Jacobs keeping up with Jones in pursuit of Olympic curling medal

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This article was published 16/02/2014 (4590 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

SOCHI, Russia — Jennifer Jones is two wins away from an Olympic gold medal — and so is Brad Jacobs.

Both of Canada’s curling teams have qualified for the semifinals in curling at the Olympics. A win in the semis and they will be guaranteed at least a silver medal, with a shot at gold.

A loss in the semifinals, however, and the teams will have to play for bronze.

Jones and her Winnipeg team defeated the United States 7-6 on Sunday to move to a perfect 8-0, while Jacobs’ men’s team from Ontario downed the U.S. 8-6 and China 9-8 in an extra end to move to 7-2 and clinch second place in the round robin behind Sweden.

Jones’s Team Canada includes Jill Officer and Kaitlyn Lawes, who were both born in Winnipeg, and Dawn McEwen who moved to the city to pursure her curling dreams.

The thought of going for gold wasn’t in the least bit scary for Jones.

 “Stop it. You’re giving me goosebumps,” said Jones, when asked if the promise of now playing for the hugest of stakes was nerve-wracking.

“It’s not scary at all. It’s what we came here for. We’re having the greatest time of our lives. Look, we want to win. If we don’t it won’t be the end of the world. I’ll still have my family and Isabella (daughter). It’s sport anything can happen. But we came here with a goal of getting to the semis and we’ve reached it. Now we know we’re almost on the podium.”

Jones will have top seed in the semifinals and play the fourth seed.

— With files from the Canadian Press