On This Day in Olympic Curling History: Feb 13

PYEONGCHANG 2018

The first-ever Olympic medals were awarded in the curling discipline of mixed doubles.

After the Feb. 12 semifinals, Canada’s Kaitlyn Lawes and John Morris defeated Jenny Perret and Martin Rios of Switzerland 10-3 for gold. 

The Canadians cracked a four-ender in the third frame to jump into a 6-2 lead, and the Swiss conceded after six ends of play.

Bronze went to Anastasia Bryzgalova and Alexander Krushelnitskiy of OAR (Olympic Athletes From Russia) who defeated Norway 8-4.

However, just days later, the International Olympic Committee revealed Krushelnitskiy had failed a doping test for meldonimum conducted during the Games. The B sample was also positive. 

Just three days before the closing ceremony, it was confirmed that Krushelnitskiy and Bryzgalova would be stripped of their Olympic bronze medals due to the doping violation.

Norway’s Kristin Skaslien and Magnus Nedregotten had already left the Olympics, but returned to receive their re-allocated bronze medals.

TORINO 2006

The Olympic curling competition roared to life at the Palaghiaccio in Pinerolo, a town of 35,000 located some 40 kilometres southwest of host city Turin.

Canada’s Shannon Kleibrink lost her first match 7-5 to Sweden’s Anette Norberg while defending champion Rhona Martin of Great Britain win her opener 3-2 over Denmark’s Dorthe Holm. 

Other winners included Norwegian legend Dordi Nordby and Switzerland’s Mirjam Ott.

In the opening rounds of men’s play, Sweden’s Peja Lindholm and Great Britain’s David Murdoch finished 2-0, while Finland’s Markku Uusipaavalniemi and Canada’s Brad Gushue – with veteran Russ Howard throwing front end stones and calling the game – split their games for 1-1 records.

NAGANO 1998

Switzerland’s Patrick Huerlimann won a huge round-robin finale over Lindholm by an 8-2 scoreline, vaulting his team directly into the next day’s semifinals. 

USA’s Tim Somerville also won, 6-3 over Great Britain’s Douglas Dryburgh, which meant USA would face Sweden in one tiebreaker, with the winner advancing to a second tiebreaker the next morning against hosts Japan.

Somerville, who also competed four years earlier in Salt Lake City, upset Lindholm 5-2 to set up the second tiebreaker.

The winner of that match would face Canada’s Mike Harris in one semifinal, while Huerlimann would face Norway’s Eigil Ramsfjell in the other semi.

On the women’s side, no tiebreakers were needed as the round robin came to its conclusion.

Denmark’s Helena Blach-Lavrsen would face Sweden’s Elisabet Gustafson and Kirsty Hay of Great Britain would square off against Canada’s Sandra Schmirler.