Team Gushue

CBC News: N.L. schools to shut early for Olympic curling final

Last Updated Thu, 23 Feb 2006 11:26:45 EST
CBC News

The Newfoundland and Labrador government is closing schools early on Friday so that students can watch the Canadian men’s curling team compete for the gold medal at the Torino Olympics.

* FROM FEB. 22, 2006: Gushue curls into final

Schools across the province will be dismissed at lunchtime, before the St. John’s-based rink skipped by Brad Gushue competes in the Winter Games curling final in Italy, Education Minister Joan Burke said Thursday.

“It’s a historic moment for Newfoundland and Labrador,” she said. “[We] certainly want to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to see the game. It’s exciting for the young people of this province.”

Burke said buses will be ready to take children home early.

Gushue’s rink faces Finland at 1 p.m. NT (12:30 p.m. in most of Labrador and 11:30 a.m. ET).

The game will be carried on CBC Television.

Burke said while schools could have arranged to have children watch the final in the classrooms, buses would have arrived during the final ends.

“School children just can’t walk out of school and declare a holiday,” Burke said. “We have to do that for them.”

CBC.CA - Torino 2006 - Curling - Headlines - Gushue scrapes into curling playoffs

Brad Gushue looks relieved Monday as he clinches the win and the final playoff berth. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Last Updated: Tue Feb 21 02:23:10 EST 2006
CBC Sports

Canada’s Brad Gushue showed plenty of determination Monday in claiming the final playoff berth in men’s curling at the Torino Olympic Winter Games.

Gushue made three clutch shots in critical situations to beat Pete Fenson of the United States 6-3 in the 12th and final draw at Pinerolo, about 50 kilometres from Turin.

“It is nice knowing we are in the playoffs now,” Gushue said. “If we have two good games now, from here on in, we achieve our goal.”

With the win, Canada completed the preliminary round at 6-3, eliminated defending Olympic champion Paal Trulsen of Norway and set up a rematch with the U.S. (6-3) in Wednesday’s medal round (1 p.m. EST).

“They are going to want to beat us as much as we want to beat them,” said American vice Shawn Rojeski. “If we go out and play a good game together, we can win.”

Finland (7-2) finished first overall and faces Great Britain (6-3) in the other semifinal.

“That’s fine,” British skip David Murdoch said. “It’s what we expected.

“We get a chance to get our revenge on Finland. We are going in very confident.”

Fenson stole one in the first end when Gushue came up soft on a hit and stick, but the Canadian skip responded with a draw to count two in the fourth.

Gushue regained the hammer in the fourth with a splendid double-takeout that left Canada lying two, forcing Fenson to draw to the button for a single point.

Gushue blanked the sixth to retain last-rock advantage, then conceded a steal of one in the seventh when it picked on debris.

Trailing 3-2 in the eighth, Gushue bumped up to remove two American stones, then parlayed a precision takeout into two points for a 4-3 lead.

Fenson made a fatal mistake in the ninth, leaving two rocks vulnerable in the four foot and Gushue capitalized with a hit and roll to the button directly behind a Canadian guard.

That forced Fenson to concede one and put Canada ahead 5-3 heading home.

Gushue hit and stuck for one to complete the scoring in the 10th.

“I feel much better today than I was feeling in the last couple of days,” he said.

Also Monday, Germany embarrassed Denmark 10-1 and Switzerland humbled host Italy 10-2, both in six ends.

The Swiss (5-4) also needed a Canadian loss to force a Tuesday tiebreaker, so began rooting for the U.S.

“We could hear the Swiss yelling and stuff,” Fenson chuckled. “We expected that.”

with files from CP Online

Copyright © CBC 2006

CBC.CA - Torino 2006 - Curling - Headlines - Gushue controls playoff destiny

Last Updated: Sun Feb 19 16:59:53 EST 2006
CBC Sports

Brad Gushue of St. John’s easily humbled New Zealand 9-1 in seven ends on Sunday. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Canada’s Brad Gushue is breathing a bit easier in the men’s curling competition at the Torino Olympic Winter Games.

Gushue, who curls out of St. John’s, needed just seven ends Sunday to beat Sean Becker of New Zealand 9-1 at Pinerolo, Italy.

Gushue improved to 5-3 overall through 11 draws and currently sits fourth behind Finland (7-2), Great Britain (6-3) and the United States (6-2), all three of whom have qualified for the playoffs.

The top four teams advance to the medal round with first-ranked rink facing the fourth and the second taking on the third.

Canada can advance with a win over the U.S. on Monday. Should Canada lose, they will be tied with Norway (5-4) and the winner of Monday’s Switzerland-Italy contest.

If necessary, a tie-breaker to determine the final playoff spot would be held on Tuesday.

Gushue scored single points in first, second and fourth ends before blowing it open with back-to-back threes in the sixth and seventh.

Becker, still winless at 0-8, counted one in the fifth.

with files from CP Online
Copyright © CBC 2006

Canada vs Finland

END 1 - CAN 2, FIN 0
END 2 - CAN 2, FIN 0
END 3 - CAN 2, FIN 3
END 4 - CAN 2, FIN 3
END 5 - CAN 3, FIN 3
END 6 - CAN 4, FIN 3
END 7 - CAN 4, FIN 7
END 8 - CAN 4, FIN 8
END 9 - CAN 6, FIN 8
END 10 - CAN 7, FIN 8

FINAL: Finland 8, Canada 7
Result

Norway vs Canada

END 1 - NOR 0, CAN 2
END 2 - NOR 0, CAN 3
END 3 - NOR 1, CAN 3
END 4 - NOR 2, CAN 3
END 5 - NOR 3, CAN 3
END 6 - NOR 3, CAN 3
END 7 - NOR 3, CAN 4
END 8 - NOR 3, CAN 5
END 9 - NOR 5, CAN 5
END 10 - NOR 5, CAN 6

FINAL: Canada 6, Norway 5
Results