Canada wins bronze medal in men’s curling at Beijing Olympics

BEIJING – Canada’s Brad Gushue won a bronze medal in men’s curling on Friday with an 8-5 victory over American John Shuster at the Beijing Games.

Gushue stole two points in the ninth end and ran the Americans out of rocks in the 10th to win the third-place game at the Ice Cube.

“I think our team fought through and grinded and came away with a bronze medal,” Gushue said. “It was quite clear to any curling fan that we weren’t at our best this week.

“I’m quite proud to get on the podium.”

Britain’s Bruce Mouat and Sweden’s Niklas Edin will play for gold on Saturday.

It was the first Canadian curling medal at these Games.

John Morris and Rachel Homan missed the cut in mixed doubles and Jennifer Jones came up short in the women’s team event.

The men’s team of Gushue, Mark Nichols, Brett Gallant and Geoff Walker opened with hammer against the Americans and scored a deuce in the first end.

Shuster, who won Olympic gold in 2018, answered with a pair in the fourth.

Canada was unlucky in the fifth end when a Gushue stone picked on a blank attempt. He missed a double-takeout in the sixth to set up an American deuce.

Gushue had another stone pick in the seventh but did well to salvage a blank. A technical timeout was granted after the end so the ice could be mopped.

Gushue had a chance to score three points in the eighth end but settled for two after a heavy draw.

This was the Olympic debut for Gallant and Walker. Gushue and third Mark Nichols won Olympic gold at the 2006 Turin Games.