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Canada’s Charles Hamelin led the way in the quarter-final heat, with Apolo Ohno of the United States, left, moving up to take second. (Ivan Sekretarev/Associated Press)

Brothers Charles and Francois Hamelin of Sainte-Julie, Que., have both advanced to 1,000-metre small-track final Saturday at 8:05 p.m. PT at Pacific Coliseum.

In his semifinal, Charles Hamelin was second, in a time of one minute 25.062 seconds, to American Apolo Ohno, a reversal of their placing in a quarter-final heat.

Hamelin beat out Sung Si-Bak for the second spot, with the South Korean trying to grab the Canadian’s arm in the final metres.

There will be five skaters in the final.

Francois Hamelin was advanced to the final by the judges after he was thrown back and sent skidding with less than a lap to go by J.R. Celski of the United States.

Lee Jung-Su of South Korea, who won gold in the 1,500 last week, also advanced to the final from that heat along with countryman Lee Ho-Suk.

In the quarter-finals, Charles Hamelin won his heat over Ohno in a time of one minute 25.300 seconds.

Francois Hamelin held off a late charge in the quarters by Liang Wenhao of China to take second.

Charles Hamelin failed to make the 1,500 final last week, an upset, and had to settle for first in the B final. He is the world record holder in the 1,000.

The roller-coaster of emotions turned around on Wednesday when his girlfriend, fellow speedskater Marianne St-Gelais, won a surprise silver in the women’s 500 on her 20th birthday.

Ohno, whose time in the semi was 1:25.033, is vying for a seventh career medal. It would be the most by any American at the Winter Games.

Canada has qualified its teams in both the men’s and women’s relays. The women will skate the 3,000-metre relay on Feb. 24, followed two nights later by the men in the 5,000 relay.

Lyndon Rush (right) and Lascelles Brown of Canada crashed during their second run down the track at the Whistler Sliding Centre on Saturday night. (Clive Mason/Getty Images)

Canada’s best hope for an Olympic medal in the two-man bobsleigh competition crashed in the second run Saturday night at the Whistler Sliding Centre.

The Canada-1 sled of Lyndon Rush and Lascelles Brown, third after the first run, set a torrid pace on their second run. But too much speed coming out of turn 13 forced the sled to flip over. They finished the run — upside down — but their time of 54.70 seconds, for a two-run total of one minute 46.37 seconds, took them out of the medal hunt.

“I just made a mistake going into turn 11,” Rush told CTV. “Then we went 50-50, and went over.”

Rush and Brown walked away from the crash uninjured.

Since they recorded an official time, and weren’t disqualified, Rush and Brown theoretically could compete in Sunday’s final two runs. But it’s not likely and they are now changing their focus to the four-man competition.

Pierre Lueders, driving the Canada-2 sled with brakeman Jesse Lumsden, posted a two-run time of 1:44.06, excellent for sixth place after two of four runs.

Two German sleds, Andre Lange and Kevin Kukse, and Thomas Florshuetz and Richard Adjei, are the current leaders going into Sunday’s final two runs. Lange and Kukse posted a time of 1:43.31, while their teammates were just behind at 1:43.42.

Russia-1, comprised of Aleksandr Zubkov and Alexey Voevoda, is third in 1:43.81.

Raptor Reggie Evans (centre) battles for a rebound with Washington Wizards players (left to right) Nick Young, James Singleton and Al Thornton in Toronto on Saturday. (Chris Young/Canadian Press)

Once again without the services of resident all-star Chris Bosh, the Toronto Raptors kept the same game plot that worked so well in New Jersey on Friday.

Go the ball.

The Raptors forged ahead with six players in double figures to post a 109-104 come-from-behind win over the Washington Wizards on Saturday at the Air Canada Centre.

Andrea Bargnani place up 18 points and made three clutch fourth-quarter blocks that cemented a late 12-0 run, allowing the Raptors to climb back into the game after surrendering a seven-point lead at the half.

Jarrett Jack led Toronto with 23 points and eight assists while Hedo Turkoglu (16 points, six rebounds), Antoine Wright (19 points, four rebounds), Jose Calderon (10 points, four assists, four rebounds) and Rasho Nesterovic (10 points) all finished in double figures.

The win snapped Toronto’s three-game home losing streak to the Wizards, who were led by Andray Blatche’s 23 points.

The turning point of the game came with the trio of blocks by Bargnani as the 12-0 run place the Raptors back on top for excellent.

Bargnani says no

With Toronto down 100-98, Bargnani stuffed Blatche with 3:33 to go to force the Wizards to commit a shot clock violation.

The next play saw Turkoglu get the hoop and the harm to place the Raptors up 101-100 with 3:13 remaining.

Next up for rejection was Randy Foye, who had his shot swatted away by the Raptors forward and converted into an Antoine Wright dunk.

Another Washington possession, and another block by Bargnani — this time the victim was Al Thornton. The rebound was quickly gobbled up by Toronto and Turkoglu banked a small jumper off the glass to place his team up by the five points the Wizards simply couldn’t match.

The two teams started the game at a furious offensive pace, with the hosts leading 64-57 at halftime.

Despite entering the second half with that that seven-point cushion, Toronto trailed 88-85 heading into the final quarter.

Washington jumped ahead in the third quarter on the strength of a 17-6 run that finished with Blatche’s jumper to place them up 76-75 with 5:30 to go in the third quarter. The Wizards didn’t trail again until Bargnani’s defensive outburst.