Canada Cracks Big End for Olympic Curling Men’s Gold

A stunning ninth end vaulted Brad Jacobs and Canada’s men’s curling team to gold at the Cortina Olympic Curling Stadium.

The points scored – the first and last three-ender of the match – took Canada from 35% chance of winning the match (at the start of the ninth) to a 90% chance of winning.

And they did.

The win was Jacobs’ second over Great Britain this week, after a previous career 1-12 mark against the young Scotsmen. It is also his second career Olympic gold medal, after skipping a different Canadian team to gold at Sochi 2014.

Teammates Marc Kennedy and Ben Hebert won Olympic gold at Vancouver 2010, and Brett Gallant scored bronze four year ago in Beijing.

The loss was team Mouat’s second in as many Olympics, following their loss to Sweden’s Niklas Edin in Beijing.

The 10th end saw Bruce Mouat’s Great Britain work hard for the tying deuce, but a bullet double from Jacobs reduced the risk. The skip had to do it again on his last stone, and Mouat missed a tricky front-house double for the tying deuce

The see-saw battle saw GBR leading Canada in shooting percentage at the break, 88% to 81%.

Fans needed the fifth-end break, after an array of big-weight runbacks and deft touch shots – including a gorgeous hit and roll from the indefatigable Grant Hardie. 

The sixth end saw Mouat attempt a double-takeout with his target stone half-buried, and the Scots once again delivered the goods, throwing “easy peel” to retake the lead at 5-4.

On end seven, Mouat carefully shaved a Canadian guard to hit and lie two, forcing Jacobs to take one for a 5-5 tie.

The eighth end saw a bagpiper – supporting Scotla–er,  Great Britain – belt out a rousing clap-along on lead stones. By the end of the end, Jacobs forced Mouat to make a hot against two for a single point, and a 6-5 lead.

The ninth end favoured Canada, after Great Britain chose to split a Canadian guard – the “tick shot” which has fallen out of vogue – on second Bobby Lammie’s first stone. 

Two stones later, Canada second Brett Gallant made a nifty hit and roll to lie two spread out. Hardie then missed a near-impossible double, then nutted a straight runback on his second stone – three straight misses from GBR, and Canada had a chance to build a three-ender.

Kennedy than made a perfect hit and long roll behind cover. Mouat faced a must-make double and missed – four in a row!

Mouat made his tough call… a straight freeze facing three Canadian stones. Absolute perfection was required, but the Great Britain skip was a touch heavy. 

The Canadians aggressively played a down-weight hit for four, but Jacobs was a touch wide, scoring only three for an 8-6 lead. 

By scoring three, Canada went from 35% chance of winning the match at the start of the ninth to a 90% chance of gold.

Canada coach Paul Webster described Jacobs – and his team’s opponents – before the match.

“Brad Jacobs is showing over the last two seasons that he’s one of the best last-rock throwers in the world,” said Webster.

“He’s just getting better. The stuff he does on purpose is just crazy to watch, and I’ve got one of the best seats in the house.

Regading Team Mouat…

“Best team in the world. So we love the fact that they’re there. We’d love to beat them in the final. That’s our goal. We want to get to the gold-medal final and play the best teams.

“We’re excited to play Canada versus Scotland in the Olympic final. I hope Canada plays the U.S. in the men’s hockey final, and we all bring home gold and drink maple syrup together.”