BEIJING — The tears began flowing out of Jen Lee’s eyes the second the horn sounded to sign that the USA had overwhelmed Canada, 5-0, to win its fourth consecutive gold medal in Paralympic sled hockey.
Lee cried in entrance of the aim as he celebrated with teammates. He cried because the gamers gathered to shake palms with the vanquished Canadians and he cried once more as he waited to simply accept his medal at China’s Nationwide Indoor Stadium on Sunday.
Lee had gained two gold medals beforehand, at Sochi in 2014, and Pyeongchang in 2018. However not like this.
Through the earlier 12 years he was the backup to Steve Money, the legendary U.S. goalkeeper, who is taken into account by most consultants to be one of the best sled hockey goalie ever. Lee lastly bought his probability to start out when Money retired in October, and there was some query how the U.S. would fare with out their longtime rock in aim.
Lee did simply effective. He didn’t enable a aim in 4 video games right here. However shaking off the strain of changing Money and producing an equally spectacular efficiency to win gold, was not what made him so emotional, he stated.
As an alternative, he described how he moved to the USA from Taipei, Taiwan, together with his household when he was 8, and all the time dreamed of being an athlete and a “G.I. Joe.” He detailed how he had joined the USA Military, and the way he misplaced his proper leg in a motorbike accident. How he then discovered to play sled hockey and the importance to him of the immigrant expertise. And serving his nation, first as a soldier, and now, as an athlete.
“All of these issues got here to me,” he stated, “as a result of, you realize, I’m 35 years outdated.”
Therefore the emotion and tears, and for a lot of the different 16 U.S. gamers and the pinnacle coach, David Hoff, all of it made sense. Lee’s efficiency was the important thing to a different U.S. gold, and this time he was not only a spectator.
“He’s been the backup goalie for so long as I’ve been in this system,” stated Jack Wallace, the U.S. defenseman. “He put within the time, the hours and the work and when he bought the decision, rattling positive he was prepared. That they had a bunch of A-1 possibilities right this moment, and to have a rock wall behind us was all the pieces.”
Lee made a number of good saves, together with one on a breakaway within the first interval when the sport was nonetheless shut. Canada’s goalie, Dominic Larocque, stated the sport might have hung within the stability.
“If we rating a aim there, possibly it adjustments the entire recreation,” Larocque stated.
However solely the USA might handle objectives, as Declan Farmer and Brody Roybal scored two apiece and Josh Pauls, the captain, potted one, too. Total, the USA outscored its opponents on this Paralympics, 30-1.
It was actually not that straightforward 4 years in the past in Pyeongchang, when the U.S. confronted doom within the gold medal recreation with underneath a minute to play in one of the vital dramatic hockey video games in latest reminiscence. Canada led, 1-0, and when the U.S. pulled Money to get an additional skater on the ice, Canada hit the put up with what might have been a game-icing aim.
With new life, Farmer scored with 38 seconds to play after which he added the additional time winner. That reminiscence was seared within the minds of the Canadians over the past 4 years, and so they got here to Beijing searching for each revenge and their first sled hockey gold medal since 2006.
Tyler McGregor, Canada’s captain, stated after Canada thrashed South Korea, 11-0, of their semifinal, that something in need of the gold was not adequate. Certainly, after Sunday’s loss, the Canadians couldn’t conceal their bitter disappointment within the ceremony, accepting their silver medals the way in which a toddler may take a serving of steamed kale.
By way of his personal tears of disappointment, McGregor stated it was an terrible feeling to lose once more, however he described an amazing sense of pleasure for the work his teammates and workers put into the final 4 years.
However Canada, so near successful the gold in Pyeongchang 4 years in the past, misplaced to the USA twice at these video games by 5-0 scores, suggesting the U.S. may very well have widened the hole.
“We refuse to consider that,” McGregor stated as he choked again the tears. “It’s a must to preserve that perception.”
Pauls, who turned the primary sled hockey participant to win 4 gold medals, indicated the U.S. most likely has elevated its lead over the remainder of the world, though he and different U.S. gamers acknowledged the function the pandemic performed on this Olympic cycle. The U.S. might have had a bonus in preparation over international locations with longer and extra strict anti-infection guidelines, like Canada.
However Pauls additionally famous that this U.S. workforce was a extra tight-knit group than any of the others he performed on, and it led to exceptional dedication and exhausting work, he stated, particularly from Lee.
And if 4 lopsided scores weren’t sufficient of a warning that the U.S. didn’t plan to ease its grip on world sled hockey dominance, Pauls used phrases, too.
“Now we have the blueprint and we set the tone,” he stated. “It’s going to be as much as the opposite international locations to match it.”
Amy Chang Chien contributed reporting
