Canada's other hockey powerhouse takes centre stage Thursday at the Olympics in what could prove to be the most watched women's hockey game in history. Canada pushed the envelope as much as they could the last six months including some 30 games against midget triple-A boys' teams so they would be ready to beat the U.S. for the Olympic women's hockey gold.
"It's a huge edge for us," said forward Jayna Hefford of Kingston, Ont. "I like our team in a lot of ways. But our preparation, I can't say there's anything I would have wanted to do differently, better or more of." The Americans are 3-7 in games played against their archrivals since September, but their last meeting was almost a toss-up. Canada edged the U.S. 3-2 in a shootout in Ottawa on Jan. 1.
Canada lost eight straight games to the U.S. before beating them 3-2 in the 2002 Olympic final in Salt Lake City. At the women's free skate, Canada will be watching Joannie Rochette to see if the 24-year-old from Ile-Dupas, Que., can deliver another top-tier performance in the wake of the death on the weekend of her 55-year-old-mother, Therese.
At Cypress Mountain, where Canada has had good medal fortunes so far, three Canadians are part of the 12-man field in the men's aerials: Steve Omischl, 30, of North Bay, Ont., and Warren Shouldice, 26, and Kyle Nissen, 30, both of Calgary.
In the Callaghan Valley, Norway's cross-country skiing fans will be focused on their goddess of skinny skis, Marit Bjorgen, who has already collected two gold medals and a bronze.
On Thursday, she joins her teammates for the women's relay and another shot at the podium. Success would make her Norway's most decorated female Olympian.
The Canadians, meanwhile, will treat the race as a learning experience as first-time Olympians Perianne Jones, 24, of Almonte, Ont., Madeleine Williams, 26, of Rocky Mountain House, Alta., and Daria Gaiazova, 26, of Banff, Alta., team with Chandra Crawford for the relay.
Sara Renner, 33, will skip the competition and save her energies for her final race on Saturday, the women's 30-kilometre classic ski. On the pebbled ice, the curling semifinals get underway Thursday, and Canada's medal hopes remain high.
Kevin Martin, a perfect 9-0 in round-robin competition, is considered a heavy favourite against 24-year-old Niklas Edin of Sweden. Edin did Martin a favour Wednesday when he knocked off reigning world champion David Murdoch of Britain. On the women's side, Cheryl Bernard, who went 8-1 in the round robin, will face two-time Olympic silver medallist Mirjam Ott of Switzerland.