"After 2018 and this silver medal, we felt like the weight of the world was on our shoulders," admitted Sarah Nurse, first scorer in the final for the Canadians who will "feel lighter than ever" now.
In this women's hockey classic at the Wukesong Sports Center, the Canadians quickly took off to lead 2-0 thanks to Sarah Nurse and Marie-Philip Poulin in the first period.
Poulin, crowned Thursday for the third time after 2010 and 2014, added a third goal in the second period.
Yet outnumbered, the Americans reduced the score a few minutes from the end of the second third by Hilary Knight (3-1), before scoring again and reviving the suspense too late 12 seconds from the end of the match ( 3-2).
"We had a hell of a game. It's redemption" savored Poulin, who had already scored in the 2010 and 2014 finals won by his team.
It was the sixth time in seven editions of the women's Olympic tournament that the two teams met in the Olympic final.
The title has never escaped Canada (2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2022) or the United States (1998, 2018).
After the match, Canadian Natalie Spooner rekindled the rivalry between the two dominant nations of world hockey by declaring, provocatively, that the United States had "no place on the ice with" the Canadians.
In the preliminary round, the two teams had already faced each other and Canada had already won (4-2).
Finland completes the podium of this 2022 edition after their victory against Switzerland (4-0) on Wednesday.
© 2022 AFP