Curling: Canadian men win bronze, deny USA a second straight Olympic medal

Ater beating Canada twice en route to gold in PyeongChang, there was no magic for the U.S. men in Beijing.

Canada — manned by Mark Nichols, Brett Gallant, Marc Kennedy and skip Brad Gushue — posted an 8-5 win over Team USA in the men's curling bronze medal match on Friday, securing the nation's sixth Olympic medal in the sport. The victory denied Team USA a second straight medal.

Canada wielded the hammer — the advantageous final shot — while opening a 2-0 edge in the first of 10 ends. The U.S. team of Christopher Plys, Matt Hamilton, John Landsteiner and skip John Shuster countered with a single point with its first turn at the hammer in the second end.

The U.S. tied in the fourth at 3-3 with a two-point end thanks to Shuster's hammer throw. It took its first lead at 5-4 with a two-point sixth end.

Canada opted for a draw in the seventh end, allowing it to maintain control of the hammer in the eighth. The decision paid off with a two-point end to retake the lead 6-5. But it could have had more had Gushue not missed with the final throw.

Canada more than made up for the missed opportunity in the eighth with the first steal of the match in the ninth, securing two points to take an 8-5 lead when USA had the hammer. Shuster's final throw of the end left two Canadian scoring stones, leaving the U.S. with a 3-point deficit it wouldn't overcome in the final end.

It was a disappointing end for the Americans, who lost to Great Britain in the semifinals on Thursday, eliminating hope of repeating their remarkable gold-medal run from PyeongChang. The unlikely win after a 2-4 start in round-robin play was one of Team USA's best stories in 2018. The gold medal match inspired overnight watch parties across the country. Shuster was honored as a U.S. flag bearer in Beijing's opening ceremony.

Like in PyeongChang, Team USA finished 5-4 in pool play and needed a win in its final round-robin match to qualify for the playoff portion of the tournament. Team USA entered Friday's match 2-8 vs. Canada in Olympic play, with its two wins arriving en route to gold in PyeongChang. Canada ensured the Americans wouldn't secure another high-stakes win in Beijing.