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Five things to watch Wednesday at the Winter Games

PYEONGCHANG, Korea, Republic Of — Canada has medal chances in women's bobsled, long-track speedskating and men's skicross. Here are five things to watch Wednesday at the Winter Games:

 

THREEPEAT — Canadian Olympic hurdler Phylicia George is looking to get on the Winter Games podium as a bobsledder at the Pyeongchang Games. Given her sledmate, she should have a good shot Wednesday. The 30-year-old from Markham, Ont., is expected to be the brakeman in two-time champion Kaillie Humphries' sled. Humphries and former partner Heather Moyse won gold at the 2010 Vancouver Games and four years ago in Sochi. Moyse came out of retirement to compete in Korea but is pushing for newcomer Alysia Rissling.

 

WILD RIDE — Canadian skicross veterans Brady Leman and Chris Del Bosco are back for another shot at Olympic hardware in the wild event. Both have experienced the gut-punch of a fourth-place finish at the Winter Games. Del Bosco reached the final when skicross made its Olympic debut at the 2010 Vancouver Games and Leman was the lone Canadian skier in the final run four years later in Sochi. Late crashes were to blame in both races. An unpredictable sport, skicross sees athletes navigate banks, turns, rollers and jumps while racing their opponents. Only four make the final round.

 

OVERCOMING FEAR — It will be a major victory for Canadian figure skater Kaetlyn Osmond when she steps on the ice for the women's short program. A broken fibula in 2014 required two surgeries to repair and kept her away from competition for the better part of a year. Terrified to return to the ice, she has fought the fear and a silver medal at the 2017 world championships did wonders for her confidence. She has a new mindset now, four years after finishing 13th in Sochi.

 

ROUND OF EIGHT — The Canadian men's hockey team will look to book its spot in the semifinals with a quarter-final win Wednesday. The Canadians have been shaky at times in the Olympic tournament, losing 3-2 to the Czechs in a shootout and looking unconvincing for large parts of a 4-0 win over hockey minnow South Korea. It's a far cry from the well-oiled, NHL-fuelled Canadian machine that won gold in Vancouver and Sochi. While seven points out of a possible nine in the round robin is nothing to sneeze at, this Canadian team is grinding it out — with a few sputters along the way.

 

PURSUIT POWER — Canada's trio of Ivanie Blondin, Josie Morrison and Isabelle Weidemann compete for a medal in the long-track speedskating women's team pursuit. The Canadians finished third in their quarter-final heat Monday. The Netherlands set the pace in the quarters with an Olympic record time of two minute 55.61 seconds. Both Blondin and Weidemann have come close to medals in the 3,000 and 5,000 metres earlier in the Games.

The Canadian Press


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