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Day 2 of the Milano-Cortina Olympics coincided with Super Bowl Sunday. Milan’s location in Italy’s Lombardy region draws a parallel to the Lombardi Trophy awarded to the Super Bowl champions.
Canada faced a challenging day with no significant medal prospects. Despite high hopes in figure skating’s team event, Canada slipped to a fifth-place finish. The competition intensified as Japan and the United States tied before American skater Ilia Malinin clinched the gold.
In other events, Canadian speed skater Ted-Jan Bloemen finished 13th in the men’s 5,000m, while Xavier McKeever secured a 13th place in the men’s skiathlon. Canadian snowboarders faced early exits in the parallel giant slalom, and Laurie Blouin and Juliette Pelchat missed the women’s big air final.
However, the most disappointing outcome for Canada occurred in mixed doubles curling, where the duo of Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant were eliminated from contention after losses to Sweden and South Korea.
The international highlight was American alpine skier Lindsey Vonn’s crash during her downhill run, resulting in a broken leg. Breezy Johnson of the U.S. claimed the gold medal.
A positive note for Canada was the arrival of the men’s hockey team in Italy, with Sidney Crosby named as the captain. Canada’s first match is scheduled against Czechia on Thursday.
For more details on Canada’s performance on Day 2, click here. Don’t miss CBC Sports’ daily recap show, Air Canada Olympic Winter Games Today, hosted by Ariel Helwani at 8 p.m. ET on CBC Gem.
Looking ahead to Day 3, Canada may have limited medal opportunities. However, there are prospects in freestyle skiing and speed skating events, along with other engaging competitions to follow.
Key Canadian Medal Chances on Monday
Two events to watch:
Freestyle skiing: Megan Oldham and Naomi Urness in the women’s slopestyle final at 6:30 a.m. ET
Slopestyle competition involves executing tricks on a course featuring various obstacles. Megan Oldham, a top Canadian contender, has a strong track record with multiple world championship medals. Naomi Urness, a rising talent, has shown promise in recent competitions.
In the women’s 1,000m speed skating event, Béatrice Lamarche will compete at 11:30 a.m. ET. She faces tough competition from top contenders like Jutta Leerdam and Miho Takagi.
Other Exciting Events on Monday
Mixed doubles curling: Round-robin finales at 4:05 a.m. ET, semifinals at 12:05 p.m. ET. The Canadian team will conclude its games with Switzerland before the semifinals commence. Great Britain and the United States are among the top teams to watch.
Alpine skiing: Men’s team combined at 4: