Golden Curlers
“Finally,” said Kevin Martin. “It took a long time. But the hard work was worth it.”
Saturday afternoon, the Canadian men’s curling team – led by the veteran skip Martin – won Canada’s 13th gold medal of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. They defeated Norway and its skip Thomas Ulsrud, 6-3 in the final match.
It was another well-executed match by the men’s team, who never lost the entire Olympic tournament. They are the first curling team to win every game in a 10-team round robin format. And they soaked it in as the last rock slid to a stop, embracing in a group hug in the middle of the ice.
Martin’s team comprises Marc Kennedy, John Morris, Ben Hebert and alternate Adam Enright. Kennedy said they were inspired by snowboarder Jasey-Jay Anderson and the men’s speed skating pursuit team who had won two gold medals earlier Saturday.
The entire Olympic tournament was one to remember for Kevin Martin, who now adds an Olympic title to his resume that includes a 2002 Olympic silver medal, three World Championship medals and four Brier wins.
The team suggested after that they played hard to help get their skip the one thing that eluded him until now: Olympic gold. “On home soil, can you picture a better setting for Kevin?” said Kennedy.
“I was saying to the guys as we were walking to the podium, it was like we are walking through a dream,” said Martin. “Everything has become real.”
