Canadian Olympic Foundation
Curling gold for Team Canada at YOG
Source: Curling Canada
They went undefeated throughout the round robin, won both quarter-final and semifinal games, and now, Team Canada’s Mary Fay, Tyler Tardi, Karlee Burgess, Sterling Middleton and coach Helen Radford are bringing home gold medals after defeating USA 10-4 in the final of the 2016 Youth Olympic Games Mixed Team curling event in Lillehammer, Norway.
BREAKING: CAN def USA to win GOLD @Lillehammer#YouthOlympics! Congratulations Mary, Tyler, Karlee, Sterling and coach Helen! #ILoveYOG
— Curling Canada (@CurlingCanada) February 17, 2016
Kicking off the game with a score of five certainly helped. In the opening end, Tardi’s “plan B” line call on Fay’s run-back left Canada with a house full of rocks and a lead that the USA’s Luc Violette just couldn’t overcome.
Tyler Tardi, Karlee Burgess and Sterling Middleton CAN (left to right) in action during the Gold Medal Game of the Curling Mixed Team Finals at the Lillehammer Curling Hall during the Winter Youth Olympic Games, Lillehammer Norway, 17 February 2016. Photo: Thomas Lovelock for YIS/IOC Handout image supplied by YIS/IOC
“We knew that we want to take the hammer and we knew that we want an easy two,” said Burgess after the game. “But when we got a five, it was like ‘Wow. Let’s just keep this going.’”
Trailing 9-4 in the seventh, USA put up two corner guards, but Canada peeled away every attempt by their opponents to generate offence. In the end, Fay had an open tap-back for one – and the team had a gold medal to celebrate.
Karlee Burgess, Mary Fay and Sterling Middleton CAN in action during the Gold Medal Game of the Curling Mixed Team Finals at the Lillehammer Curling Hall during the Winter Youth Olympic Games, Lillehammer Norway, 17 February 2016. Photo: Thomas Lovelock for YIS/IOC Handout image supplied by YIS/IOC
“Representing Canada at the Youth Olympics, it’s an unbelievable feeling. I don’t know what to say about it, it’s just an incredible feeling,” said Tardi.
“These are the three best teammates that we could have had. We worked together, we picked each other up, all on the same level, and we got it done this week.” – Sterling Middleton
Photo: Vegar S Hansen / Lillehammer 2016
“It’s just hard to believe, it’s hard to wrap your head around the idea that you brought the gold medal home for your country,” Fay said. “I feel so lucky to live in Canada. It’s an amazing place, so many amazing people. It’s so amazing, I can’t really put it into words.”
Switzerland defeated Russia 11-3 in the bronze medal match.
There’s more medals on the table as curling at YOG continues on Sunday, February 19 with the mixed-doubles tournament. Click here for full schedule and results.
