CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — After a rocky two weeks of Olympic curling that included accusations of cheating and a profanity-laced rant, the Canadian men will play for the gold medal at the Milan Cortina Games.
Canada beat Norway 5-4 in Thursday night’s semifinals after losing to the Norwegians earlier in the day.
The Canadians were the subject of a controversy that got attention far beyond the ice when several players were accused of double-touching the rock, a rules violation.
Canada’s opponent in Saturday’s gold medal game will be Britain, which stunned Switzerland 8-5. The Swiss were undefeated entering the semifinals.
Norway will play Switzerland for the bronze medal Friday.
The sport was sent into turmoil last week when Oskar Eriksson of Sweden accused Canada’s Marc Kennedy of breaking the rules by touching the rock again after initially releasing it down the sheet of ice. Kennedy responded with an outburst full of expletives.
Several other accusations of double-touching followed, and Canada lost its next match against Switzerland before steadying itself to reach the semifinals.
Against Norway, Canada led 3-1 after the sixth end. Norway tightened the score with a single in the eighth. Canada went ahead 4-2 in the ninth.
Norway had the hammer in the tenth end. After a shot by Brad Jacobs that left a Norway stone on the edge of the house, Norway pulled a double, tying the match at 4-4 and pushing it into an extra end.
But Norway missed its final shot of the extra end to send the elated Canadians to the final. They are seeking their first gold in men’s curling since the 2014 Sochi Games, where Britain was also their opponent in the final.
Knowing that Canada is guaranteed a medal is a “pretty incredible feeling,” Kennedy said.
“We got a couple of old guys (on the team), so we’re gonna rest” before Saturday’s match, he added. “That’s going to be a good battle.”
Brad Jacobs said his 11-year-old daughter and other family members were in tears in the stands.
“To give them even one more game to cheer for means everything to all of us,” he said.
Switzerland was in control for a good portion of its match against Britain.
The Brits scored two in the eighth end to take a 6-5 lead, their first of the match, and Switzerland was blanked in the ninth. Britain scored two more in the 10th to complete the stunner.
“GB into the finals with a record of 6-4 and Switzerland out with a record of 9-1. The Olympics are a cruel, cruel mistress,” curling commentator John Cullen posted on X.
Britain took silver in the 2022 Beijing Games, losing to Sweden in the final.
“It’s been a wee up and down,” skip Bruce Mouat said of this tournament. “But we play well when it matters.”
He got emotional when he saw his family and friends cheering for him, but shedding tears is not his style.
“I don’t think I have tear ducts,” the Edinburgh native said.
Neither, apparently, did a woman in the British fan section who spent much of the game knitting.
The women’s bronze medal game is Saturday, and the gold medal game is Sunday.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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