MIXED DOUBLES CURLING GOLD
Canada defeats Switzerland 10-3 to win mixed doubles curling gold medal
Canada's Kaitlyn Lawes, left, and John Morris celebrate after winning their mixed doubles curling finals match against Switzerland at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, Tuesday. Canada won the gold medal.
PYEONGCHANG, KOREA, REPUBLIC OF — The first Olympic gold medal in mixed doubles curling goes to Canada.
Wilfrid Laurier grad John Morris and Kaitlyn Lawes downed defending world champions Jenny Perret and Martin Rios of Switzerland 10-3 in Tuesday’s final.
Ottawa’s Morris and Winnipeg’s Lawes claimed the second Olympic gold medals of their careers. Lawes was third for the Jennifer Jones team that won women’s team gold in 2014. Morris was vice for Kevin Martin when they took the men’s team title in 2010.
“It feels fantastic. It’s an amazing feeling winning the gold medal,” said Morris.
Mixed doubles curling made its Olympic debut in Pyeongchang.
“I’m really proud of us for coming here and putting mixed doubles on the map,” Morris added.
The shotmaking abilities of Morris, 39, and Lawes, 29, overcame their lack of experience together as a doubles team.
Prior to winning January’s trials, they’d played a few games years earlier in the Continental Cup of Curling.
Morris and Lawes topped the preliminary round with a 6-1 record and beat Norway 8-4 in the semifinal to advance to the championship game.
As the top seed in the playoffs, the Canadians had hammer to start the final. They were up against curlers more seasoned in the discipline, however.
Rio and Perret won last year’s world title in Lethbridge, Alta., where they beat Canada’s Reid Carruthers and Joanne Courtney in the final. Perret also claimed a world title in 2012 with Nadine Lehmann.
But Morris and Lawes dominated from the third end on. After trading deuces with the Swiss in the first two ends, the Canadians scored a pivotal four in the third to lead 6-2.
The Canadians were outshooting the Swiss 92 per cent to 63 after five ends and led 8-3.
The Swiss were setting up for a multi-point end in the sixth, but the Canadians played defence and left Perret with a tough hit to score points. They gave up a steal of two and shook hands. Morris hoisted the diminutive Lawes into the air in triumph and she then ran up into the stands to hug her family.
After Morris made a hit and roll to lay three in the third, Rios sent an attempted hit through the rings. A delicate raise by Lawes with Canada’s last stone of the end scored quadruple points. Canada held the Swiss to one in the fourth and scored two in the fifth.