Cathy O proved something to herself with monumental win

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This article was published 25/02/2011 (5566 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CHARLOTTETOWN — It was not, she says, about proving anything to Jennifer Jones — although she surely did that.

And it was not, she says, about proving anything to the rest of us — she definitely did that as well.

No, in the end, Cathy Overton-Clapham says putting together the greatest game of her storied curling career Wednesday was all about proving something to herself.

“I think it was to tell myself that, yeah, I am still OK to play this game at this level,” Overton-Clapham said Thursday, one day after she electrified the curling world with a stunning personal performance in an 8-6 defeat of her former skip and teammate on Team Canada.

“Obviously, when something like that happens, you have some doubt. And it was a big step for me to go on to the skipping role and in such a short span playing with the girls. And, you know, we had a great year.”

It is a year that will forever be remembered not for the disappointing 4-7 final record Team Manitoba posted at this event, but for the electric performance Overton-Clapham put forth in defeating Jones Wednesday night.

Almost impossibly, given all the pre-game buildup and intense interest all over the country, Overton-Clapham’s game against the woman who controversially fired her as third last spring lived up to its billing — and then some.

“I just wanted to play well,” said Overton-Clapham, “and I felt like I had the game of my life that game.”

TSN was happy as a clam, reporting viewership for the game peaked at 1.1 million in the third most-watched round-robin game in the 30-year history of this event.

And Overton-Clapham reported literally being overwhelmed with support after the game, with more than 100 calls and messages of support from as far away as Europe lighting up her phone following the victory.

Even going for a post-game beer became a dramatic moment, as Overton-Clapham walked into the adjoining beer hall late Wednesday night — and the entire crowd rose to its feet to give her a standing ovation.

“It was pretty amazing,” she said. “The band was trying to figure out what was going on… It was really fun.”

Her fellow curlers were still talking about the spectacle yesterday.

“You could tell Cathy O wanted to win one game this week, and that was it,” said Nova Scotia’s Heather Smith-Dacey. “She just played lights out. And it was a great game to watch. Fans always go for the underdog, don’t they? The person they feel maybe got burned a little bit.”

The game attracted so much interest across Canada that it even was a ‘trending’ topic on Twitter at one point Wednesday night. Perhaps the funniest tweet didn’t come until Thursday, however. “I guess it could have been worse,” wrote one smart aleck, “Jennifer Jones could have traded Cathy O to the Cavaliers.”

It could have been a lot worse. Indeed, it was looking like it might be the worst ever until Overton-Clapham got it together the final two days, winning three of her last four games, including a split Thursday that saw her lose 8-5 to P.E.I. in the morning but bounce back with an 8-7 extra end victory over Newfoundland to cap off her event.

Manitoba third Karen Fallis wondered if all the attention on Overton-Clapham the past week wasn’t part of her team’s problems. “There was so much pressure at the beginning there,” said Fallis, “and we’re not a team that has played a lot together… Cathy had a lot of stuff going on, a lot of people all over her all the time. It was nice to be so popular and to have everyone want you to do well, but it wasn’t easy.”

Overton-Clapham said her team will play in the Players Championship in April. What becomes of the team after that will have to be discussed.

One thing is clear — she’ll be back. “I’m not ready to not play,” she says.

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca