Canada on track for a record-breaking medal total at the 2018 Winter Olympics
Sports: 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang
From the history-making luge team to comeback kid Mark McMorris, Canada has had a Games to remember — and it could get even better during the last week of competition
By Bev Wake
There have been moments, during these 2018 Winter Olympics, that should stay with us for a while.
There was Sam Edney, unable to control his tears after winning a silver medal in the luge team relay. Those were more than tears of happiness after the heartbreak of Sochi, where the team had three fourth-place finishes. They were tears of validation, of discovering good guys sometimes win after all and hard work can pay off.
It had only been a couple of weeks since Edney, Alex Gough, Justin Snith and Tristan Walker learned that their fourth-place relay finish in Sochi — which late last year had been upgraded to bronze due to Russian doping — would stay a fourth after all, thanks to a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. And now they had their ...
Olympic predictions: Canada will win a record 32 medals in PyeongChang
Sports: 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang
Medal hauls in speed skating, a double by Mark McMorris, and a curling sweep (almost): A sport-by-sport look at who'll win what at the Winter Games in South Korea
By Bev Wake
It’s the biggest Canadian team in Winter Olympic history — and arguably the deepest — with 225 athletes set to compete in PyeongChang this month.
There are medal prospects in almost every sport, and multiple prospects in several events, which has led most experts to predict Canada will surpass its totals from the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. Canada won 26 medals that year: an Olympic-record 14 gold, seven silver and five bronze.
While it’s unlikely Canada will come anywhere near 14 gold in South Korea, this team has enough talent to surpass the 30-medal mark for the first time. A look at the most likely medallists, by sport, follows below. Predictions are based on past performances, plus some gut instinct, with recent results and medals at major championships ...
20 International athletes to watch at the 2018 Olympic Games in PyeongChang
Sports: 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang
From South Korean skaters to 'Olympic Athletes from Russia': A snapshot look at some of the top medal prospects from outside of Canada at the Winter Games in South Korea
By Bev Wake
1. MARIT BJOERGEN, Cross-Country
Country: Norway
Born: March 21, 1980
Why you should watch: Already the most successful female athlete in Winter Olympic history — with 10 medals, including five gold — she’ll try to add to her collection in PyeongChang. She won three medals in Sochi, all gold, and despite missing time after those games to have a baby, there’s little indication she’s slowed down. She left the 2017 world championships with four medals, all gold, in the 10-km classic, 7.5km + 7.5km double pursuit, 4x5km relay and 30km freestyle. She is within three medals of Norwegian biathlete Ole Einar Bjorndalen’s 13 for most Winter Olympic medals all-time by an athlete, male or female.
2. CHOI MIN JEONG, Short Track
Country: South Korea
Born: Sept. ...
20 Canadian athletes to watch at the 2018 Olympic Games in PyeongChang
Sports: 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang
Veterans, comeback kids and the big question marks in mixed doubles curling: A snapshot look at some of Canada's top medal prospects at the Winter Games in South Korea
By Bev Wake
1. TED-JAN BLOEMEN, Speed Skating
Hometown: Leiderdorp, Netherlands
Born: Aug. 16, 1986
Why you should watch: He holds the world record over 5,000 metres and is ranked No. 1 in the world at both 5,000 and 10,000 metres. While he had disappointing results at the 2017 world single distance championships — finishing fifth in the 5,000 and fourth in the 10,000 — he has not finished off the podium at either distance in World Cup competition this season. In PyeongChang, he'll also compete in team pursuit, giving him a legitimate shot at three medals.
2. IVANIE BLONDIN, Speed Skating
Hometown: Ottawa
Born: April 2, 1990
Why you should watch: Her results on the World Cup circuit this season show she’s capable of reaching the podium in any of her four ...
