.”

About three hours later, Osmond, from Marystown, N.L., took bronze in women’s figure skating for Canada’s 27th medal.

Osmond, all smiles after her performance, wasn’t aware of the significance of her bronze.

“I did not know that, but that is very exciting,” she said.

Osmond scored 152.15 in her long program to music from Black Swan for a combined score of 231.02. The 22-year-old, who almost quit skating after breaking her leg in a training accident in 2014, nailed her long program with seven triples jumps. Her only mishap was a slight bobble on a triple Lutz.

Russia’s Alina Zagitova, just 15 years old, scored a combined 239.57 to capture gold. Teammate and reigning world champion Evgenia Medvedeva won silver with 238.26 points.

Calgary’s Koe couldn’t keep the medal momentum going, losing to Switzerland’s Peter de Cruz for the second time.

“I know after results like this people are going to reflect on what went wrong, but I think at the end of the day it just comes down to individual performances and stepping up at the most difficult event in the world,” Koe’s third Marc Kennedy said.

Kennedy said other countries are stepping up in curling, and its showing.

Unlike Koe’s curling foursome, Canada’s men’s hockey team can still win a medal. But they missed a gilt-edged chance for a guaranteed spot on the podium with a loss to the unheralded Germans.

The disciplined Germans made Canada pay for sloppy and undisciplined play over the first two periods and carved out a 4-1 lead. By the time Canada woke up in the third, it was too late.

“It’s as disappointing as it gets right there,” said Canadian defenceman Mat Robinson. “A tough loss for us and we let our country down today. It’s a tough pill to swallow.”