The Canadian women continue to dominate an otherwise even women’s competition, where three teams headed into the morning session tied for second and only one (Sweden) won (barely). China and Sweden lead on the men’s side, while Canada climbed into a third-place tie with Britain.
Date: 15-Feb
Sport: Curling
Event: Day 6 of group play, with two women’s sessions and one men’s
How U.S. fared: Byes in the morning and afternoon sessions, with the women in action in the evening. Erika Brown’s team played one of its best games and took a 6-5 lead after eight ends. Sweden blanked the ninth to take the hammer. Brown got some rocks close to the center and left Sweden a very difficult shot for two. Maria Prytz’s final shot nudged a few rocks around, and the measuring gizmo was wheeled out. Sweden’s second stone in the 10th was just a hair closer. Sweden took sole possession of second place, while the USA was formally eliminated at 1-6.
What happened:
Morning session (women): Canada remained unbeaten, giving up a steal in the fifth end to fall 3-2 behind Japan but controlling the second half of the game to win 8-6.
Britain had the most interesting game, giving up a steal of two in the ninth end to fall behind South Korea 8-7. Eve Muirhead hit two clutch takeouts to score three in the 10th and win 10-8, remaining in the three-way tie for second.
China joined that three-way tie by handing Sweden its second loss. Sweden tied it 6-6 in the ninth, but Yue Qingshang hit a massive double takeout to remove both guards midway through the 10th and leave a relatively simple series of takeouts for the win.
Afternoon session (men): Co-leaders China and Sweden won without throwing their last rocks, beating Russia (9-6) and Germany (8-4).
Switzerland, already out of contention with five losses, removed Denmark from contention by scoring four in the first and three in the eighth. Denmark, down 9-3, conceded the last two ends.
Canada and Britain had the marquee matchup, and Canada took a 4-2 lead with a triple in the fourth. Britain battled back and had the hammer in the 10th, down 6-5. But Canada created a bit of traffic in the house, leaving Britain’s David Murdoch attempting a double takeout for the win — or at least an extra end. Murdoch put a lot of rocks in motion, but Canada’s red rock was ever so slightly closer to the center than Britain’s yellow. Vital win for Canada.
Evening session (women): Unbeaten Canada constricted Russia, getting five points between the third and fifth ends and forcing three straight blank ends. Canada then set up two rocks in scoring position, forcing Russia to take just one in the ninth. Russia was never going to get three in the 10th, and Canada took the 5-3 win.
Britain gave up three to Switzerland in the sixth end. Eve Muirhead got back to 7-6 but no closer, as Mirjam Ott hit the clutch takeout with the hammer in the 10th for the 8-6 win.
China had a chance to stay in second against 1-5 Denmark, which missed with the hammer in the eighth to let China take a 6-5 lead. But the Danes fought back with a couple of remarkable takeouts to score three in the ninth. China needed two in the 10th to force an extra end but gave up the steal instead, coming nowhere close on the hammer. 9-6 Denmark.
Full results | Men’s standings | Women’s standings | Recaps with diagrams
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