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Team Sweden halts early slide at BKT Tires World Women’s Curling Championship

Team Sweden, after flooding the engine with three straight losses to open the 2024 BKT Tires World Women’s Curling Championship, finally got the motor running Monday morning in Sydney, N.S.

The Swedes (1-3), skipped by 2018 Olympic gold-medal winner Anna Hasselborg, produced a quick, six-end 8-2 victory over skip Jessica Smith’s Team New Zealand (1-3) to get back in the race for a top six playoff spot at the 13-team global event held in Centre 200.

Team Hasselborg still has some catching up to do, but for now the 34-year-old skipper has righted the ship, which includes vice-skip Sara McManus, second Agnes Knochenhauer, lead Sofia Mabergs, alternate Johanna Hedling and coached by Kristian Lindstroem.

The game, one of only three on the morning docket, was essentially over early when the Swedes scored three successive deuces to go up 6-0. Hasselborg shot a blistering 88 per cent to lead her team.

While Sweden was getting its bearings, Team Switzerland (4-0) kept rolling up the wins. The defending champions moved into sole possession of first place after a 8-7 triumph over stubborn Team Turkey (1-3), skipped by Dilsat Yildiz. The win was the 40th in a row for Silvana Tirinzoni and last-rock shooter Alina Paetz at a world women’s championship. The dynamic duo are looking to become the first women to win five consecutive world titles.

It wasn’t easy. The Swiss fell behind 5-2 after four ends before mounting a comeback. Paetz was forced to use her last rock of the 10th to nail down the win.

In the only other game, Team Denmark (3-1), skipped by Madeleine Dupont, posted a 9-2 win in seven ends over Team Scotland (1-3), skipped by Rebecca Morrison.

Team Canada (3-0), which had the morning bye, swings back into action Monday afternoon with a clash against Team Norway (1-2), skipped by Marianne Roervik. Team Canada, skipped by Rachel Homan and backed by vice-skip Tracy Fleury, second Emma Miskew, lead Sarah Wilkes, alternate Rachel Brown and coached by Don Bartlett and national coach Viktor Kjell, from the Ottawa Curling Club, opened play with convincing wins over teams from Sweden, Denmark and the United States.

Other teams with the morning shift off included Italy (3-0), South Korea (2-1), the U.S.A. (2-2), Japan (1-2), Norway (1-2) and Estonia (0-3).

The top two teams in the standings advance directly to the semifinals. The third- through sixth-ranked teams compete in playoff qualification games (3 vs. 6; 4 vs. 5) with the winners advancing to the semifinals. The semifinal winners play in the gold-medal game and the losers play for bronze. 

The final goes March 24.

The 2024 BKT Tires World Women’s Curling Championship continues with draws at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. (all times Atlantic).

Live scoring, standings and statistics for the 2024 BKT Tires World Women’s Curling Championship are available by CLICKING HERE.

TSN and RDS2 will provide complete coverage of the 2024 BKT Tires World Women’s Curling Championship. CLICK HERE for the complete schedule.

For ticket information for the 2024 BKT Tires World Women’s Curling Championship, go to www.curling.ca/2024worldwomen/tickets/.

This story will be available in French as soon as possible at www.curling.ca/2024worldwomen/nouvelles/?lang=fr