Kamila Valieva of the Russian Olympic Committee skates during her short program at the Beijing Olympics on Feb. 15, 2022.ALEKSANDRA SZMIGIEL/Reuters
Valieva skating for controversial gold
Despite testing positive for a banned substance prior to the Olympics, teenaged Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva is competing in the women’s figure skating competition and is leading the pack heading into Thursday’s free skate. Valieva came into the competition as the favourite to win the contest and skated like it in the short program. Should she win on Thursday, it would be the second gold she’s taking home at the Beijing Olympics, although it will likely come with even more controversy than the gold she helped secure for the Russian Olympic Committee in the team competition at the start of the Games.
Canada's Brad Gushue reacts while competing against Team ROC during the men's curling round robin session on Day 11 of the Winter Olympic Games at National Aquatics Centre on Feb. 15, 2022 in Beijing.Lintao Zhang/Getty Images AsiaPac
Men’s curling semi-finals begin
The men’s curling semi-finals get going on Thursday and Brad Gushue and his Canadian rink are expected to be there. Gushue won a gold medal for Canada 16 years ago in Turin and will be hoping to at least get the chance to compete for gold again.
Canada's Marielle Thompson skis during the women's semi-final at the World Cup ski cross event at Nakiska Ski Resort in Kananaskis, Alta., on Jan. 15, 2022.Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press
Canadian medal hopefuls in the women’s ski cross
The entire women’s ski cross event will play out Thursday and Canada has a couple of medal contenders in the field. 2014 Sochi gold medalist Marielle Thompson of B.C. is among the list of competitors who will be skiing Thursday. Brittany Phelan, who won a silver in Pyeonchang, is also in the field.
Canada players gather before a women's semi-final hockey game against Switzerland at the Winter Olympics, on Feb. 14, 2022, in Beijing.Petr David Josek/The Associated Press
Canada vs. USA hockey
The Olympic schedule-makers didn’t do North American hockey fans any favours with the timeslot they gave to the women’s hockey final. The much-anticipated gold-medal game between Canada and the United States is scheduled for Thursday at 12:10 p.m. Beijing time or 11:10 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday. Those unwilling, or unable, to stay up late can catch the replay Thursday. If the match is anything like the 4-2 Canadian victory we witnessed in the group phase then we’ll be in for a real dandy of a game. This will be the sixth time, out of seven opportunities, that Canada and the U.S. have met in the women’s gold-medal game.
Maddison Pearman of Canada competes against Ahenaer Adake of China in the women's speedskating 1,500-meter race at the Winter Olympics on Feb. 7, 2022, in Beijing.Sue Ogrocki/The Associated Press
Canadians competing in women’s speedskating 1,000 metres
While they aren’t anticipated to be major podium threats, three Canadian women will be competing in the 1,000-metre speedskating race: Valérie Maltais of La Baie, Que., Maddison Pearman from Ponoka, Alta., and Clandeboye, Man., native Alexa Scott. There have been surprise Canadian medals peppered throughout these games, so there’s no discounting the possibility of another one in this contest.