Kazakoshi Park Arena in Karuizawa, 14 February 1998: Sandra SCHMIRLER of Canada with her team mates Marcia GUDEREIT (left) and Joan MCCUSKER (right) during the curling semifinal against Great Britain in the XVIII Olympic Winter Games in Nagano. Credit: Getty Images/Gary Prior

Born: 11 June 1963

Deceased: 2 March 2000

Birthplace: Biggar (Canada)

Nationality: Canada

Sport: Curling

ATTENDANCE AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES

Nagano 1998

AWARDS

Olympic medals:

Gold: 1

Other results:

World Championships

Gold: 3 (93, 94, 97)

Schmirler "the curler"

Born with a club foot, Sandra Schmirler had already won three world championships (1993, 1994 and 1997) when, in November 1997, it came time to choose the team that would represent Canada in the inaugural Olympic curling tournament in Nagano 1998. Schmirler had given birth for the first time only nine weeks earlier. Although Schmirler was a fierce competitor, she tried to keep her sporting life in perspective. In the Olympic round-robin tournament, Schmirler's rink was upset 6-5 by the Norwegians, but won the rest of their matches to qualify for the playoffs in first place. In the semifinals, the Canadians faced a surprisingly tenacious British team. Schmirler's squad trailed 3-4 after seven ends, but scored a deuce in the eighth end to move ahead 5-4. The British quartet tied the match in the tenth end. In the first extra end, Schmirler's last shot literally inched inside the closest British stone and the Canadians moved on to the final. There they met the team from Denmark. The Canadians scored three points in the first end and the Danes were never able to catch up. The final score was 7-5. Affectionately known as "Schmirler the Curler," Sandra Schmirler returned to Canada as a popular hero. Sixteen months after her Olympic triumph, a tumor was discovered in her thoracic cavity. She died of cancer on March 2, 2000. Schmirler was 36 years old.