Several Canadians have already advanced to Olympic finals
Posted February 6, 2014 7:30 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
SOCHI, Russia (NEWS1130) – The Winter Games don’t officially open until tomorrow, but Canada already has some gold medal contenders who have made it through to the final rounds of their events.
Team Canada has been strong on the slopes on the first day of competition in Sochi.
Spencer O’Brien from Courtenay on Vancouver Island has qualified for the medal round in women’s snowboard slopestyle, while her colleague Jenna Blasman from Ontario is in the semifinals.
In men’s slopestyle, Maxence Parrot was first overall in his qualifying round and Sebastien Toutant was third in his. They both will be going for gold in the final on Saturday. Regina’s Mark McMorris and Charles Reid of Mont Tremblant, Quebec made it to the semifinals.
In women’s freestyle moguls, four Canadians have advanced straight to Saturday’s finals, including sisters Chloe, Justine and Maxime Dufour-Lapointe, along with Audrey Robichaud.
Men’s slopestyle and women’s moguls will be among the first medals to be awarded at the Sochi Games on Saturday.
If you’re wondering why events have started more than a day ahead of the opening ceremony in Sochi, it is to accommodate the 12 men’s and women’s medal events that have been added since the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
