Eye Opener Newspaper March 21st

Issue 22 –– Sunday, Sunday, March March 21, 21, 2010 2010 •• An An Official Official Publication Publication of of the the Canadian Canadian Curling Curling Association.

Association.

Issue

DAY 1:

Out of the hack Canadian skip Jennifer Jones survived an early scare in Draw 2 Saturday night, coming back for a 9-6 win over Sweden. The U.S.A. is the only team 2-0 after one day of play.

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Eye Opener

Page 2

U.S. impresses on Day 1

Americans only 2-0 team after wins over Russia, Japan LARRY WOOD The Eye Opener

T

he Stars and Stripes were waving furiously at the Ford World women’s curling championship on opening day.

U.S. skip Erika Brown of Madison, Wis., directed her American champion team of Nina Spatola, Ann Swisshelm and Laura Hallisey to the front of the pack after two draws at the Credit Union Iplex.

Brown polished off Japanese veteran Moe Meguro of Aomori 10-3 on the last shift Saturday after earlier rallying with three stolen points in the latter stages en route to an 8-6 afternoon conquest of Russia’s entry skipped

by Anna Sidorova of Moscow.

“It feels great,” said Brown when informed she would carry the day alone on top of the 12team standings with a 2-and-0 record. “We’d better take a picture of the scoreboard. This is just what we had planned. It’s where we wanted to be, obviously.”

Brown’s outfit was the last of the 12 teams to be decided for the Ford Worlds, having won its U.S. Nationals a mere week ago.

“I honestly feel we did have that advantage today,” said Brown. “Just based on our circumstances. We hadn’t had a lot of ice time together, so we had 12 great well-played games together at the Nationals and finished on a high note, took a few days off and went right back at it. That was our plan the whole season.

We always knew there wasn’t going to be a lot of time so we were ready for it.”

The Yanks stole five points from Japan in the third and fourth ends for a 6-0 lead, after which it was a runaway.

In the opener, Brown twice missed draws that cost her points but had the debate square after five ends, then stole in front with a critical deuce in the sixth that severely deflated the Russians.

In the end, that deuce proved the margin of victory although Brown needed a double in the 10th to secure the verdict.

Elsewhere Saturday night, Can-

Norwegian skip Linn Githmark and Swiss second Heike Schwaller watch Githmark’s shot during Draw 2 action. Norway went on to win 7-6. ada’s Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg survived an early scare against a young Swedish team two years out of junior competition before stealing three in the sixth end and another in the seventh to turn around their opener and prance away to a 9-6 win.

Karlstad skip Cecilia Ostlund, 22, had Canada on the run for four ends scoring deuce, single, deuce after Jones drew the fourfoot for a single looking at a firstend Swedish pair.

But the relatively inexperienced Swedish skip rubbed off one of her own in the fifth end leaving Jones a draw for two. Then the Swedish sweepers miscalculated on Ostlund’s out-turn draw to the four-foot against four in the sixth and the Swedish rock ground to a halt cutting out only one of the

four Canuck counters.

“We got outplayed at the start, we couldn’t get our rocks in the right spots, we had a couple of zeroes every end and just didn’t perform the way we wanted to,” Jones said of the game’s first half.

“And they played awesome, they were on fire.

“But our philosophy always has been that when we’re down we keep trying to get a good feel for the ice and get something out of a game. Experience isn’t necessary but it doesn’t hurt. We know we can come back. We’ve done it a few times.

“You’ve got to have wins like this along the way. We had to make some good shots with our backs to the wall and that’s good for us.”

Ostlund was suspicious first-

night nerves cost her team.

“We were quite nervous,” she admitted. “It was our first game in our first world championship.

It was just nice to have the good start and have the lead. We must take that with us when we play our next game.”

Defending world champion Bingyu Wang of China was upended in the afternoon’s initial round of action.

Wang jockeyed in front of Germany’s Andrea Schoepp 5-3 after five ends, then faltered and was outscored 5-1 over the last five in an 8-6 decision favouring Germany.

Attempting a runback to remain in the game with last rock, Wang wrecked on a guard to enable Germany to post a stolen insurance point.

“We made so many mistakes in that game,” said Wang, the bronze medallist in the recent Vancouver Olympic Games curling tournament.

“Our players don’t feel so good about it. Our communication was poor. It was the first gamed for us and a tough game and that is not bad for us.”

It wasn’t a problem a year ago at Gangneung, Korea, either, when China lost its opener to Canada’s Jones and then rang up a 12-game winning streak to claim the world title.

“It doesn’t matter that they’re the defending champions,” said Schoepp, who is appearing in her 17th world championship.

Please see WOOD, Page 3

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Page 3

WOOD From Page 3

Germans, Scots put up big victories

“I think most of these teams are the same and really close together. So you can win, 5050, and it doesn’t matter who you’re playing.

“We’ve played them (China) a few times this year and it was always close. It was mostly extra ends. This time we got the job done in 10 ends.

It was the only game of the day for both teams.

In other late tiffs, Norway’s Linn Githmark shaded Binia Feltscher of Switzerland 7-6 without requiring the hammer when the Swiss skip wrecked on her last shot and Russia, with Anna Sidorova skipping, rebounded from the afternoon loss to defeat the rookie Latvian crew skipped by Iveta Stasa-Sarsune 4-2.

Scotland’s 19-year-old Eve Muirhead turned on the heat and walloped Denmark 9-4 in the afternoon while Meguro dropped the Latvian team by a 7-4 count.

Scotland jumped into a 5-1 lead against Angelina Jensen’s Copenhagen crew, then watched the Danes throw up

American second Ann Swisshelm (left), skip Erika Brown and third Nina Spatola talk strategy in a Draw 1 win over Russia. an offensive of sorts that was halted in the eighth end when Muirhead issued a takeout in the four-foot that involved the movement of three stones to render three of her own standing up for a game-ending killer

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“It’s always good for us to get off to a good start and never really let the opposition in,” said Muirhead. “We were on them pretty well all the way.

They didn’t have a disastrous

game but we just pounced on top of them with every shot and really controlled the issue.”

Denmark’s last-rock thrower, Madeleine Dupont, agreed.

“We can’t be too worried,” she said. “Eve and the girls

played amazing. We didn’t play as well. We got behind and they just blasted everything away. We didn’t have a chance.

They were really good, we weren’t and that was the difference.

Eye Opener

Page 4

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Canada’s vet: Cathy-O Overton-Clapham playing in her fifth Worlds

LARRY WOOD The Eye Opener

A

total of 13 players in the Swift Current lineup at the Ford World women’s curling championship have made more appearances.

Eight of those are adding to their respective totals this week.

But Cathy Overton-Clapham, on hand for the fifth time as a Canadian vice-skip, is the home-country veteran in this event at a mere 40 years of age. Only Nova Scotia’s Colleen Jones has played in more Worlds (six) as a Canadian rep.

“Five trips?” notes Cathy-O. “That’s a long way down the list from Andrea Schoepp.”

True. And Schoepp, the German skip and mathematics professor who is making her 17th appearance in this planetary press, is a mere one appearance short of the record owned by Norway’s Dordi Nordby.

But everybody knows it’s easier to win the German championship or the Norwegian championship and qualify for the Ford Worlds than it is to survive the Canadian gauntlet that leads to this stage of the global game.

Continued on Page 5

CITYofSC_EyeOpener_DAY2.pdf

Sunday, March 21, 2010

From Page 4

Cathy O: Laliberte, Jones great ambassadors Overton-Clapham won two national junior championships but there was no followup world event back in 1986. She skipped a team in the 1990 competition, finished 9-and-2 but lost the final to Kirsty Addison (Hay) of Scotland.

The Winnipegger was dogged by the same result in her first Ford Worlds, playing third for Connie Laliberte in 1995.

They lost the final to Elisabet Gustafson of Sweden.

“Back then,” she recalls now, “what I found most difficult was the two semifinals, sudden-death, format. And there always was so much pressure on the Canadians then because they always were supposed to win. It was tough on teams that dominated the tournament. That semifinal was tough to take when it was just do-or-die.

“You don’t really realize it until you’re actually in one. When I was in the semi in ‘95 with Connie — it was against Andrea Schoepp — and we said, ‘OK, we don’t want to feel the same way we felt the last time we played in this game’. You can’t go back and you don’t get a second chance so you have to try to soak up everything you can in that game.”

In the end, they won it but lost the final.

“That’s pretty hard to take, too,” she admits.

Laliberte sailed through the playoff round in her first world visit (1984) but lost in the semis (1993).

Cathy-O has been at third for Jennifer Jones in the last two renewals of the Ford World women’s and three of the last five — winning one and missing bronze medals by a game in the other pair.

She has appeared in 11 Scotties Tournament Of Hearts (the Canadian championship) representing Manitoba seven times and Team Canada four times.

A skip in her early days, she soon found her niche pitching third rocks.

“I enjoy being the go-between, front-end and skip,” she says. “I like the position and I have a lot of fun at it.

“I liked skipping but I really took to playing third. To hold the broom for Jennifer (Jones) and see all the different kinds of shots she makes is really kind of unbelievable.”

Cathy-O says curling “has changed a lot” since she first began stepping into championship hacks. Hence, any differences between her former skipper, Laliberte, and her current skipper, Jones.

“I’m a little older now,” says Cathy-O, “and I was younger playing with Connie when she was where I am now.

“Connie and Jennifer are similar, though, in that they both are very determined and they want to be the best at what they do.

“They are committed and their practice methods are similar, too. Connie was pretty mellow, she didn’t say a lot and didn’t show a lot of expression. (Jones is relatively more demonstrative). Both are great people on and off the ice and great ambassadors for the sport. And great lastrock throwers.”

Cathy-O says she has one thing in common with her skips.

“I liked to be a perfectionist, too,” she says. “I liked to throw a lot of rocks. I want to be able to compete at the level at which others are competing. I was pretty determined in juniors as I am now and I practised a lot, sometimes twice a day, probably too many times, but I was pretty determined to be the best I could be.”

She says international competition these days is greatly improved.

“The European teams are travelling a lot more, playing in Canada against the best,” she says. “They’re getting more Canadian coaches helping them out.

“Coaching really has helped the sport. It certainly has helped us. We’ve learned so many different things, so many different practice methods. When you get on the national team program you have more access to more people. I’m able to phone one of those people at any time and get some questions answered or a little bit of advice. Just having been put in that perspective, it helps. You learn from the best that have played the game.

“I think being there so many different times and learning so many different things — how we approach things, what we do with our practises — is an advantage. It just isn’t about getting on the ice and throwing. We’re matching rocks when we’re out there and we have a real purpose to a tournament. It’s like we’re not just happy to be here, we’re going to try to win some games.

“I think each year we learn something different from being here and it tends to give you a definite advantage, for sure.

The more you get to these events you hope you’re going to get more out of it than somebody else.”

Cathy-O scoffs at anybody surmising this post-Olympic tournament constitutes an international anti-climax.

Continued on Page 6

1/14/10

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Page 5

Eye Opener

Page 6

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Cathy Overton-Clapham

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From Page 5

Cathy O

“I think this field is going to be tough,” she surmises. “You know these teams are going to play the best they can against you. When I watched the Olympics, I saw teams we normally play against and I didn’t think they all played to their potential. Whether it was the whole big Olympic pressure, I don’t know.

But you have to think they’re all going to play great this week.

“They all love to play in Canada and they all step it up to play against Canada, so we’re going to have to be at our best from

the very start to the following Sunday.”

Cathy-O experienced knee problems in 2005 at the Scotties and had the wonky hinge scoped.

“You’re always aware of it, but it seems to be fine as long as I prepare properly,” she says.

“I haven’t had to have anything done with it this season. In September, I had a cortisone shot and I usually have one again in January but it was fine so I didn’t have it done.”

And as long as the knee holds out, the thought of retirement is a mere speck on the horizon.

“As long as I can continue to keep up with everybody else, I’ll be around,” she says, flashing that disarming smile.

Friends of the Ford World Women’s Curling Championship Chamber of Commerce Coffee News GES Canada Jet Ice Ltd. Photography By Corla Weins Agtech

WCF faces perplexing issues

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Page 7

T

he question is one of many being raised as another curling season drones toward another springtime conclusion and the boys in the board rooms begin to flex their vocal chords.

Why is it, proponents of shorter curling events and shorter curling games want to know, that telecasts of OlymLARRY WOOD Eye Opener Editor pic Games matches fit neatly inside a threehour time span while telecasts of the recent Tim Hortons Brier matches and other Season-of-Champions events sometimes extended to almost an additional 30 minutes or more?

The answer, of course, is simple. International curlcasts abide by one-minute breaks. Canadian curlcasts extend as long as two-and-one-half minutes and counting.

Add an extra 90 seconds between ends and, suddenly, you’re looking at 15 minutes over a 10-end curling game. Extra ends will gobble up another 15 minutes.

Fact is, there are so many sensible methods of cutting down the time it takes to complete 10-end curling games you could write a book on the subject.

But let’s stick with TV commercial time for the moment. Roughly 58 per cent of the break time in Canadian curling telecasts is filled with network commercials. The other 42 per cent is claimed by the Canadian Curling Association and is used to promote upcoming Season Of Champion events and other tie-in promotions to which the CCA has agreed.

And, no, Vince and his Slap Chop, Parts One, Two, Three and Four per telecast aren’t part of the latter. But Canadian TV people already have informed the CCA that its interests that now command commercial-break time could easily be accommodated during non-commercial free telecast time. And that would tighten up breaks between ends.

Still, the discrepancy in TV time, as exhibited during the curling at the Vancouver Olympics, has prompted a lot of sober second thought when it comes to the push to reduce championship curling matches to eight-ends duration.

Certain World Curling Federation types are in favour of eight ends and will lobby for a change again next month during meetings in exotic Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. They’ve been lobbying, in fact, for a decade already.

The WCF also will consider, however misguided it may seem in Canada, to abolish extra ends and tiebreakers in favour of a points system in standings for roundrobin championships. This move is designed to eliminate as much as one day from a nine-day curling event.

All this has surfaced, of course, because tall foreheads in back rooms have decided curling games and events are too long and something must be done about it.

Television is on board where the too-long thinking is concerned, too. TV people are on record as (a) favouring three-hour curling telecasts, no more, no less, but failing that (b) preferring a move to eight-end games rather that eliminating the odd front-end shot from their 10-end package.

Such elimination, they argue, interferes with the integrity of the game and TV’s depiction of it. Never mind that to scrap 10-end games is to drastically interfere with the integrity of the game, to say nothing of its traditions.

The tube people got around the one-minute Olympic breaks in the U.S. simply by cutting into the front-end shooting for a second commercial break per end. NBC and its partners showed the first two or three lead rocks per end, broke for a commercial, and picked it up with seconds’ last rocks.

A lot of ends were set up at that point. It provided fine fodder for Colleen Jones and Don Duguid, who were supplying the commentary. And, frankly, it wasn’t that noticeable. Canadian producers, though, would have cringed, big-time.

Still, any way you slice it, an intriguing set of WCF meetings is guaranteed next month in the Italian Dolomites. And the intrigue could extend much deeper than discussions and votes to kill 10-end games, extra ends and tiebreakers and the drive toward shorter games and

competitions.

The Canadian Curling Association has just one year remaining in its marketing agreement with the WCF that enables the CCA to call the shots when world events are staged in Canada. The deal goes poof in the wake of the Ford World men’s tournament a year from now at Regina.

Thereafter, the WCF wants its marketing agent, Swissbased Infront, which has its tentacles wrapped around a myriad of international winter sport federations from figure skating to ice hockey to Alpine and Nordic skiing, to assume complete control of WCF events.

Canada’s reaction: Not so’s you’d notice. The CCA wants to control its own marketing for events staged in Canada. And CCA delegates to the WCF meetings next month will be adamant in maintaining that posture.

Which is to say, you want world curling events in Canada, back off on the marketing push. Otherwise, take your world curling events elsewhere. And, presumably, where the sun doesn’t shine.

Please see WOOD, Page 15

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The Party Line • Your guide to what’s goin’ on

Page 8

your guide to what’s goin’ on

The Tradition Continues for the

Grand

Transoceanic Match

Get Ready for a “Dynamic Duo”!

The Hickey’s have been described as “kinda bluesy and kinda folksy”. You can be sure they’ll be both when they appear in Keith’s Patch tonight at 11:30 pm… not to mention, a whole lot of fun!

The multi-instrumental singer-songwriting duo plays an entertaining mix of classic country, blues and folk, topped off with a selection of original songs.

The Calgary-based Hickey’s – Heather Brown and Michelle Baker – have gained a loyal following of fans that have come to love their classic sound and charismatic stage presence.

Brooks, raised in Vulcan, Alberta, demonstrated a passion for music as a small child and has grown to become a seasoned performer and songwriter. Baker - a native of Eston, Saskatchewan - also discovered her musical aspirations at an early age, developing a highly creative and expressive style as a musician and songwriter.

NC

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OD

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The two began their collaboration as the Hickey’s in 2009 – just in time to delight tonight’s crowds at Keith’s Patch!

I ’S TIM ES BREWIN

on stage

Monday, March 22 – Vern Michaels Band • 10:30 pm Tuesday, March 23 – Vern Michaels Band • 10:30 pm Wednesday, March 24 – Bakersfield • 10:30 pm Thursday, March 25 – Wonderland • 10:30 pm Friday, March 26 – The Chevelles • 10:30 pm Saturday, March 27 – The Chevelles • 3:00 pm & 10:30 pm Sunday, March 28 – Bakersfield • 8:30 pm

Take a

Free Ride

The Grand Transoceanic Match is a fun ‘spiel for spectators at the Ford World Women’s – and the fun all takes place Wednesday, March 24 from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Shaunavon Curling Club.

The” funspiel” is a social event designed to give visitors a chance to get to know each other in a casual environment and experience a little more of southwest Saskatchewan hospitality. It’s been an annual event at world championships since the 1970’s, last taking place in our province during the 1983 Silver Broom in Regina.

Transportation will be provided from Swift Current. Along with the curling, participants will be served a continental breakfast and lunch. Souvenirs and entertainment are also included in the entry fee.

The bonspiel is limited to the first 64 entrants. The all-inclusive cost is $45 (CDN) and lunch-only tickets are available for $18. You can register for the event at the Credit Union i-plex Information Booth. The deadline for entry is March 22 at 6:00 pm.

Tomorrow’s the Day

Cool Curling’s Underway The Cool Cooling competition for the 2010 Ford World Women’s Curling Championship kicks off tomorrow in Keith’s Patch.

Cool Curling’s the game fans have come to love at Season of Champions events across the country. It’s the tabletop version of the roaring game, played in teams of two.

Qualifying rounds will be taking place at the Patch during the week as competitors vie for the opportunity to play for the prizes in the weekend’s championship action.

You can take your shot at Cool Curling glory - and have all kinds of fun - by picking a partner and registering at Keith’s Patch.

Complementary shuttle buses - provided by Tim Hortons and the City of Swift Current - offer transportation between the Credit Union i-plex and destinations throughout the city.

The complete schedule will be at the Information Booth.

Today bus runs begin at the Credit Union i-plex at the bottom of the hour from 10:30 am to 1:00 am

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Page 9

It’s Simply up close

personal

and

Drop by Keith’s Patch at noon to meet the world’s best women curlers – from today until Saturday.

Welcome to a

World of Experience!

Today Teams Russia & Japan Monday, March 22 Teams China & Germany

Today – 4:30 pm

up close

Tuesday, March 23 Teams Norway & Sweden

A week from now one team will stand alone as winners of the 2010 Ford World Women’s Championship. Today, you have the opportunity to meet with several of Saskatchewan’s world champions from the past.

&personal

It was 1980 when Marj Mitchell skipped her Regina team of Nancy Kerr, Shirley McKendry and Wendy Leach to Canada’s first world women’s curling championship title. In 1993, another Regina foursome brought the championship title back home to Saskatchewan. The Sandra Schmirler team - including Jan Betker, Joan McKusker and Marcia Gudereit – went on to win the world’s the following year, once more in 1997 and Olympic gold in 1998.

Sandra Schmirler

Wednesday, March 24 Teams USA & Latvia Thursday, March 25 Teams Switzerland & Canada Saturday, March 27 All Teams (3:30 pm)

Marj Mitchell

Sadly, both of our world champion skips have since passed on – Mitchell in 1983 and Schmirler in 2000 – leaving legacies to the game that have grown through the years.

Twenty-four young curlers - representing clubs in Swift Current and communities throughout Saskatchewan were selected as Junior Stars through a random draw of applicants.

However, their team members will be with us in Keith’s Patch today at 4:30 pm to share their unique experiences. It’s your chance to meet and ask questions of these Hall of Fame athletes.

Team Latvia • 1:30 pm

However, their team members will be with us in Keith’s Patch today at 4:30 pm to share their unique perspectives of competition at the international level.

It’s your chance to meet and ask questions of these legendary Hall of Fame athletes... and share their memories of the two skips who have become such an integral part of world curling history.

Today’s feature stars are: Jenna Wiebe, Beechy Landon Bertram, Piapot Team Norway • 7:00 pm Callie Wiebe, Swift Current Neil Gorrill, Ponteix

The Great Tastes of the Patch Keith’s Patch is the perfect place to enjoy a beverage and a bite. Choose from an appetizing array of menus from our featured food vendors:

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Eye Opener

Page 10

FORD WORLD WOMEN’S OPENING CEREMONY

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The teams competing in the 2010 Ford World Women’s Championship take the ice Saturday; right, Jan Betker delivers the opening stone with help from Marcia Gudereit and Wendy Leach. Nancy Kerr held the broom.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Page 11

Time out for Ford World Women’s trivia

Always plan a safe ride home.

The 2010 Ford World Women’s Curling Championship promises to be one of the best parties to ever hit Swift Current. But before you jump into the fun at the various events, make plans for a safe ride home.

Larry Wood

Eye Opener Editor

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Two skips have played in three consecutive world women’s championship finals. Name them and the years they played in the finals.

2. Name the skip (or skips) who has (have) played in the most world championship finals and how many?

3. Name seven skips who have played in two consecutive world women’s championship finals and the years they played in the finals.

4. How about their two opponents in each case?

5. Name the Canadian skip who has appeared in more world women’s championships than any other.

6. In how many world championships and how many finals did this skip appear?

7. Who was the last skip of a French team at the world women’s championship to win more games than she lost.

8. Where was she from and in which year?

9. How about her record?

10. Name the curler who has skipped Scotland teams in more world women’s championships than any other.

11. How many championships?

12. Did he ever skip a world champion? If so, in which year and where?

If not, what was her best finish, year and venue?

Answers

QofD: Elisabeth Hogstrom (1980, 1981, 1982), Andrea Schoepp (1986, 1987, 1988).

1. Hogstrom (Marj Mitchell, Susan Seitz, Marianne Jorgensen); Schoepp (Marilyn Darte (Bodogh), Pat Sanders, Heather Houston).

2. Elisabet Gustafson, Dordi Nordby, Anette Norberg, four finals.

3. Dordi Nordby (1990, 1991), Sandra Schmirler (1993, 1994), Elisabet Gustafson (1998, 1999), Colleen Jones (2003, 2004), Anette Norberg (2005, 2006), Bingyu Wang (2008, 2009).

4. Nordby (Carolyn Hutchinson, Julie Sutton (Skinner); Schmirler (Janet Strayer, Christine Cannon); Gustafson (Helena Blach-Lavrsen, Patti Lank); Jones (Debbie McCormick, Dordi Nordby); Norberg (Cassie Johnson (Potter), Debbie McCormick), Wang (Jennifer Jones, Anette Norberg).

5. Colleen Jones.

6. Six championships, three finals.

7. Paulette Sulpice 8. Megeve, 1982 9. 5 wins, 4 losses.

10. Christine (Allison) Cannon.

11. Skipped in five championships.

12. Best finish was runnerup in 1994 at Oberstdorf, Germany.

1. How about their three opponents in each case?

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Sunday, March 21, 2010

Page 13

Sweden: GETTING TO KNOW YOU

Skip: Cecilia Ostlund

Home: Karlstad Began curling at age: 12 Delivery: Right Occupation/title: Sports science student Employer: None Age: 22 Place of birth: Karlstad Marital status: Single Favourite food: Tacos Favourite drink: Orange juice Celebrity dream man: Channing Tatum Most annoying celebrity: Paris Hilton All-time favourite movie: Da Vinci Code Last movie she loved: Twilight – New Moon Last movie she hated: Zombieland Tattooed? No Never leaves home without: Chewing gum Ten ends or eight? 10 ends Tiebreakers or no tiebreakers? No tiebreakers Extra ends or no extra ends?

No extra ends.

Competed in: 08 World Juniors.

Third: Sara Carlsson Home: Orebro Began curling at age: 13 Delivery: Right Occupation: Sports management student Employer: None

Young squad of students coached by one of country’s curling legends

Most annoying celebrity: Renee Age: 23 Zellweger Place of birth: Stockholm All-time favourite movie: Lord Of Marital status: Single The Rings Favourite food: Chicken and Pesto Last movie she loved: Pirates Of Favourite drink: Water the Caribbean Celebrity dream man: Christian Last movie she Bale hated: None Most annoying celebrity: Anna Anka All-time favourite movie: Kill Bill Last movie she loved: Sherlock Holmes Last movie she hated: It’s All About Steve Tattooed? No Never leaves home without: Ipod (music) Ten ends or eight? 10 ends Tiebreakers or no tiebreakers? No tiebreakers Extra ends or no Anna extra ends? No extra Dom eij (l) ends and Sara Competed in: 08 World Juniors.

Carls son Tattooed?

Second: Yes Anna Domejj Never leaves home without: Home: Karlstad Handbag Began curling at age: 12 Ten ends or eight? 10 ends Delivery: Right Tiebreakers or no tiebreakers? No Occupation/title: Nursing student tiebreakers Employer: None Extra ends or no extra ends?

Age: 22 Extra ends Place of birth: Karlstad Competed in: 08 World Juniors Marital status: Boyfriend Favourite food: Vegetarian tachas Lead: Favourite drink: Coffee Celebrity dream man: Josh HartLotta Lennartsson nett

Home: Karlstad Began curling at age: 12 Delivery: Right Occupation/title: Croupier, studying Employer: Cherry casino Age: 22 Place of birth: Karlstad Marital status: In relationship Spouse/Partner: Niklas Edin Children: None Favourite food: Tacos Favourite drink: Water Celebrity dream man: Jude Law Most annoying celebrity: Dr. Phil All-time favourite movie: Avatar Last movie she loved: Shutter Island Last movie she hated: Old Dogs Tattooed? Yes, two Never leaves home without: Cellphone Ten ends or eight? 10 ends Tiebreakers or no tiebreakers? Tiebreakers Extra ends or no extra ends?

Extra ends Competed in: 08 World Juniors

Fifth: Sabina Kraupp Home: Orebro Began curling at age: 12 (but playing on ice since forever)

Delivery: Right Occupation/title: Student Employer: None Age: 23 Place of birth: Stockholm Marital status: Hard to define. Not single?

Favourite food: Chicken with coconut milk Favourite drink: Milk Celebrity dream man: Adam Brody . . .Yummy!

Most annoying celebrity: David Letterman All-time favourite movie: Stepmom, Forrest Gump Last movie she loved: Avatar Last movie she hated: P2, I hate horrors Tattooed? No Never leaves home without: Lip balm Ten ends or eight? Eight ends Tiebreakers or no tiebreakers?

No tiebreakers Extra ends or no extra ends? No extra ends Competed in: 08 Worlds, 05, 06 World Juniors.

Coach: Peja Lindholm Home: Ostersund Occupation/title: Responsible education Employer: Community of Ostersund Date of birth: Feb. 6, 1970 Place of birth: Ostersund Coached: First-year

GETTING TO KNOW YOU

Russia: Skip: Liudmila Privivkova

Home: Moscow Began curling at age: 12 Delivery: Righty Occupation/title: Post-grad student Employer: None Age: 23 Place of birth: Moscow Marital status: Single Favourite food: Desserts Favourite drink: Cherry juice Celebrity dream man: Will Smith Most annoying celebrity: None All-time favourite movie: Bad Boys I and II, Lubov i goluby (Russian film) Last movie she loved: Avatar Last movie she hated: None Tattooed? No. Never leaves home without: Wallet, cellphone, clothes, of course!

Ten ends or eight? 10 ends, but more importantly, is it enough for the win?

Tiebreakers or no tiebreakers?

Tiebreakers Extra ends or no extra ends?

Extra ends Competed in: 03, 05, 07, 08, 09 Worlds, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08 World Juniors, 06, 10 Olympics.

Third: Anna Sidarova Home: Moscow Began curling at age: 14 Delivery: Right Occupation: Student Employer: None.

Age: 19 Place of birth: Moscow

Young, but experienced squad likes home cooking

Marital status: Single Favourite food: Ukrainian borscht Lead: Favourite food: Russian food, Favourite drink: Pineapple juice Ekaterina Galkina mostly . . .

Celebrity dream man: Johnny Favourite drink: Juices, lemonade, Depp Home: Moscow caramel machiatto.

Most annoying celebrity: None.

Began curling at age: 12 All-time favourite movie: Pearl All-time favourite movie: Delivery: Right Harbour Breakfast At TifOccupation/title: Student Last movie she loved: Avatar fany’s Employer: None Last movie she hated: The Age: 21 Departed Place of birth: Moscow Tattooed? No Marital status: Single Never Favourite food: Mom’s stuff. leaves Favourite drink: Latte Machihome atto without: Celebrity dream man: Ben Mobile Barnes phone Most annoying celebrity: Ten ends Mariah Carey or eight?

All-time favourite 10 ends. movie: Cast Away (Tom Tiebreakers Hanks) or no tiebreakLast movie she loved: ers? TiebreakLaw-Abiding Citizen, ers.

Avatar Extra ends or no a vkov Last movie she i v extra ends? Extra i r P mila hated: Final Destination ends Liud d n a , 4 a Competed in: 09, k n ali Tattooed? No na G 10 World Juniors, 10 Last ateri k E , ) Never leaves home without: Celll ( Olympics. movie she h zek phone ka E loved: Avatar u r i e Nk Ten ends or eight? Eight ends.

Last movie she hated: None.

Second: Tiebreakers or no tiebreakers?

Tattooed? No. Tiebreakers Nkeiruka Ezekh Never leaves home without: CellExtra ends or no extra ends? phone Extra ends. Competed in: 05, 07, Home: Moscow Ten ends or eight? 10 ends.

08, 09 Worlds, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, Began curling at age: 14 Tiebreakers or no tiebreakers?

08, 09, 10 World Juniors, 06, 10 Delivery: Right Tiebreakers Olympics.

Occupation/title: Student Extra ends or no extra ends?

Employer: None Extra ends.

Age: 26 Competed in: 01, 02, 03, 05, 07, Fifth: Place of birth: Moscow 08, 09 Worlds, 00, 01, 02, 04, 05 Margarita Fomina Marital status: Single World Juniors, 02, 06, 10 Olympics.

Home: Moscow Began curling at age: 13 Delivery: Right Occupation/title: Student Employer: None Age: 21 Place of birth: Dmitrov Marital status: Single Favourite food: Vegetables Favourite drink: Mojito (nonalcoholic) Celebrity dream man: Jude Law Most annoying celebrity: Keira Knightley All-time favourite movie: Californication Last movie she loved: Tzar (Russian) Last movie she hated: Transformers Never leaves home without: Cellphone she lost several days ago.

Ten ends or eight? Eight ends.

Tiebreakers or no tiebreakers?

No tiebreakers Extra ends or no extra ends?

Extra ends Competed in: 08, 09 Worlds, 03, 04, 05, 06, 0-7, 08, 09, 10 World Juniors.

Coach: Olga Andrianova Home: Moscow Occupation/title: Coach Employer: Self Date of birth: June 15 Place of birth: Moscow Coached: Basketball from 1978, curling from 1994

Eye Opener

Page 14

2010 FORD WORLD WOMEN’S SCHEDULE AND RESULTS

Draw 1 Results

Standings

(through Saturday’s draws) Team U.S.A. Norway Scotland Germany Canada Japan

Today

W 2 1 1 1 1 1

Team Russia Switzerland Sweden Denmark China Latvia

W 1 0 0 0 0 0

L 1 1 1 1 1 2

5 6 7 1 0 0 0 1 1 Third 86 85

8 9 10 T 1 0 0 6 0 2 1 8 Skip Team 65 82 75 83

Russia* USA %age Russia USA

1 2 3 4 0 2 0 3 1 0 2 0 Lead Second 99 80 74 86

5 6 7 0 0 0 1 2 1 Third 78 75

8 9 10 T 1 0 0 6 0 0 1 8 Skip Team 58 79 64 75

Japan Latvia* %age Japan Latvia

1 2 3 4 0 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 Lead Second 79 70 71 56

5 6 7 0 1 0 2 0 0 Third 70 56

8 9 10 T 0 2 1 7 1 0 0 4 Skip Team 81 75 75 65

Scotland* Denmark %age Scotland Denmark

1 2 3 4 2 0 3 0 0 1 0 1 Lead Second 77 83 95 78

5 6 7 1 0 0 0 2 0 Third 83 77

8 9 10 T 3 x x 9 0 x x 4 Skip Team 87 82 73 81

Draw Schedule

DRAW 3 8:30 a.m. Denmark vs. China; Scotland vs. Germany.

DRAW 4 1:30 p.m. Sweden vs. Norway; U.S.A. vs. Latvia; Russia vs. Japan; Canada vs. Switzerland.

DRAW 5 7 p.m. Germany vs. Denmark; Norway vs. Canada; Switzerland vs. Sweden; China vs. Scotland.

Monday

DRAW 6 8:30 a.m. Scotland vs. Japan; Denmark vs. Russia; China vs. Latvia; Germany vs. U.S.A. DRAW 7 1:30 p.m. Russia vs. Switzerland; Japan vs. Sweden; U.S.A. vs.

Norway; Latvia vs. Canada.

DRAW 8 7:30 p.m. Canada vs. China; Norway vs. Germany; Sweden vs. Scotland; Switzerland vs.

L 0 0 0 0 0 1

1 2 3 4 China* 0 1 0 3 Germany 0 0 3 0 %age Lead Second China 94 81 Germany 81 89

Denmark.

TUESDAY

DRAW 9 8:30 a.m. Sweden vs. Germany; Switzerlands vs. China; Canada vs. Denmark; Norway vs. Scotland.

DRAW 10 1:30 p.m. Denmark vs. U.S.A.; Scotland vs. Latvia; Germany vs.

Russia; China vs. Japan.

DRAW 11 7:30 p.m. Latvia vs. Norway; U.S.A. vs. Canada; Japan vs. Switzerland; Russia vs. Sweden.

7:30 p.m. China vs. Russia; Germany vs. Japan; Scotland vs.

U.S.A.; Denmark vs. Latvia.

THURSDAY

DRAW 15 8:30 a.m. U.S.A. vs. Sweden; Latvia vs. Switzerland; Russia vs.

Canada; Japan vs. Norway.

DRAW 16 1:30 p.m. Germany vs. Latvia; China vs. U.S.A.; Denmark vs.

Japan; Scotland vs. Russia.

WEDNESDAY

DRAW 17 7:30 p.m. Norway vs. Denmark; Canada vs. Scotland; Switzerland vs. Germany; Sweden vs. China.

DRAW 13 1:30 p.m. Switzerland vs. Scotland; Sweden vs. Denmark; Norway vs.

China; Canada vs. Germany.

8:30 a.m. Tiebreaker (if one required).

1:30 p.m. Tiebreakers (if two required).

8 p.m. Page One-Two playoff (or Page Three-Four playoff) and Tiebreakers (if three required).

DRAW 12 8:30 a.m. Japan vs. Canada; Russia vs. Norway; Latvia vs. Sweden; U.S.A. vs. Switzerland.

Draw 2 Results

FRIDAY

DRAW 14

Latvia Russia* %age Latvia Russia

1 2 3 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 Lead Second 78 78 95 89

5 6 7 0 1 0 0 0 0 Third 75 83

8 9 10 T 0 1 x 2 2 0 x 4 Skip Team 78 77 88 88

Canada* Sweden %age Canada Sweden

1 2 3 4 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 2 Lead Second 91 83 80 73

5 6 7 2 3 1 0 0 0 Third 76 79

8 9 10 T 0 2 x 9 1 0 x 6 Skip Team 68 79 68 75

Norway Switzerland* %age Norway Switzerland

1 2 3 4 0 2 0 1 1 0 1 0 Lead Second 79 81 86 61

5 6 7 1 0 0 0 0 1 Third 75 80

8 9 10 T 2 0 1 7 0 3 0 6 Skip Team 63 75 54 71

Japan USA* %age Japan USA

1 2 3 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 Lead Second 82 89 77 95

5 6 7 2 1 0 0 0 4 Third 89 77

8 9 10 T x x x 3 x x x 10 Skip Team 66 82 84 83

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* —started game with the hammer

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Page 15

Wood From Page 7

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And there’s a precedent for the ace of spades here if Canada wants to play it.

The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association ran into a brick wall back in the early Seventies trying Up to now, one or the other of the world to come to terms with the IIHF in a numchampionships has been staged in Canada ber of areas. The last resort: Canada pulled every year, and for good reason. There are out of the IIHF and its world hockey more lucrative (or even semi-lucrative) championship for at least a half-decade. venues in Canada than there are in total on Can you imagine a world curling the remainder of the earth’s crust. championship like the one under way at The WCF knows this. If Canada says the Credit Union Iplex attracting a whole ‘see yuh’ to WCF events, the WCF’s scope bunch of interest without a team from of venues narrows drastically. So does the Canada involved? Here in Swift Current or scope of crowds and the scope of profits, a anywhere else they play the game? word that never has related to world curlThe CCA certainly would prefer to ing events on the other side of the large come to an amicable agreement with the pond, anyway. global administrative body on all these WCF people will cry foul, naturally, issues. But the CCA also knows that most and claim Canada is doing nothing to help Canadian fans, prospective supporters grow the game globally. But the CCA and ticket buyers feel certain aspects of argues it has a right to market events on its the game should not be subject to mindown terra firma and can never be accused less tinkering. Particularly from outside of failing to aid and nurture the game else- interests. where. Not any time. Not anywhere.

And to even consider giving away your The CCA, in fact, holds most of the aces rights to marketing the game on your own in this deck. It wants to protect its own soil? Obviously, that’s a monumental nosponsors and its own TV contract with 1 1/20/10 12333 Amarula Ad Ford WWC 2:Layout brainer. 8:49 AM Page 1

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Eye Opener

Page 16

Armstrong strikes gold in Vancouver C

The Eye Opener

anada’s Jim Armstrong held off a late rally from Korea’s Haksung Kim to earn Canada’s second straight 2010 Paralympic Winter Games wheelchair curling gold medal in front of 5,000 cheering fans at the Olympic Centre on Saturday.

A draw for four by Armstrong in the fourth end appeared to settle this issue with Canada up 8-1 but the resilient Korean crew battled back and scored a deuce in the fifth end.

Korea got two stones moulded on the button in the sixth end and stole another pair, then added another in the seventh when Armstrong rolled out on a hit against two.

Korea tried in earnest to extend the game in the final end but Armstrong clinched the gold medal with a takeout.

“It’s tremendous and it’s overwhelming,” Armstrong said. “This game really showed that the best part of Wheelchair Curling is that no lead is safe.

“It wasn’t that we were playing bad in the second half. They [Korea] were just making their shots and started whittling away at the lead.”

Augusto Perez and Team U.S.A. couldn’t put a bronze glow on their finish at the Games as Sweden knocked the Americans off the medal stand with a 7-5 defeat in the bronze-medal game. tonight.

Canada repeated as champion.

Jalle Jugnell’s Swedish team topped a trying last few days as their vice-skip was disqualified Friday due to a failed drug test for the use of a beta blocker called metoprolol.

The 59-year-old Armstrong’s Canadian champion lineup included Darryl Neigh-

Jim Armstrong bour 61, Ina Forrest 47, Sonja Gaudet 43, Bruno Yizek 61.

A former dentist, Armstrong began wheelchair curling 2 1⁄2 years ago “when a friend with the Canadian Curling Association knew I had some mobility issues and suggested I give it a whirl.”

A former six-time Brier competitor, Armstrong suffered from knee problems, underwent 14 knee operations prior to replacements.

“Then I managed to get into a car accident right after my first knee replacement,” he recalled. “I put it into the dashboard and smashed it up pretty good.

That, in turn, ruined my lower back. That was the end of my dental career, too.”

Armstrong has grown to relish wheelchair curling.

“The game itself is identical, the sheet, the rocks, the scoring, everything,” he said. “The big difference is in able-bodied, you have from the hack to the hog to get things under control and get the rock off. We do it in two feet because we are stationary. And we don’t have sweeping.

Once that leaves the stick, you wish it luck because you can holler at it and the sucker just doesn’t listen. It teaches you humility in a hurry.

“Everybody in wheelchair curling has his/her own story. Some have had experiences most of us don’t have to deal with in a lifetime. But the silver lining is

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everybody leaves the ego at the door. You have that common thread of how we got into that position of whatever disability it is. There is that common bond. It just makes everybody that much closer.’

Armstrong is the only wheelchair curler on the competitive scene with any amount of able-bodied competitor experience.

“It has been a big learning curve for many on the team, but our guys are just all over it. They are very intelligent people and willing to learn. I can teach them a lot about strategy and they teach me a lot about everything else.

“It has been a second lease on life for me. When I lost my ability to curl ablebodied, it left a big void. It was all my sporting career and most of my social life.

I have a lot of it back and, in some ways, it’s better.”

Armstrong lost his wife Carleen to cancer last year.

“Between dentistry, curling and family, that was pretty much it. I’m actually in a complete transition right now. Wheelchair curling has just really been a blessing.

It has given me a focus. It’s been great.

Everybody has been very understanding.”