Eight Ends is your daily one-stop shop for all things curling with news, notes, insight and analysis through the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing.

First End: Canada scored a pivotal win and also sustained a stunning comeback loss to remain at .500 after Wednesday’s action in the women’s curling tournament at the Beijing Winter Olympic Games.

Jennifer Jones fended off Tabitha Peterson of the United States in the border battle, 7-6, but fell in an extra-end upset to China’s Rui Wang, 11-9. Jones is in fourth place (4-4 record) with one round-robin session remaining against Denmark’s Madeleine Dupont in the final draw (Thursday 1:05 a.m. ET), but Canada will also need some help in the other games.

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Keep up with the action at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing with up-to-date standings, the full schedule and results.

Mixed doubles

| Men’s tournament

| Women’s tournament

Second End: One thing is for certain: Canada must win against Denmark, as a loss would straight up eliminate them. As for who can help Canada clinch a spot? That really depends on how the other three games — Sweden vs. South Korea, Switzerland vs. Japan and ROC vs. Great Britain — shake out. Various combinations could either see Canada advance or possibly lose out on the draw shot challenge. Jones is currently last out of the 10 teams in the DSC, and it would be a tough pill to swallow to lose out on competing for a medal because of that rather than strictly wins and losses.

Third End: Peterson struggled to start allowing Canada to capitalize and take control of the match early. An amazing triple takeout from Jones in the first frame got her team out of trouble and a routine hit and roll out to blank was anything but routine. Peterson’s shooter rolled into the house and stuck around for a single. That handed the hammer to Canada, and Jones converted with a deuce in the second and never trailed again. Peterson misfired an angle raise in the third that gave Canada a 4-1 lead and enough of a cushion.

Jones could have put the game away in the ninth, up by one point and looking to score three, but the runback missed and the U.S. tied it instead 6-6. No fear as Canada still held the all-important hammer and Jones just had to draw pretty much anywhere into the house with her last shot — Peterson had two deep in the house around the 12-foot circle — to secure the victory.

Fourth End: Surprisingly, Canada did open with the hammer against China (shocking, I know) although it didn’t work out as planned. Jones hit and rolled out to give up a single steal to start. An unfortunate pick on one of Kaitlyn Lawes’ rocks in the second opened the door for China to steal again with Jones crashing out and giving up two points.

After Jones recovered and trailed by two in the sixth, an open draw to score a huge count of five put Canada ahead 8-5. That should have been the game-breaker, but China came back to tie it with a deuce followed by a single steal. Lone points back and forth in the ninth and 10th forced the extra end. Jones attempted a straight runback double with her last in OT, but her raise was off the mark and China completed the shocker. Kudos to China as the host has played the “giant killer” role with wins over reigning Olympic champion Sweden, 2018 silver medallist South Korea and Great Britain.

Fifth End: Canada is the heavy favourite against Denmark (ninth place, 2-6 record) at -500 chalk. Jones and Dupont have only faced twice: first at the 2005 world championship and again at the 2018 China Open tour event. Jones won the former, sporting a completely different lineup, while Dupont took the most recent meeting. It should be a close game, but Canada should come out on top.

Sixth End: Rachel Homan opened up on social media to share her struggles since missing out on the medal round in the mixed doubles competition. It’s a stark and honest reminder that athletes are humans giving their all, and it hurts when it doesn’t always go their way. Sometimes it only takes an inch to decide if a team goes through to the medal round or has been eliminated. It doesn’t help when the fanbase you expect to lift you up when you’re at your lowest point instead sinks you even lower. Medals are earned, not expected, otherwise what’s the point in having a competition? Homan doesn’t owe anyone anything and nothing the naysayers dish out can take away from who she is.

Being completely honest because I know many athletes have felt this but I’m in the deepest of black holes wishing we could have found another centimetre for Canada.

Know that I’m cheering hard for every athlete in Beijing right now but personally struggling beyond words.

— Rachel Homan (@RHoman89) February 15, 2022

Kevin Martin spoke during the Inside Curling podcast’s Daily Draw about his own experiences playing for Canada at the 1992 Winter Games (losing the bronze medal game when curling was a demonstration sport) and the 2002 Winter Games (losing the gold medal game) and how it took a while for him to find his stride again after those heartbreaking defeats.

Seventh End: Brad Gushue, who captured gold in 2006, will play for a medal again after qualifying for the men’s playoffs. Despite having the lone men’s session off Wednesday, Gushue clinched a spot in the semifinals based on China beating Switzerland 6-5 and Great Britain defeating ROC 8-6. Gushue (5-3) is locked into the third spot as only the United States (4-4) could tie in the standings, which would then go to their head-to-head meeting and Canada would stay on top based on its 10-5 round-robin result.

Eighth End: Yet to be determined is Canada’s opponent in the men’s semifinal. Canada will face either Great Britain or Sweden (both 7-1). Gushue plays Great Britain’s Bruce Mouat in the round-robin finale (Wednesday 8:05 p.m. ET), while Sweden faces Switzerland. If the standings remain the same, Canada will play Sweden in the semifinals as Mouat holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over Niklas Edin.

Canada enters the game against Great Britain as a +100 underdog. Gushue holds a 10-5 all-time record against Mouat, according to CurlingZone. That includes two victories this season, both at the Boost National, including a 5-2 win in the men’s final.

All odds courtesy of Coolbet.

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