Canada beats Denmark in opening game of the 2022 Olympic men’s curling tournament

Brad Gushue (with permission)

Team Canada has won their first game of the men’s curling tournament of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. The Canadian team skipped by Brad Gushue of St. John’s, Newfoundland trounced Denmark 10-5.

The big end for Canada was the eighth end. After leading Denmark 7-5, Gushue delivered with an impressive double takeout for three points. Team Canada also was fortunate in the sixth end, as Danish skip Mikkel Krause had an attempt to record a three-ender, but a missed shot allowed Canada to steal two points instead.

There is a significant amount of pressure on Canadian curling at this time. The Canadian mixed doubles curling team of John Morris of Winnipeg, Manitoba and Rachel Homan of Ottawa, Ontario were unable to reach the semifinals and finished fifth.

The Gushue team is trying to rebound after the Canadian men’s curling team skipped by Alberta’s Kevin Koe was unable to win a medal at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang. It was the first time in the history of the Olympic Winter Games that Canada did not win a medal in men’s curling.

In other men’s curling action, the United States beat the Russian Olympic Committee 6-5, Norway beat Switzerland 7-4, and Sweden beat China 6-4. The United States are the reigning Olympic champions and Sweden are the reigning world champions.

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