Canada bagged another three golds on the penultimate day of the Winter Olympics Saturday to ensure it will finish top of the medal standings, triggering wild celebrations across the country. It is the first time Canada has topped the medal standings at the Winter or Summer Olympics and followed a remarkable turnaround in fortunes. Just a week ago, the host was facing public demands for a full investigation into its failure to win more golds, but it has piled up nine in six days to soar past its rivals and ignite a wave of patriotism. “Everyone was worried that we weren't going to get a gold medal on home soil. To come out with the most number of gold medals is the complete opposite,” said Lucas Makowsky, a member of the Canadian men's speedskating pursuit team that struck gold. Snowboarder Jasey Jay Anderson won the men's parallel giant slalom and Canada's men also won the curling final to lift the home nation's golden tally to a record-equalling 13 with just two events left Sunday before the closing ceremony. Germany won the women's speedskating team pursuit final to remain second on the medals table with 10 golds and the United States won its ninth, in bobsleigh, to be assured of finishing the Games with the most overall. Italy and Poland both won their first golds. Giuliano Razzoli, who grew up admiring skiing great Alberto Tomba, prevailed in the slalom on a tricky course where poor weather in the first leg tripped up nearly half the racers including Olympic comeback kid Bode Miller. The 25-year-old Razzoli, who had clocked the fastest time in the first leg through fog and sleet, became the first Italian man to win the title since Tomba 22 years ago in Calgary. Poland won its first gold in the women's 30km cross country race as Justyna Kowalczyk sprinted to the finish to deny Norway's Marit Bjoergen her fourth gold by less than a ski's length. Germany's Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle won the bronze while Bjoergen's consolation silver gave her a fifth medal from five events, the most by any athlete at these Games. The German women won their speedskating pursuit final following a bizarre semifinal in which Anna Friesinger-Postma belly-flopped on the ice in the final straight and paddled across the line in the nick of time. The Germans replaced Friesinger-Postma for the final, where they beat Japan for the gold. The bronze medal went to Poland. Saturday's outdoor events were plagued by inclement weather with the snowboarders and Alpine skiers barely able to see their courses. At the final Alpine event on Whistler mountain, the completion rate in the first slalom leg was just over 50 percent. Croatia's Ivica Kostelic finished second behind Razzoli to collect his second silver of the Games and Sweden's Andre Myhrer took the bronze. The Americans won gold when their so-called “Night Train,” the four-man bobsleigh team led by Steve Holcomb, earned the US its first triumph in the event since 1948. Germany was second and Canada third. Canada beat the US in a tight race to win the men's speedskating pursuit final with the bronze going to the Netherlands. The host nation then defeated Norway in the men's curling final, the last gold medal decided Saturday, with Switzerland claiming the bronze. Canada's total of 13 golds equalled the record for the most for any country at a Winter Olympics. Finland beat Slovakia 5-3 Saturday to win the bronze in men's ice hockey.
