Olympic viewing guide: Can speed skater Dubreuil deliver a much-needed gold?

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Canada did not win a medal today, keeping its total at 12 — one gold, four silver, seven bronze — through seven days of full competition in Beijing.

Day 8 should be better. One of Canada's best speed skaters has a good shot to win the country's second gold of the Games, and Canada's third snowboard cross medal is in play in a brand-new event.

We'll preview that stuff first in our daily viewing guide, then explain the latest on the two spiciest stories of the Games right now: the doping case involving 15-year-old Russian figure skating sensation Kamila Valieva, and two Canadian snowboard medallists arguing over who really deserved to win gold. Plus, the Canadian women's hockey team continues to look unstoppable, the men's team takes on a rival tonight, and Canada's best hope to win a figure skating medal hits the ice.

Here's what to watch on Friday night and Saturday morning:

If you sort the standings by total medals, Canada looks great. Only Norway and Austria, at 14 each, have won more than Canada's 12. But the official table is far less flattering. Here, where gold medals are the first criterion, Canada is way down in 14th place with just one gold.

That's not to diminish the accomplishments of the Canadian athletes who have reached the podium. An Olympic medal of any colour is worthy of celebration. And Canada will almost surely rise in the official standings with several more gold-medal opportunities still to come over the final nine days of competition. But still, another gold would be awfully nice right now.

Laurent Dubreuil might be just