Canada won't reach medal goal

Canada has raised the white flag in the face of a U.S. juggernaut, conceding that it won't achieve its bold ambition of finishing atop the medals table at the Vancouver Olympics.

"We are going to be short of our goal," said Chris Rudge, CEO of the Canadian Olympic Committee, at the news briefing yesterday, which coincided with the start of the Games' final week.

Heading into the day's competition, Canada was tied for fourth in the medal standings with nine, far behind the United States with 24.

Canada spent $117 million over the past five years - a mix of government and private funding - on its Own The Podium program, a plan to finish with the most medals by earmarking extra financial support for medal-contending athletes.

"We'd be living in a fool's paradise if we said we were going to catch the Americans and win," Rudge said.

Canada gets revenge

On this sheet of ice, it was all Canada.

"Some redemption for the hockey team," Canadian curler Marc Kennedy said, a day after the United States stunned Canada, 5-3, in the country's No. 1 pastime.

On the curling ice, Kevin Martin's Canadians faced an early deficit against the U.S., then fought right back to keep their Olympic unbeaten streak alive.

The favored Canada foursome (8-0) eliminated the Americans from contention with a shortened 7-2 victory in nine ends.

Austria jumps to gold

On his final jump in the team ski jumping event, 20-year-old Gregor Schlierenzauer soared farther than anyone else in these Winter Games to wrap up the gold for Austria.

Switzerland's Simon Ammann, who won both individual events, didn't compete in the team event because his country didn't have the four jumpers needed for a team.