Canada’s wheelchair curling team has clinched a semifinal berth at the Beijing Paralympics by defeating Norway 7-6 with a clutch final throw on Thursday in China.
After being tied up at 2-2 through four ends, Norway took a 5-2 lead with a solid fifth end.
Canada was able to close the gap in the sixth, making it 5-4, but after Norway added one more in the seventh, the pressure was on the Canadians.
Fourth Jon Thurston, of Dunsford, Ont., tasked with making a much-needed play on the final stone, threw a take-out that put three points on the board for Canada and earned them the victory.
“I have a good team in front of me,” Thurston said. “Ina [Forrest] made a pair of beauty shots in front of me to set up the end for me, before I threw. Mark [Ideson] calls a great game. He knows where to put the broom, so all I have to do is throw the weight and hit the broom, so it’s pretty good.”
WATCH | Canada secures semifinal berth with clutch play against Norway:
Trailing 6-4 in the eight end, Canada’s Jon Thurston scored three on his final stone to give Canada a 7-6 win over Norway and clinch a berth in the semifinals at the Beijing 2022 Paralympics. 2:29
The win wraps up Canada’s 7-3 round robin campaign, which started with a four-game winning streak against defending champions China, then Switzerland, Latvia and the U.S.
Canada then went on a three-game skid versus Sweden, South Korea and Slovakia before bouncing back with victories over Great Britain, Estonia and Norway.
Both wheelchair curling semifinals will be played on Friday at 1:35 a.m. ET. With some time off before then, the top priority for the Canadians will be rest and recovery.
“I think it’s prioritizing our rest and recovery,” Thurston said. “It’s been a long week, [we’ve played] 10 games, so trying to catch up on some rest and food and nutrition and then preparing for what the playoff picture looks like.”
Slovakia, currently in the fourth spot with a 6-3 record, will play Estonia on Thursday at 6:35 a.m. ET for a chance to clinch the final semifinal spot.
South Korea and Latvia are tied for fifth (4-4), ahead of the U.S. (4-5), Norway (4-6), Great Britain (3-6), Estonia (2-6) and Switzerland (1-8).
The Canadian team also features skip Mark Ideson, third and co-flag-bearer Ina Forrest, second Dennis Thiessen and alternate Collinda Joseph.
Guimond fails to finish opening giant slalom run
Canada’s Alexis Guimond won’t repeat his giant slalom podium performance.
The 22-year-old from Gatineau, Que., failed to finish his first run in the standing event on Thursday at the Beijing Paralympics.
The result is a disappointing one for the Canadian who took bronze in the event four years ago in Pyeongchang.
However, he has already secured one bronze in Beijing, reaching the podium in the super-G.
Brian Rowland, of Merrickville, Ont., finished 12th in the men’s sitting giant slalom event, with a combined time of two minutes 10.22 seconds. The 35-year-old finished just over 16 seconds behind gold medal winner, Jesper Pederson of Norway.
Fellow Canadian Logan Leach, the youngest member of the Paralympic team at 19, finished his first run in eighth place before wiping out after losing a ski in the second run of the men’s visually impaired giant slalom.
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