Follow us on Instagram
Try our daily mini crossword
Play our latest news quiz
Download our new app on iOS/Android!

Claire Thompson ’20 and Sarah Fillier ’24 help Canada win gold at Beijing Winter Olympics

fillier thompson beijing winter olympics.jpg
Fillier and Thompson helped Canada to a 3–2 win over Team USA in the gold medal game.
Photo courtesy of @PWIH/Twitter.

Two Princetonians won gold last week at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. 

Claire Thompson ’20, who plays defense, and forward Sarah Fillier ’24 won gold on Thursday as part of the Canadian women’s ice hockey team that defeated the United States in the gold medal match by a score of 3–2. 

ADVERTISEMENT

In another chapter of the rivalry that many consider to be the best in the sport, Canada won a record fifth gold medal in women’s ice hockey. The Canadians were in control for much of the game, scoring about seven minutes into the game and holding a 2–0 lead at the end of the first period. Canada would add another goal about midway through the second period, creating a 3–0 deficit for the United States. The United States would fire back with a goal late in the second, but the deficit would prove too large. The United States added another goal in the final minute of the game, giving the Canadians a 3–2 victory. 

The victory caps a historic Olympic run by Canada. The Canadian team went 4–0 in their group stage games, with Fillier, the youngest member of the Canadian team, scoring four goals through the first two games of the Olympic competition, finishing with eighth total in seven games. In their group stage game against Switzerland, Thompson scored 1 goal and put up 2 assists en route to the team’s 12–1 victory. Their group stage also included a 4–2 victory over the American team. Canada would go on to win their quarterfinal and semifinal games by a combined score of 21–3, before beating the United States in the gold medal match. The team finished the tournament with an Olympic-record 57 goals scored. 

“On top of the world,” Fillier stated in an Instagram post commemorating the win, “olympic gold medalists, what a ride.” 


Thompson finished the tournament with the highest plus-minus (meaning her team had the best goal differential while she played) of any player at the Olympics, as well as two goals and 11 assists for 13 total points across seven games. Thompson also shared a post on Instagram about the victory, captioning her post, “It’s heavier than I thought,” in reference to the medal. 

ADVERTISEMENT


At the conclusion of the Games, Thompson will continue to be an ambassador for the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association, while Fillier will return to Princeton where she will continue to lead the women’s ice hockey team.

Kameron Wolters is a contributor to the Sports section at the ‘Prince.’ He can be reached at kw9217@princeton.edu or on Instagram at @kam.wolters.

Subscribe
Get the best of ‘the Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »