Canada’s Kaitlyn Lawes and John Morris moved within a victory of curling gold and assured itself of at least a silver with an 8-4 win over Norway in the Olympic mixed doubles semifinal Monday.
Morris of Canmore, Alta., and Winnipeg’s Lawes downed Kristin Skaslien and Magnus Nedregotten for their seventh win in eight outings at the Pyeongchang Winter Games.
But it was a nail-biting affair with the Canadians leaving early points on the ice. After four ends, Canada led 3-2 but Lawes was curling at 41 per cent. Morris was at 81 per cent.
Up 5-4, Lawes delivered with her last rock in the seventh with a hard-sweeping hit-and-stick for three – and some much-needed breathing room.
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Switzerland (5-2) faced a Russian team (4-3) in the later semifinal. Canada will play the winner for gold Tuesday while Norway takes on the loser for bronze.
New to the Olympic program, mixed doubles is a shorter, faster game with curlers sweeping their own rocks after throwing them. Two rocks are put into play at the start of each end, helping complicate the landscape.
Governor-General Julie Payette and Kevin Koe’s Canada men’s curling team were in attendance at the Gangneung Curling Centre.
Norway (4-3 in round-robin play) handed Canada (6-1) a 9-6 loss in its opening game of the tournament. But Morris and Lawes rebounded to outscore their next round-robin six opponents 46-17.
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