It's finals day at the Winter Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck. In this morning's quarterfinals, Canada beat the Czech Republic, and Italy beat the USA. Sweden whitewashed Norway, and Switzerland defeated Japan.
Leslie Ingram-Brown reports from Austria on the semifinals:
"After two one sided semifinals Switzerland and Italy will vie for the gold medals at the first Youth Winter Olympic Games at the Messe Halle, Innsbruck.
Against Sweden, Swiss skip Michael Brunner was never behind, taking a three in the first end with a draw, and a two in the third with a chap and lie. In the fifth Sweden's Rasmus Wrana caught a short guard drawing against four leaving Brunner a draw for five. Sixth and Sweden missed on the chance of two shots, counted only one and the game was over.
As USA found this morning Italy are on a mean streak and when Canada's Thomas Scoffin, with the hammer, wrecked on a short guard to drop a three in the fourth end and go down 6-1 to Amos Mosaner, Italy had closed, but not quite locked, the door and were staring at a place in the final. In the fifth and sixth ends the teams exchanged singles and when Scoffin failed to make any use of the last stone in the seventh, allowing Italy to steal a shot and lead 8-2, the Canadians conceded.
It is now Switzerland against Italy for the gold/silver medals and Sweden against Canada for the Bronze."
QUARTERFINAL LINESCORES:
CZE * 2010 0210 = 6
CAN 0203 2000 = 7
ITA * 0014 0200 = 7
USA 0000 2031 = 6
SWE * 0002 2213 = 10
NOR 0000 0000 = 0
SUI * 0000 0301 = 4
JPN 0011 0010 = 3
SEMIFINALS:
SUI * 3020 50XX = 10
SWE 0102 01XX = 4
ITA * 2013 011X = 8
CAN 0100 100X = 2
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