Pride of the 'rock' wins curling gold for Canada

Day 14

Another day has dawn meaning more wall to wall coverage of this years Olympics. It`s been an Olympiad full of highs and lows for Canada. From the heartfelt story of Lascelles Brown journey to Olympic silver for Canada, to the Canadian men`s implosion in hockey, we have seen it all.

But one thing I will be happy about when it the games are all over is that I will never have to watch that damn annoying ad that depicts a grocery store shopper imploring other customers, in a cartoon-like voice, to pick up some Yoplait yogurt.

The TV ad have been running, and running, and running, during CBC's wall-to-wall Turin Olympics coverage, prompting me on several occasions to want to throw something through the television. This commercial is almost as popular as a bad rash, you take notice of it when it`s there and damn glad when it`s gone. Anyway, here is a look at what Canada accomplished today.

Brad Gushue used steady play and one spectacular end to win Canada's first-ever Olympic gold medal in men's curling. The 25-year-old skip and his St. John's-based rink of third Mark Nichols, second Russ Howard and lead Jamie Korab scored six in the sixth end to propel themselves to a 10-4 win over Finland in the gold medal game on Friday in Pinerolo, Italy.

Immediately after the win, Gushue was on the phone with his mother, Maureen, who underwent chemotherapy a few weeks ago and was unable to travel to Italy. Gushue fought off tears when asked what she had said.

"She's proud and I'm proud of the guys," he told CBC Sports.

The win gave Canada its second-ever Olympic curling gold medal. The women's team led by the late Sandra Schmirler finished first at the 1998 Nagano Games. It was also the second medal for Canadian curlers at the Torino Games. On Thursday, Shannon Kleibrink's Calgary rink captured bronze in women's curling with a convincing 11-5 victory over Norway's Dordi Nordby, also in eight ends.

Gushue, Nichols and Korab became the first Newfoundlanders to win a medal at the Winter Olympics since Dwayne Norris of St. John's won silver with Canada's men's hockey team at the 1994 Lillehammer Games. Howard was born in Midland, Ont., and now resides in Moncton, N.B.

Clinging to a 4-3 going into the sixth, Gushue counted six after Finish skip Markku Uusipaavalniemi's final shot of the end rubbed a guard, leaving Gushue a free draw for seven. Gushue sailed his stone through the house and had to settle for six, but the game was essentially over at that point.

Nichols, who curled a brilliant 97% in the game, set up the big score with a dazzling run-back takeout with his first stone of the end. Canada and Finland traded two-point ends to open the game. Uusipaavalniemi, who had last-rock advantage in the first, made a take-out to score two, though he was trying for three. Gushue evened the game in the second by drawing to the four-foot for two. Gushue went up 4-2 with steals in the next two ends.

With Canada lying four in the third, Uusipaavalniemi attempted a delicate angled tap-back put couldn't bump his stone close enough to the button, giving Gushue a steal of one. Uusipaavalniemi then missed on a draw attempt to close the fourth, handing another point to Gushue.

Uusipaavalniemi got one back in the fifth. He converted a tricky takeout with his first stone of the end, scraping by a Canadian guard to knock out Canada's shot stone on the eight-foot. Uusipaavalniemi then had a chance to count two but came up short on a draw, leaving Gushue with a 4-3 lead.

Canada all but wrapped up the game with its six-point sixth end. Finland blanked the next end, then scored one in the eight to make the score 10-4 before conceding the game. Olympic rules stipulate that a game can not be called until after the eighth end.

Gushue and his rink had plenty of supporters behind them, including thousands of school kids who were given the afternoon off by Newfoundland and Labrador Education Minister Joan Burke. She called Friday's match a historic moment for Newfoundland and Labrador. In St. John's, a crowd of about 6,000 was expected to gather at Mile One Stadium to watch the final.

Gushue, favoured to win gold when he arrived at these Olympics, fashioned a 6-3 record in the round robin that included an 8-7 loss to Finland on Feb. 17.

Later,
Kenaz