Beijing Olympics Day 16: Canada takes the bronze in 4-man bobsleigh
The latest Olympics news from Beijing and around the world on Day 16. Web links to longer stories if available:11:10 p.m.: Canada wins the bronze medal in the 4-man bobsleigh event, led by pilot Justin Kripps. The team of Justin Kripps, Ryan Sommer, Cam Stones and Benjamin Coakwell is bringing home Canada's 26th medal of the Games.10 p.m.: After qualifying for the final heat of the 4-man bobsleigh event, two Canadian teams will be competing for medals at 10:20 p.m. ET. Starting 11th: Christopher Spring, Cody Sorensen, Samuel Giguere and Mike Evelyn. Starting 18th: Justin Kripps, Ryan Sommer, Cam Stones and Benjamin Coakwell.8 p.m.: Here’s a look at Team Canada’s upcoming events:The following teams are competing for Canada in the third heat of the 4-man bobsleigh event starting at 8:30 p.m. ET. Starting 3rd: Justin Kripps, Ryan Sommer, Cam Stones and Benjamin Coakwell. Starting 11th: Christopher Spring, Cody Sorensen, Samuel Giguere and Mike Evelyn. Starting 21st: Taylor Austin, Daniel Sunderland, Chris Patrician, and Jay Dearborn.Katherine Stewart-Jones, Dahria Beatty, Cendrine Browne and Laura Leclair will be competing in the women's 30km mass start cross-country skiing event at 10 p.m ET.6:50 p.m.: Isabelle Weidemann is Canada’s flag-bearer. The Ottawa speedskater won three medals at these Olympics, and the towering young woman will stand above her peers.“I feel like I’m dreaming,” said Weidemann, who won gold in the women’s long-track team pursuit with Valérie Maltais and Ivanie Blondin, silver in the 5,000 metres, and bronze in the 3,000 metres. She is one of three Canadians to win a medal of every colour at a winter Olympics.But on the last morning of these dystopian Games, Weidemann was thinking about others, beyond herself.Bruce Arthur: Isabelle Weidemann will carry the Canadian flag at Beijing’s closing ceremony6:10 p.m.: It has been the stock procedure for two straight Olympics now. This month in the Chinese capital, as in Tokyo last summer, Canada brought its best athletes across an ocean but it wouldn’t touch a medal projection with a 10-foot pole.If the pandemic brought too much unpredictability for informed prognostication, Canada weathered it well enough. Six months after leaving Japan with the nation’s largest Summer Olympic medal haul in a non-boycotted Games, the team in the maple leaf was heading into Sunday’s final day of competition here with 25 medals, third behind Norway and Russia. If that holds up, it will be fourth time in the past five Winter Olympics that Canada has ranked third in the hardware count — five of five if you disqualify Russia for cheating in Sochi. That’s an awfully consistent presence on the medal-haul podium.But as much as you can make the case the lack of pre-Games expectation has been good for Canada’s performance, let’s be clear: It’s not a tradition that can continue indefinitely.Dave Feschuk: Canada is No. 3 in medals in Beijing. That’s good, but it’s not good enough2:30 p.m.: The provenance of pairs figure skating in China reaches back to a frozen river in the bone-chillingly cold northern city of Harbin.It was there that a man taught himself the basic principles of the discipline, by watching videos and reading contraband Western skating magazines, but only after first teaching himself how to read English.His name was Yao Bin and he is a legend. With his partner Luan Bo, he finished last at the 1984 Olympics.Rosie DiManno: Sui Wenjing and Han Cong win Olympic pairs gold in magnificent finish to tumultuous figure skating fortnight1:50 p.m.: There are lasting memories from every Olympic Games. The majority are inspiring and worth celebrating.But some are darker. The heartbreak of falling short after dedicating so much of your life to one moment. Confronting the unknown after a four-year Olympic cycle.The Beijing Games have provided a few such reminders.Previously: China’s Sui Wenjing and Han Cong win Olympic figure skating pairs gold; Speedskater Isabelle Weidemann named Canada’s flag-bearer.Click here for a full write-up of what you missed yesterday at the Beijing Olympics.For full coverage of the Beijing Olympics, click here.
Tomas Kauer - Moderator 
The latest Olympics news from Beijing and around the world on Day 16. Web links to longer stories if available:
11:10 p.m.: Canada wins the bronze medal in the 4-man bobsleigh event, led by pilot Justin Kripps. The team of Justin Kripps, Ryan Sommer, Cam Stones and Benjamin Coakwell is bringing home Canada's 26th medal of the Games.
10 p.m.: After qualifying for the final heat of the 4-man bobsleigh event, two Canadian teams will be competing for medals at 10:20 p.m. ET. Starting 11th: Christopher Spring, Cody Sorensen, Samuel Giguere and Mike Evelyn. Starting 18th: Justin Kripps, Ryan Sommer, Cam Stones and Benjamin Coakwell.
8 p.m.: Here’s a look at Team Canada’s upcoming events:
- The following teams are competing for Canada in the third heat of the 4-man bobsleigh event starting at 8:30 p.m. ET. Starting 3rd: Justin Kripps, Ryan Sommer, Cam Stones and Benjamin Coakwell. Starting 11th: Christopher Spring, Cody Sorensen, Samuel Giguere and Mike Evelyn. Starting 21st: Taylor Austin, Daniel Sunderland, Chris Patrician, and Jay Dearborn.
- Katherine Stewart-Jones, Dahria Beatty, Cendrine Browne and Laura Leclair will be competing in the women's 30km mass start cross-country skiing event at 10 p.m ET.
6:50 p.m.: Isabelle Weidemann is Canada’s flag-bearer. The Ottawa speedskater won three medals at these Olympics, and the towering young woman will stand above her peers.
“I feel like I’m dreaming,” said Weidemann, who won gold in the women’s long-track team pursuit with Valérie Maltais and Ivanie Blondin, silver in the 5,000 metres, and bronze in the 3,000 metres. She is one of three Canadians to win a medal of every colour at a winter Olympics.
But on the last morning of these dystopian Games, Weidemann was thinking about others, beyond herself.
Bruce Arthur: Isabelle Weidemann will carry the Canadian flag at Beijing’s closing ceremony
6:10 p.m.: It has been the stock procedure for two straight Olympics now. This month in the Chinese capital, as in Tokyo last summer, Canada brought its best athletes across an ocean but it wouldn’t touch a medal projection with a 10-foot pole.
If the pandemic brought too much unpredictability for informed prognostication, Canada weathered it well enough. Six months after leaving Japan with the nation’s largest Summer Olympic medal haul in a non-boycotted Games, the team in the maple leaf was heading into Sunday’s final day of competition here with 25 medals, third behind Norway and Russia. If that holds up, it will be fourth time in the past five Winter Olympics that Canada has ranked third in the hardware count — five of five if you disqualify Russia for cheating in Sochi. That’s an awfully consistent presence on the medal-haul podium.
But as much as you can make the case the lack of pre-Games expectation has been good for Canada’s performance, let’s be clear: It’s not a tradition that can continue indefinitely.
Dave Feschuk: Canada is No. 3 in medals in Beijing. That’s good, but it’s not good enough
2:30 p.m.: The provenance of pairs figure skating in China reaches back to a frozen river in the bone-chillingly cold northern city of Harbin.
It was there that a man taught himself the basic principles of the discipline, by watching videos and reading contraband Western skating magazines, but only after first teaching himself how to read English.
His name was Yao Bin and he is a legend. With his partner Luan Bo, he finished last at the 1984 Olympics.
Rosie DiManno: Sui Wenjing and Han Cong win Olympic pairs gold in magnificent finish to tumultuous figure skating fortnight
1:50 p.m.: There are lasting memories from every Olympic Games. The majority are inspiring and worth celebrating.
But some are darker. The heartbreak of falling short after dedicating so much of your life to one moment. Confronting the unknown after a four-year Olympic cycle.
The Beijing Games have provided a few such reminders.
Previously: China’s Sui Wenjing and Han Cong win Olympic figure skating pairs gold; Speedskater Isabelle Weidemann named Canada’s flag-bearer.
Click here for a full write-up of what you missed yesterday at the Beijing Olympics.
