CurlingZone: Canada Falls to Sweden in Men's Semi-Finals

Canad's Brad Gushue (Picture: WCFF/Stephen Fisher) will play for Bronze in Beijing, after falling to Niklas Edin's Team Sweden in a semi-final on Thursday morning.

By: Dylan Chenier

Brad Gushue's quest for a second Olympic gold medal officially came to an end on Thursday, after his Canadian rink lost to Sweden, 5-3, in the semi-finals at Beijing 2022.

Team Sweden opened the draw with hammer as a result of their place in the standings following the nine-game round-robin. After blanking in the first end, the Swedes would be forced to one in the second.

Team Canada, with third Mark Nichols, second Brett Gallant, and lead Geoff Walker, would respond in the third end with a score of one.

Team Sweden would once again capitalize on the opportunity presented by the hammer, picking up their first deuce of the game in the fourth end, taking an early 3-1 lead.

Gushue's rink would answer right back in the fifth with a score of two, tying things up at three apiece heading into the break.

After two straight blanked ends in the sixth and seventh, Edin would once again be forced to one, taking a narrow 4-3 lead with just two ends to go.

Team Canada would blank in the ninth, setting up a critical tenth end with Gushue's rink down one heading home with hammer. On his final shot in ten, Gushue would have a chance at two for the victory. Unfortunately, the skip's attempt at a hit and roll would not make it in for shot rock, handing Sweden a steal of one and the victory.

With the win, Edin's rink now gets set to face Bruce Mouat's Team Great Britain in the gold medal game on Saturday at 1:05 AM ET. Edin, who has become one of the most decorated curlers in recent memory, will seek to win his first Olympic gold, after earning silver and bronze in the last two winter games.

On the other side, Great Britain's Bruce Mouat is currently the number-one ranked male curler in the world. Mouat will be looking to take home the gold in his first-ever Olympic Games.

For Team Canada, the loss drops Gushue's rink to the bronze medal game, where they will take on Team USA for a spot on the final step of the podium. The draw provides Gushue with a chance to secure Canada its only curling medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics after the country's women's and mixed doubles rinks failed to qualify for the playoffs.

The loss marks Canada's second straight semi-finals defeat in men's curling after Kevin Koe's rink fell to the USA during the semis in Pyeongchang in 2018.

A victory in the bronze medal game would also be one for the history books for both Gushue and Nichols. The gold medalists from 2006 have a chance to become the first Canadian men to win multiple medals in the team event.

The gold medal game in men's curling is set for Friday at 1:05 AM ET.

To top ↑