When it was done, a burden fell off them.

In the exuberance of emotion, they threw bats and gloves to the ground.

There was no longer any need for that with the only task left to do that afternoon: loudly celebrating yourself and showing everyone how proud they are of each other.

Under the spotlight of Wukesong Sports Centre, a knot of players in red jerseys gathered around goalkeeper Ann-Renee Desbiens to savor the goodness of the moment.

Marc Heinrich

sports editor.

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The Canadian women's team beat the United States 3-2 (2-0, 1-1, 0-1) in the Olympic ice hockey final, a success that was denied to the much more focused men of their country.

While the co-favourites for the title, who had defeated the Germans at the start of the tournament, were eliminated by Sweden in the quarter-finals, the Ladies in Red brought their mission to a successful conclusion as planned.

It was her fifth triumph for the Five Rings, and the win came on another show of strength that even her only serious rivals could not match.

In Beijing, the Winter Games offered a stage for the seventh time for the ice hockey players.

In the end, the North American neighbors faced each other for the sixth time.

And for the fifth time the Canadians prevailed.

The overseas education system, with its sponsorship opportunities at colleges and universities, gives rivals an edge.

The Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) is also growing as a league, with more franchise locations to be added soon in Pittsburgh and Montreal.

The teams' salary cap has been increased to $750,000, and minimum salaries of $37,500 per year are now guaranteed.

However, most of the top players who have now triumphed in China still prefer to take up the offer of the players' union (PWHPA) and complete show games on a "Secret Dreams" tour across the continent, during which they also participate in the framework of the NHL All-Star Game (and in front of tens of thousands in the stadium and millions on TV screens).

To get in the mood for Beijing, the women's team of the Maple Leaves met in Calgary for a month to practice at the expense of the "Hockey Canada" association.

The effort was worth it.

Their goal difference of 57:10 after a total of seven games speaks volumes.

"We want to be visible for girls"

Claire Thompson said she was pleased with the response her performances generated in the absence of NHL professionals in China - and she could help advance the recognition effort.

The 24-year-old defense attorney called it "a huge opportunity to get exposure in the mainstream media.

We want to be visible to girls.

In Canada, but also in the world”.

With shots to make it 2-0 and 3-0 (16th, 30th minute) and Sarah Nurse's assist for the lead (8th), Marie-Philip Poulin once again lived up to her role as a pioneer.

At the same time, the captain set a new record: As a center in the front row, she scored final goals, as in Vancouver (2010), Sochi (2014) and Pyeongchang (2018), which contributed to her third Olympic gold.

A feat that none of the lords of creation has accomplished to this day.

The 1:3 outnumbered by Hilary Knight (37th) and the 2:3 a few seconds before the end by Amanda Kessel (60th) were not enough for the Americans.

"I'm so proud to see these players who want to get better and get to the top," said Poulin about a special pioneering spirit that also inspired her in Beijing: "Each of them is extraordinary.

They are ready to come to work every day and always push themselves.” Jocelyne Larocque reported that the Canadian squad was “particularly open to trying new things”: “Our coaches have created an environment in which we can be creative be able.

And when you take away people's fear of making mistakes, so many good things happen.”

This included a scene from the closing ceremony, when the Americans picked up their silver and brought along colleague Brianna Decker: The 30-year-old broke her leg in the opening match and returned to the medal ceremony on a scooter.

There was applause for this in the arena, especially loud from the Canadian colleagues, who, as excellent champions, lived up to the high standards with which they started the tournament.