Issue 6 – Thursday, March 22, 2012 • An Official Publication of the Canadian Curling Association. Swede success! Big win over Scotland has them on their way Swedish skip Margaretha Sigfridsson (left) and last-brick throwing Maria Prytz embrace after stealing a win over Eve Muirhead of Scotland Wednesday. At 7-2 along with Korea and Canada, the Scandinavians are assured at least a tie-breaker. January 10-13, 2013 • South Okanagan Events Centre • Penticton, BC SINGLE DRAW TICKETS FROM $20 Page 2 Three assured, and... Swiss hold the key to the playoff picture By LARRY WOOD Eye Opener Editor he Korean national curling team refuses to be counted out at the TFord World Women’s Curling Championship. Skipped by 24-year-old Ji-Sun Kim, the amazing Koreans pulled even with Canada and Sweden at the top of the pack again Wednesday, heading into the last day of round-robin matches at the Enmax Centre. Korea’s 9-4 win over Germany on Wednesday’s late shift left Korea, Canada and Sweden with 7-and-2 records. The Swedes, skipped by Margaretha Sigfridsson with Maria Prytz throwing the last rocks, remained with the leaders by stealing a 3-2 victory from Scotland’s Eve Muirhead in a rematch of the Euro champi- onship final last December in Moscow won by the Scots. Canada won its seventh earlier in the day, dumping the Germans skipped by Melanie Robillard by a narrow 5-4 count. The Koreans — third Seul-Bee Lee, second Mi-Sung Shin, lead Un-Chi Gim — are playing in only their fourth World women’s championship ever and already have recorded four wins more than their previous best record. The team is a self- made squad that has practised on and off at the Calgary Curling Club twice-a-year and, according to Korean officials, picked up the strategy of the game by watching TSN. “I shot pretty good but I’m pretty tired,” said Kim later. “Tomorrow I will settle for one win and one loss. Yeah, I was really wanting to make the playoffs and I’m very happy with that. Now we are very happy.” The Swedes were relatively ecstatic after Scotland controlled a defensive struggle through to the 10th end and owned the hammer there. Prytz was slightly deep and slightly open with her last rock trying to bury behind a guard in the four-foot but Muirhead’s last draw ground to a halt at the top of the cen- tre ring, enabling the Swedish heist. “It was quite defensive and not really the game we wanted to play,” said Sigfrids- son, “but we decided to wait for them to make a move. Maybe we waited a little too long but we ended up winning the game so that’s just fine. “We still have two more games to play but, yes, we are expecting to make the playoffs. The Swedish skip said she expected Muirhead to make her last shot. “She didn’t throw many draws this game and that spot was a little bit heavier, but we wanted to be a little less deep with a little more curl. I was surprised, yes.” The tilt tied the record for most blank ends (five) in a world women’s champion- ship match. The record was set in the 1998 championship, tied in the same event and then matched in 2009 and 2010. Canada’s Heather Nedohin won her two games Wednesday over Korea and Germany to ensure the Canucks will play at Muirhead, who suffered her fifth loss, least a tiebreaker. was in the process of writing off the tour- rock and it’s a shot I have to make and Sweden (7-2) — 9 a.m. U.S.A. (5-4), 2 Diana Gaspari flashed a double takeout nament. should be making and I have to take full p.m. Denmark (5-4). with her last rock of the 10th end and the “I thought it was good weight and we responsibility for not making that. When it Switzerland (6-3) — 9 a.m. Korea (7- Danes scored a deuce without requiring the called them (sweepers) on and the line was ends like that, though, it’s pretty sad.” 2), 7 p.m. Russia (4-5). hammer for a 5-4 win. And Russia routine- fine and then it comes up short,” she said. Here’s how today’s final round-robin run- U.S.A. (5-4) — 9 a.m. Sweden (7-2), 7 ly pranced past the Czech Republic 9-6. “I mean, we controlled the whole game down for playoff positions will play out: p.m. Denmark (5-4). “It was a very difficult game,” said and then it comes down to my missed shot Canada (7-2) — 9 a.m. Italy (2-7), 7 Denmark (5-4) — 2 p.m. Sweden (7-2), hoarse-voiced Danish skip Lene Nielsen and that’s (bleep). I think we’re down and p.m. Scotland (4-5). 7 p.m. U.S.A. (5-4). who said she had lost it with excessive out now. I think we’re just playing for Korea (7-2) — 9 a.m. Switzerland (6- In other late-shift action, Denmark clung sweeping calls. rank. 3), 2 p.m. Russia (4-5). by their fingernails to the hunt when Italy’s “Everything was set for us with the last Please see DAY FIVE, Page 3 Thursday, March 22 – 2012 Ford World Women’s – Eye Opener Page 3 Swiss skip Mirjam Ott is DAY FIVE on three losses, meaning other team chasing at least “We had a couple of picks along the way and she (Gas- a tiebreaker will be hoping pari) played very well. We didn’t really get ours going so for her to come back to the I’m just happy we won. But we have to beat Sweden and pack. the U.S. today. We have to win two games.” After a clutch 7-5 win over Korea in the morning draw, Canada bounced back in the afternoon to defeat the Ger- mans (3-6). In both Wednesday contests, Heather Nedohin’s Ed- monton charges kept the issues close in the early-going, then turned on the pressure shotmaking and wilted the opposition. “I thought we played well as a team, I thought we controlled the first few ends, we were just unfortunate to give them that deuce in the fifth end,” said Nedohin. “But we bounced back with a big three in the sixth,” she added. “We were battling the clock all game, so it was impor- tant for us to just keep throwing and making shots.” The Canucks made more than enough to win. Switzerland gassed a chance to share the penthouse with the Canadians when they fell 7-4 to Lene Nielsen of Denmark. Despite jumping out to a 2-0 lead, they faded as the Danes stole a big deuce in the eighth which led to The Canadians delivered an immaculate performance Sweden kept pace with a 7-5 win over China’s Bingyu a 7-4 victory. capped by skip Nedohin’s 89-per-cent shooting effort in Wang, mainly on the strength of a five-count in the first Muirhead’s Scottish crew temporarily remained in con- handing the astonishing Koreans their second setback of end and a solid defensive display for most of the remain- tention during the afternoon draw, needing an extra end the piece in the morning. der. And Switzerland’s Mirjam Ott doubled up on Italy to beat China’s Bingyu Wang 9-7. Wang finished the day Canada fashioned three deuces, overcame a 3-2 disad- 8-4 with deuces in the eighth and ninth ends. with a 2-7002624_CurlingSpons_Mech.indd record, tied with the Czechs and Italy. vantage after three ends and turned up the juice to limit Swedish skip Sigfridsson admitted a big first-end lead The Americans,Revision: meanwhile,0 Created: continued 1/12/12 theirPrinted Lazarus @ 100% its foe to a pair singles with last rock over the remainder. isn’t always easy to protect. act, following up anClient: 0-4 WM,start Inc. with their Creativefourth Director: and fifth “That wasn’t necessarily our best game yet,” said “It seems like a long game after that because you think straight wins. Allison Pottinger’s St. Paul, Minn., crew Nedohin, “but we knew we were playing the first-place you should keep the lead all the way through but you are Art Director: rolled off a 7-2 decision over Russia after earlier down- team and most of the time when we needed a shot it was always in danger of giving up points,” she said. ingMECHANICAL the Czechs 6-4.Bleed: n/a Copywriter: made. “You need to keep on focusing when you give some of “We didn’t mix it Trim:up a n/alot,” said Pottinger,Proofreader: who drew A. BAKER “And there’s nothing like having the core unit back those points back. We expected China would play better together,” she added, referring to her team welcoming after the first end. They are really good at playing their the four-foot to solidifyLive: 5.125"her victory x 7.0417" over Linda Studio Klimova’sArtist: J. WARD outfit in the 10th end. flu-ridden second player Jessica Mair back to the lineup. game and stealing points.” “We had a good solid game. I think we have stopped Inspected“It’s By: nice to have an alternate like Amy (Nixon) ready Ott scored two in second, added back-to-back singles in worryingnext.