Snowboarder Laurie Blouin and speed skaters Ted-Jan Bloeman and Graeme Fish headline a small group of Canadian athletes who represent podium hopes on Sunday at the Beijing Winter Olympics.
In addition, the rotational mixed doubles tournament in curling and the team event in figure skating will continue.
Here are five events to watch at the Beijing Games, on the night of February 5 to 6 (Quebec time).
Heavy mandate for Schizas in the short program (8:15 p.m.)
Eighteen-year-old figure skater Madeline Schizas, making her Olympic debut, will try to help Canada stay alive in the team event in her short program.
The Canadians, the reigning Olympic champions, sit sixth and face elimination.
If Schizas fails to get Canada into the top five, the country will be eliminated before the free skates take place.
Blouin wants to leave his mark (8:30 p.m.)
Blouin, of Stoneham, qualified easily for the women’s slopestyle final on Sunday, where she hopes to match or better the silver medal she brought home from Pyeongchang in 2018.
Seventh in qualifying with a score of 71.55, the 25-year-old snowboarder won a bronze medal in slopestyle at the X Games last month.
She is also expected to be a strong medal contender in the high jump event, which won’t start until February 14.
Homan and Morris in mixed doubles curling (1:05)
The Canadian mixed doubles curling team of Rachel Homan and John Morris will play a few more matches in the rotational tournament against the Czech Republic and Australia.
The duo are looking to rack up wins before the start of the playoff round which kicks off on Monday.
Canada (3-2) wants to defend its title of Olympic champion in this event.
A podium in the sights in the long track (3 h 30)
The men’s 5,000 meter long track speed skating event is on Sunday and Bloeman and Fish will likely battle for a podium.
Bloeman ended an 86-year drought among Canadian skaters when he won silver in the event four years ago at the Pyeongchang Games. He was also a gold medalist two years ago at the world single distance championships in Salt Lake City.
For his part, Fish hopes to regain some of the form that won him bronze in the 5,000 meters at worlds in 2020 after skipping the 2020 World Cup season and spending 20 months away from the competition. competition to try to avoid contracting COVID-19.
Return of the Dufour-Lapointe sisters (5 h)
Sisters Justine and Chloé Dufour-Lapointe, who won gold and silver at Sochi 2014, will be competing again. Chloé will however have to go through the second round of qualifications, just like her teammate Sofiane Gagnon, to reach the finals.
Even if they are not among the favorites of the event, one should never underestimate former Olympic medalists.
