Weekend Roundup: Alex Harvey goes out on a high note
Alex Harvey competed in the final race of his career this past weekend, the men’s national soccer team qualified for the Gold Cup and Canadians also had success in figure skating and at the Miami Open.
Here are all of the details that you might have missed:
Cross-Country Skiing
READ: Alex Harvey wins silver in penultimate race of his career
READ: Alex Harvey wins silver in final race of his career in Quebec City
Alex Harvey announced his retirement from the sport back in February and competed in his final races this past weekend in front of a home crowd at the FIS Cross-Country World Cup in Quebec City. Harvey ended his career with a pair of podium finishes, earning two silver medals in the 15km mass start race and the 15km freestyle pursuit.
Figure Skating
At the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Saitama, Japan, Canada did not finish on the podium but produced the consistent results that we have become accustomed to. All three Canadian ice dance teams finished in the top 10, with Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje placing in the top five for the ninth straight year. Canada has now qualified for three spots in ice dance for the 2020 World Championships which will take place in Montreal next March. Canada will also keep its two spots in women’s singles and pairs but will have just one spot in men’s singles.
Curling
At the 2019 Canadian Curling Mixed Doubles Championship, Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant came out on top after defeating Tyrel Griffith and Nancy Martin with a final score of 9-6. With their win, Peterman and Gallant will represent Canada at the world championships in Stavanger, Norway from April 20 to 27. The duo won nationals back in 2016 and they are the only pair to win the national championship twice.
Soccer
On Sunday, the Canadian men’s national team defeated French Guiana 4-1 on home soil in Vancouver. Alphonso Davies was forced to sit out with a knee injury, but Lucas Cavallini stepped up and registered two goals in the match. With their win, Canada has now qualified for the upcoming CONCACAF Gold Cup which begins on June 15.
Tennis
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At the Miami Open, Canadians had success in the singles and doubles draws. Bianca Andreescu increased her winning streak to ten matches after defeating Angelique Kerber for the second time in just a week to advance to the fourth round of the women’s singles draw. Youngsters Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov both came out on top in the men’s singles draw with Auger-Aliassime advancing to the fourth round and Shapovalov to the third round. With his win, Auger-Aliassime is projected to move into the top 50 of the world rankings for the first time in his career. Shapovalov was also successful in the second round of the men’s doubles draw with Indian partner Rohan Bopanna. In the women’s doubles draw, Canadian Gaby Dabrowski and her teammate Yifan Xu of China won their second round match.
Wrestling
The Canadian wrestling championships took place in Saskatoon, determining athlete selection for the Pan Am Games in Lima and the 2019 World Championships in Kazakhstan. Athletes who compete at the upcoming world championships can qualify a spot for Canada at Tokyo 2020 with a top-six finish in their weight class. The highly-touted match from the weekend was between reigning 72kg world champion Justina Di Stasio and reigning 75kg Olympic champion Erica Wiebe in the 76kg final, which Wiebe won 3-0. Korey Jarvis also continued his winning traditions with a victory in the 125kg weight class. Jarvis holds every national title in that category since 2013.
Ice Hockey
The Calgary Inferno took home their second Clarkson Cup with a 5-2 win over the Montreal Canadiennes. The Inferno’s roster featured four Olympians: Brianne Jenner, Rebecca Johnston, Brigette Lacquette, and Blayre Turnbull.
