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Newsletter by Martin Cleary, Dan Plouffe & Keiran Gorsky

When you think of hurdles in relation to sport, you’re more likely to have thoughts of the Summer Olympics.

Images of sprinters facing multiple hurdles about a yardstick high, zipping down a 100- or 110-metre straightaway come to mind. In the gruelling 400-metre hurdles, the hurdles are farther apart, but the sprint is much more difficult and draining.

Did you know hurdles were a big part of Thursday’s competition at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games? These were a different kind of hurdles. You couldn’t see them, but they were definitely there in women’s curling, women’s hockey and men’s curling.

Ottawa Curling Club’s Rachel Homan cleared a mammoth hurdle along with teammates Tracy Fleury, Emma Miskew and Sarah Wilkes, when she qualified for the Olympic women’s curling playoff round for the first time in three Olympic appearances in her illustrious career.

The underdog Canadian women’s hockey team, which had backup goalie Kayle Osborne of Ottawa and three players from the PWHL’s Ottawa Charge on its roster, was 124 seconds away from beating the dominant United States for the first time this season. The Americans had punished the Canadians in their five meetings this season.

But Canada tripped over their final hurdle as the Americans tied the game 1-1 late in the third period and managed a hard-earned 2-1 win in overtime.

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Brad Jacobs, whose Canadian team is coached by University of Ottawa graduate Paul Webster (Bachelor of Education, 1998-99), needed an extra end to defeat Norway’s Magnus Ramsfjell 5-4 in the men’s curling semifinals. Norway scored two in the 10th end to force the extra end, after Jacobs led throughout the match.

That overtime victory will allow Canada an opportunity to win the Olympic gold medal for the first time since he accomplished that ultimate reward at the Sochi 2014 Games. In the past two Olympics, Brad Gushue took bronze at the Beijing 2022 Games and Kevin Koe was fourth at PyeongChang 2018.

The men’s gold medal final will see Canada face Great Britain, after Bruce Mouat’s rink scored four points over the final three ends to rally past Switzerland’s Benoit Schwarz-van Berkel 8-5.

Canada also won men’s curling gold in 2010 (Kevin Martin, with Ottawa’s John Morris at third), 2006 (Brad Gushue) as well as silver medals in 2002 (Martin) and 1998 (Mike Harris).

Rachel Homan salutes supporters after her team’s 10-7 win over South Korea. Photo: Candice Ward / COC

Needing a win in her final round-robin game, which would extend Canada’s winning streak to five games after a lacklustre 1-3 start, Homan used her deft and precise shot-making to outscore Korea’s Gim Eun-ji 10-7 and slot Canada in a three-way tie for second place. Homan was brilliant coming out of the hack, shooting 96 per cent with her 20 stones.

When Tabitha Peterson of the United States scored a 7-6 extra-end victory over Silvana Tirinzoni of Switzerland on the neighbouring sheet of ice, she matched Homan’s 6-3 win-loss record to conclude the round robin.

Since Canada lost to the U.S. and Switzerland during its three-game losing streak early in the round robin, Canada finished fourth, while the U.S. was placed second and Switzerland third. Anna Hasselborg of Sweden, who won the 2018 Olympic gold medal and took bronze at the 2022 Beijing Games, was the clear-cut round-robin winner at 7-2.

Two-time defending world champion Canada will face Sweden and the U.S. will battle four-time world champion Switzerland on Friday afternoon in the semifinals to determine the medal matches on Saturday (bronze) and Sunday (gold-silver).

“It means everything,” Homan told CBC Olympics about making the playoffs for the first time. “It has been a long week. This is what we’ve trained for, what we’ve prepared for for Canada. We couldn’t ask for anything more in this moment.”

Homan’s stellar 24-year curling career has everything you can imagine from provincial to national to world championships and a record 20 Grand Slams. But there’s no stamp of approval label on her Winter Olympic Games participation.

Emma Miskew. Photo: Candice Ward / COC

Maybe that’s about to change, after her four-player women’s team, which included Miskew, posted a disappointing 4-5 record as the world champion and missed the playoffs with a sixth-place result during the 2018 Olympics.

At the 2022 Games mixed doubles event, Homan and Morris finished in the middle of the pack at 5-4 for fifth place, missing the playoffs by one position.

Even though she won the 2025 and 2017 Canadian Olympic trials, Homan’s rink lost in the 2013 Winter Games trials in the semifinals and bottomed out in the nine-team 2017 trials at 2-6.

If Homan followed the long-distance advice of her first coach Doug Kreviazuk to relax and be herself at the Games or some other wise words, she is on a roll, after a cringing 1-3 start, that could take her to an elusive Olympic medal.

The Homan rink finished its nine-game round robin with impressive shooting, one big-point end and a second-half rally in the 10-end match. Team Canada scored four in the sixth end to snap a 4-4 tie and added singles in the eighth and 10th ends to match Korea’s two in the ninth for a 10-7 victory.

Gim Eun-ji, the Korean skip, responded to Homan’s single points in the first and second end by scoring three in the third. Homan countered with two in the fourth, but Gim notched one in the fifth to deadlock the game 4-4.

After winning its opening match against Denmark, Team Homan lost three straight matches to the United States, Great Britain and Switzerland. It looked like Homan would slide into another no-playoff, no-medal Olympics.

But the 1-3 start was followed by a one-day break, which seemed to revitalize the world’s top-ranked women’s rink. In its final five matches, Homan defeated China and Japan on Monday, Sweden on Tuesday and Italy on Wednesday before its critical meeting with Korea.

“That’s one way to get to a semi,” Homan noted. “We fought hard for everything. Obviously, a slow start and we just kept our belief. We were playing really good. Just on the wrong side of the inch.

“Just kind of tried to figure out how to get to the other side. Just kept clawing and kept sticking together. I’m just so proud of my team this week, giving Canada a chance to get in that semi. We’ll give it all we have (Friday).”

The most dominant women’s rink from 2023-26 with an overall record of 191-27 before the Olympics, Homan’s pathway to the Winter Games’ medal round has been filled with intrigue, including a double-touch stone controversy.

“We all know that we’re all pulling in the same direction and that’s really what has been the difference for us this week, sticking together and having our support staff help us out with anything that we needed,” Homan said in a Curling Canada news story.

“I couldn’t ask for anything more from the girls and I’m just unbelievably proud of them for getting us into this position and into the semi.”

Team Canada hangs tough with USA before heartbreaking finish

Olympic women’s hockey silver medallist Team Canada. Photo: Leah Hennel / COC

About two hours after Canada had success on the curling ice, maple leaf supporters were hoping the Canadian women’s hockey team could play the role of David in its gold-medal match against the Goliath Americans.

Canada and the United States are the two superpowers in women’s hockey, and the 2026 Milano Cortina Games was their seventh meeting in eight Olympic finals. Gold medals were presented to Canada in 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2022, and the United States experienced that moment in 1998 and 2018.

A sixth Olympic gold seemed out of the question for Canada as the United States had won four straight games in the Rivalry Series in November and December and outscored the Canadians 24-7. In their Olympic round-robin match, the U.S. shut out Canada 5-0.

But when the puck dropped in Thursday’s Olympic final, it seemed like old times and the high-performance hockey on both sides was reflected throughout the game.

Canada showed plenty of two-way energy in the first period and outshot the U.S. 8-6, but couldn’t capitalize on two power-play opportunities.

The U.S. earned its only powerplay with 15 seconds left at the end of the first period, when Ella Shelton was called for hooking. But 1:09 into the powerplay early in the second period, Canada had a two-on-one attack and Kristin O’Neill outmanoeuvred American goalie Aerin Frankel to score a short-handed goal. Laura Stacey and Renata Fast earned the assists.

That one-goal lead lasted through 37 minutes and two seconds of intense back-and-forth hockey until the third-period-surging Americans tied the game at 17:56 with Frankel on the bench for an extra skater. Canada missed a golden opportunity to increase its lead to 2-0 with 6:23 left in the third period, but couldn’t connect on its third powerplay.

Playing in her fifth and final Olympics, Hilary Knight deflected a low, screen shot past steady Canadian goalkeeper Ann-Renée Desbiens to tie the game 1-1. After a full intermission break and flood, Canada and the U.S. decided the gold medal with three-on-three hockey.

In overtime, Megan Keller took a lengthy pass from Taylor Heise, went around Canadian defender Claire Thompson and put a backhand shot behind Desbiens.

That goal released all the emotions – smiles and joyful hugs for the Americans and tears and consoling hugs for the Canadians.

Ottawa Charge player Emily Clark (left) and the Canadian women’s hockey team lost the championship game in overtime. Photo: Leah Hennel / COC

Frustrated Canadian captain Marie-Philip Poulin, the author of seven goals in Olympic finals and five game-winning goals, returned to the Canada bench after the overtime goal, slammed the door and drove her stick into the ground. A few minutes later while waiting for the start of the Victory Ceremony, Poulin hugged every Canadian team member to ease the pain of silver.

In the semifinal, Poulin, who was injured 10 days ago, scored both goals in Canada’s narrow 2-1 win over Switzerland, which won its second career bronze medal over Sweden.

Fans of the PWHL’s Ottawa Charge gathered at Lansdowne Park’s Craft Beer Market for an Olympic Watch Party to support its three Canadian players – forwards Brianne Jenner and Emily Clark and defender Jocelyne Larocque – as well as two American players – defender Rory Guilday and goalkeeper Gwyneth Philips. Canada’s roster also included Ottawa-raised goalkeeper Kayle Osborne, who plays for the New York Sirens of the PWHL.

Charge fans were treated to a tribute to each of its five players in the Olympic final, a gold-medal bingo game and an opportunity to sign a Welcome Back banner to honour the players at a future PWHL game.

Clark had two shots on goal, but was a minus-2 during her 29 shifts over 18 minutes and one second. Jenner put one shot on goal and was on the ice for 16:39 and 24 shifts. Larocque was on the ice for Canada’s only goal, was credited with one shot on goal and her 29 shifts lasted 15:43.

Philips was the backup goalkeeper to Frankel. Osborne was Canada’s #3 goalie for the game, but skated onto the ice in full equipment for the medal ceremony. Guilday also didn’t receive any ice time, although she was listed as a fourth-line defender.

Canadian bobsledders excel in push starts, comedy

Local bobsledders Mike Evelyn O’Higgins and Jay Dearborn continued to showcase how to look on the bright side after fulfilling the low expectations for the Canadian team in the two-man event.

Men’s bobsleigh training for the four-man event reached its midpoint and pilot Taylor Austin of Calgary along with Ottawa crew members Evelyn O’Higgins and Keaton Bruggeling posted a pair of 10th-place results in 55.08 seconds and 55.40 seconds for their third and fourth runs respectively. Their blazing start time of 4.92 seconds was second-best out of the 27 participants.

Evelyn O’Higgins is a two-time Olympian and Bruggeling, a Burlington, ON, athlete who was a Carleton Ravens wide receiver before playing three CFL seasons (2022-24) for the Ottawa Redblacks, is making his Winter Games debut.

Pilot Dearborn, a defensive player for the Ravens for three seasons, trailed by the smallest of margins in 55.91 seconds in 24th (third heat) and 56.24 seconds in 26th (fourth heat).

For the second time this week, the men’s aerials competition has been grounded at the snowy Livigno Aerials and Moguls Park.

Originally scheduled for Tuesday, men’s aerials was postponed until Thursday because of unfavourable weather conditions. On Thursday, heavy snow and poor visibility moved the event to Friday.

Thursday’s wintery weather not only made it impossible for a fair competition in the Italian Alps, but also made it too difficult for the operation of an air ambulance, if needed.

Three-time Olympic aerialist Jeff Bean of Ottawa is the head coach of the Canadian aerials team, which has four entries in the qualification round – Miha Fontaine and Victor Primeau, both of Lac Beauport, PQ, Lewis Irving of Quebec City, and Emile Nadeau of Prevost, PQ.

Ottawa Olympians in action on Feb. 20:

Day 14 Preview: Managing Type 1 diabetes big part of ski cross racing for 2-time Olympian Hannah Schmidt

Hannah Schmidt confidently stands in her individual start hut at the top of the ski cross course with three peers/rivals around her.

The gate drops, the skiers pop out like jack-in-the-box figures and all hell breaks loose on the snow for about a minute.

Hannah Schmidt flies high during a December race in Italy. File photo

The Dunrobin athlete is dressed to the nines in a blur of colourful gear, zipping down the serpentine course at top speeds and protecting herself against the dangerous elements with skis by Elan, poles by Leki, boots by Lange and helmet and goggles by Sweet Protection.

But what spectators don’t see is the most important piece of equipment for the 31-year-old Schmidt. Tucked inside her bra is an insulin pump, which regulates her Type 1 diabetes 24 hours a day.

For the past 19 years, she has dealt with maintaining a safe blood-sugar level, while training as an alpine skier with the Mont-Tremblant Ski Club and the Carleton University Ravens before shifting eight years ago to ski cross, where four athletes hurtle themselves down a twisting course with airborne bumps.

Diabetes was a private matter for Schmidt for many years. But the West Carleton Secondary School grad recently started to feel comfortable about talking about it as she wanted to pass along an important message for people with Type 1 diabetes.

“It has always been a part of my life,” Schmidt said in a pre-Games with Ottawa Sports Pages High Achievers columnist Martin Cleary. “At the beginning, I didn’t want people to know.

“But I’ve opened up. You don’t need to change how you live your life to do sports or get that job that you thought was impossible (because of Type 1 diabetes).

“Don’t let it stop you from achieving. It’s not easy. It’s different every day. It’s a battle as your blood sugars go high, go low. It always is in the back of my mind as I deal with race stress and travel.”

Ottawa’s Hannah Schmidt won the fourth World Cup ski cross race of her career on Jan. 16, 2025 in Reiteralm, Austria. Photo: Alpine Canada

Schmidt uses a MiniMed pump, a product of the Brampton-based company Medtronic, which monitors her blood sugars throughout the day and gives her a warning if something isn’t right. Medtronic also has welcomed her as a Breakthrough T1D Canada ambassador and became one of her sponsors this season.

Ever since Schmidt was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 12, she has lived by a go-to quote, which powers her every day: “Diabetes isn’t going to change what I want to achieve in my life. It might look a bit different and that’s OK.”

Schmidt was a strong skier as a junior and into university, but didn’t quite seem destined to crack the national team in alpine events. Once she dipped into ski cross racing on the heels of her younger brother Jared trying the new pursuit, it didn’t take long for Schmidt to both excel and encounter multiple challenges in the rough and tumble sport, including rehab from three major injuries and recoveries in the past seven years.

You can read more about Schmidt’s path to the Olympics in this full feature on OttawaSportsPages.ca.

Schmidt, who placed seventh in her first Olympics in 2022, will compete in the women’s ski cross event bright and early Ottawa time. She has consistently made it to the semi-final round this season, but didn’t jump into the final four who race for the medals.

“I want to put it all together on race day and get everything to cook,” she told Cleary.

Isabelle Weidemann (left) celebrates with Ivanie Blondin (centre) and Valérie Maltais after winning Olympic team pursuit gold. Photo: Leah Hennel / COC

Ivanie Blondin will be back on Milano ice Friday following her exhilarating team pursuit gold medal victory alongside fellow Gloucester Concordes product Isabelle Weidemann on Tuesday.

Blondin is not favoured to medal in the women’s 1,500 metres, having ranked eighth in this season’s World Cup standings for the event. Saturday’s mass start race is generally her stronger discipline.

But after seeing the 35-year-old win 94 World Cup and 18 World Championships medals over the course of her career across various distances and pursuits, there is no doubt she is a threat for the podium every time her blades touch the ice.

Blondin did earn one podium in five World Cup 1,500 m races – a bronze medal in December at perhaps her last trip to the sport’s mecca in Heerenveen, The Netherlands.

And in women’s curling, Rachel Homan and Emma Miskew will have the chance to book their elusive place on the Olympic podium when their Ottawa Curling Club rink takes on Sweden in the semi-finals, with the winner advancing to the gold medal final and the loser playing for bronze.

Having started 1-3, Team Homan earned a critical win over the Swedes in their preliminary round meeting, a determined 8-6 triumph over their first-place opponents.

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