Jones' perfect streak at Olympics ends as Canada falls to Japan in women's curling
47-year-old from Winnipeg suffers 1st career loss in a Winter Games
Jennifer Jones' perfect streak at the Olympics is no more.
Jones and her Canadian team lost their first game of women's curling competition in Beijing by dropping a 8-5 decision to Japan on Friday at the Ice Cube.
In doing so, Jones, a 47-year-old native of Winnipeg, suffered her first career loss at the Games and saw her all-time Olympic record fall to 12-1. Jones went 11-0 at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi to win gold, and led her team to a 12-7 victory over South Korea on Thursday in their opening game in Beijing.
A six-time Canadian champion and two-time world champion, Jones is the only female skip to go through undefeated at a single Olympic tournament. Fellow Canadian Kevin Martin is the only male skip to achieve that feat, pulling it off in 2010 in Vancouver.
WATCH | Canada falls to Japan, ending Jones' perfect streak:
"We're probably a little disappointed. [We] didn't play as well as we would have liked. You don't mind losing [but] you just always want to come out and play your best. We definitely scraped our way to the end, and tried and fought," Jones said.
She later added: "[Japan] played great and we were just not quite as sharp as we needed to be. But you can't take anything away. They played great."
Canada continues its Olympic campaign in Beijing against Sweden (1-1) on Friday at 8:05 p.m. ET.
There are 10 nations in the women's curling tournament, with each team playing nine games. The top four at the end of the round robin advance to the medal round.
While Jones struggled to make shots, her counterpart Satsuki Fujisawa put in a near-flawless performance as Japan controlled the game.
Fujisawa, who won bronze in 2018 in Pyeongchang, played a great draw to the button with her final stone of the first end which meant her team was lying three. Jones' draw with the hammer was heavy but still managed to limit the damage, as Japan only stole one after a measurement.
WATCH | That Curling Show: Jennifer Jones discusses thrill of competing in Olympics:
Japan looked set to steal one in the following end, but Jones played a spectacular runback for two with the hammer to give Canada a 2-1 lead.
Fujisawa replied with a beautiful hit and roll to score a deuce in the third end as Japan retook the lead. Jones' take-out attempt with the hammer slid out too far, allowing Japan to steal one and go up 4-2 after four ends.
Jones' draw attempt with the hammer fell just short, allowing Japan to steal one in the fifth end.
"We unfortunately got ourselves in a bit of a bind here, so we're going to have to make some good shots coming home," Jones told CBC Sports' Colleen Jones after five ends.
Jones admitted that Canada was chasing the game up until that point.
"We're just not getting our rocks in good spots and [Japan is] making tons of great draws," Jones explained.
So nice that <a href="https://twitter.com/Catrionald?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Catrionald</a> with her drum and <a href="https://twitter.com/AnneMerklinger?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AnneMerklinger</a> with her “Go Canada” chants are making some noise here at the quiet Ice Cube!<a href="https://twitter.com/CBCManitoba?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CBCManitoba</a> cameraman Trevor Brine who is shooting the game providing the shots!<br>Japan leading Canada 4-2 after 4<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbccurl?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#cbccurl</a> <a href="https://t.co/p2BwP9ZJ5h">pic.twitter.com/p2BwP9ZJ5h</a>
—@cbccolleenjonesFujisawa was brilliant through the first five ends, but back-to-back misses opened the door for Jones to score a deuce with a take-out in the sixth end to close the gap on the Japanese.
Japan regained control by scoring a deuce to take a 7-4 lead following a major blunder by Canada's sweepers on Jones' last stone of the seventh end.
Jones' double take-out with the hammer to score one saw Canada draw within two of Japan after eight ends.
With Canada lying two in the ninth end, Fujisawa made a double take-out to score one and put Japan up 8-5.
A miss by Japanese third Chinami Yoshida meant three stones were suddenly in play for Canada in the 10th end. But Fujisawa cleaned things up with a double take-out with her first stone which meant Japan was lying three. Japan ended up stealing two to seal the win with Jones shaking hands with Fujisawa before both skips threw their final stones.
On the men's side for Canada, Brad Gushue's rink won its opening two contests in Beijing, and will take on Switzerland (1-1) on Friday at 7:05 a.m. ET.
WATCH | Replay of Canada vs. Japan, women's curling round robin:
