St. Vital club members awash with Oly pride

By: Adam Wazny Posted: 1:00 AM CST Friday, Feb. 21, 2014

It was another banner day for the St. Vital Curling Club.

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It was another banner day for the St. Vital Curling Club.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/02/2014 (4244 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It was another banner day for the St. Vital Curling Club.

But this time it felt different.

Watching the feared Jennifer Jones foursome, which includes third Kaitlyn Lawes, second Jill Officer and lead Dawn McEwen, claim an Olympic gold medal with a 6-3 win over Sweden in the women’s curling final in Sochi early morning led to more than just a celebration at the local curling hangout.

KEN GIGLIOTTI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
Annette Lafreniere, her husband, Dennis (left) and Les Oliver join in the celebration at the St. Vital Curling Club Thursday. — KEN GIGLIOTTI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Annette Lafreniere, her husband, Dennis (left) and Les Oliver join in the celebration at the St. Vital Curling Club Thursday.

“She’s won so much over the years we just expected her to do it again,” said Amy Passmore, one of hundreds at the St. Vital club to watch Jones claim her golden greatness. “I knew she would pull through. No doubt in my mind.”

Members new and old gushed with pride over the accomplishment, of course, cheering rabidly as Jones was able to blow open a tight, tense game with a steal of two in the ninth end. But after the ‘Go Jen Go!’ chants and an impromptu singing of O Canada, the party quickly turned reflective.

Jones wins. Like she usually does.

With four Canadian crowns, a world title and now an Olympic gold, Jones has cemented her legacy as one of the country’s top women’s curlers. Not surprising then that those who enjoyed the emotion of the gold-medal game in the second-floor lounge at the hometown club spoke of her like proud parents, relieved their favourite daughter came though victorious once again.

“I don’t know how they compete at that level. I would be a nervous wreck,” offered Raelene Robertson, who’s been a member at St. Vital for 12 years. “They work so hard at it and set an incredible example for the children.

Wearing pants printed with red-and-white maple leaves, Guy Beaudry, junior curling director at the St. Vital club, said it would be impossible to determine what kind of impact Jones’ gold medal will have on his program.

Adrian Wyld / the canadian press
Canada skip Jennifer Jones (right) and third Kaitlyn Lawes rest their heads on each other on the podium with lead Dawn McEwen (left) and second Jill Officer. — Adrian Wyld / the canadian press Canada skip Jennifer Jones (right) and third Kaitlyn Lawes rest their heads on each other on the podium with lead Dawn McEwen (left) and second Jill Officer.

“She’s been a great representative for us, helping out with our junior program,” Beaudry said. “I really just can’t say enough about her and what she’s meant to our program.

“Every time she’s on TV in a final I get 15 calls from kids between the ages of 5-15 looking to curl. She’s done so much for us as an ambassador of the game.”

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca