Canadians capture two more medals in Sochi; Calgary’s Jan Hudec with bronze
Posted Feb 16, 2014 7:37 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Canada now has 14 medals after capturing a bronze and silver Sunday, including an inspirational bronze for Calgary’s Jan Hudec.
Hudec came back from a herniated disc, seven knee surgeries, as well as back and arm injuries, to win bronze in the men’s super-G by finishing in a tie for third with American Bode Miller.
He also became Canada’s first Olympic alpine ski medalist since Edi Podivinsky’s downhill bronze in 1994.
He said it’s hard to believe his accomplishment.
“If you would’ve asked me even at the end of last year if I wanted to continue skiing, obviously I wanted to but I honestly wasn’t sure if I would be able to,” he said after his race.
“Physio took all hours of the night, trying to get myself ready to even have a chance to compete here so, obviously the list is long, but when a success does come, I think it just makes it that much more sweet and makes the story pretty interesting,” he said.
He added at the age of 32, this win has also given him the motivation to keep his career going.
Dominique Maltais grabbed silver in the women’s snowboard cross.
Her podium win is a vast improvement from her 20th place finish at the 2010 Vancouver Games.
The 33-year-old rider, from Petite-Riviere-St-Francois, Quebec had won bronze at the 2006 Turin Olympics and was considered a medal favourite heading to Vancouver, but crashed out of competition.
Canada has secured a quarter-final berth in men’s hockey.
Defenceman Drew Doughty scored twice, including the overtime winner, to lead Canada past Finland 2-1.
But by not winning in regulation, the Canadians didn’t clinch the top playoff seed and a favourable matchup in the next round.
Third-seeded Canada will next face sixth-seeded Switzerland, a potentially dangerous opponent, or No. 11 Latvia in the next round.
Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir will compete today in the ice dance short program.
Virtue and Moir are the defending Olympic champs, having won gold in Vancouver four years ago. The free dance is tomorrow.
Canada’s curlers can look ahead to the playoffs.
Winnipeg’s Jennifer Jones edged the U-S 7-6 to improve to 8-and-0 and clinch first place with one round-robin game remaining.
Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, won both of his contests to finish the round robin at 7-and-2 and earn a semifinal berth despite dropping two of his first three tournament games.
Canada has 14 medals: four gold, six silver, and four bronze.
