Olympic wake-up call: Day 11 news you might have missed from the Winter Games
By Benjamin Blum and Amy Cleveland, CBC Sports
It was a golden morning for Canadian Olympians in Pyeongchang, South Korea, with Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir reclaiming their ice dance throne and skier Cassie Sharpe soaring to a halfpipe title. However, Rachel Homan's podium hopes took a major hit after Canada's women's rink dropped a pivotal game to China.
Here's a quick recap of all the important Olympic news you might have missed overnight, and a look at what's still to come later today.
Practically perfect in every way
Virtue and Moir needed to be exemplary after the French duo of Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron established new world records in the free dance and overall score. The longtime Canadian duo were up to the task during their Moulin Rouge routine, eclipsing their previous personal best in the free and setting a new overall standard.
If Virtue and Moir do decide to retire from competition, their last dance may end up being their most memorable.
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Sharpe, with inspiration, soars to gold
Cassie Sharpe's Olympic debut couldn't have gone any better after the 25-year-old skier from Comox, B.C., stomped a 95.80 on her second run en route to a halfpipe title. After her win, Sharpe paid tribute to Canadian halfpipe pioneer Sarah Burke, who died after a training accident in 2012. "She's always on our minds, she's always with us," Sharpe said.
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Homan on the brink
The momentum Canada's women's curling team had from reeling off three straight wins came to a sudden halt against China. Homan and Co. lost 7-5 and will now need to win their final two games and hope for some fortuitous results elsewhere in order to qualify for the playoffs.
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Humphries looks to repeat
Canadian bobsleigh pilot Kaillie Humphries' hopes of winning a third-straight Olympic title took a hit as she sits fifth after the opening two runs in the women's event.
Teammates Alyssia Rissling and Humphries' former partner Heather Moyse are close behind in seventh, while Christine de Bruin and Melissa Lotholz are eighth.
Humphries will try to get into medal contention with brakeman Phylicia George with their final two runs Wednesday at 6:40 a.m. ET.
Dramatic relay
Marianne St-Gelais, Kim Boutin, Valérie Maltais and Kasandra Bradette missed out on what appeared to be a guaranteed medal in the 3,000-metre relay final after being penalized.
However, St-Gelais, Maltais and Boutin advanced to the 1,000 quarter-finals, which get underway Thursday at 5:14 a.m. ET.
On the men's side, Samuel Girard moved onto the 500 quarter-finals and Charles Hamelin, who won gold at this distance in 2010, was penalized and failed to advance.
Canada's opponent determined
Men's hockey qualification games solidified the quarter-final matchups, with Finland edging South Korea to set up meeting with Canada.
The United States confirmed a date with the Czech Republic after beating Slovakia. Germany took out Switzerland in overtime and will face Sweden, while OAR will play Norway, who also won in OT.
Canada gets back into action on Wednesday at 7:10 a.m. ET.
Other notable news
- Canadian skiers Mike Riddle and Noah Bowman qualified seventh and ninth, respectively, for the men's halfpipe finals. Teammate Simon D'Artois was two points shy of reaching Wednesday's 12-man finals.
- Slovenian hockey player Ziga Jeglic was suspended from the Games after testing positive for fenoterol.
What's coming up on Tuesday?
Big air
Remember Canadian snowboarders Max Parrot and Mark McMorris, Canada's first medallists at these Games? Well, the slopestyle silver-and-bronze-winning frenemies are back in action in big air's Olympic debut. Qualification begins at 7:30 p.m. ET.
With files from The Associated Press
