Kaitlyn Lawes and John Morris have won gold for Canada in mixed doubles curling at the Winter Olympics.
The Canadian pair defeated Switzerland’s Jenny Perret and Martin Rios 10-3 in an exciting game, but one where the Canadians took an early advantage.
A bad shot from Switzerland got the game off to a good start for Canada, letting Lawes and Morris grab two points.
Switzerland came back with two points of their own in the second to tie things up. But it didn’t last long: in the third, Martin Rios of Switzerland missed a big shot. With a skilled throw from Kaitlyn Lawes to finish off the end, Canada scored 4.
By the end of the fifth, Canada was ahead 8-3. The Swiss challenged hard in the sixth though, but missed a chance to clear some Canadian stones and nudged a Canadian stone onto the button, eventually allowing Canada to steal two for the win. The game was over in just six ends.
This was Ottawa’s Morris and Winnipeg’s Lawes second Olympic gold medals of their careers and Canada’s third of the Pyeongchang Games.
Lawes was third for the Jennifer Jones team that won women’s team gold in 2014. Morris was vice for Kevin Martin when they took the men’s team title in 2010.
“It feels fantastic. It’s an amazing feeling winning the gold medal,” said Morris.
Mixed doubles curling made its Olympic debut in Pyeongchang.
“I’m really proud of us for coming here and putting mixed doubles on the map,” Morris added.
–With files from the Canadian Press