Leslie Ingram-Brown reports from the Winter Youth Olympic Games in Austria:"The game we were all waiting for ended up as an anti-climax as Canada's Thomas Scoffin made this a one-horse race for six ends in beating Duncan Menzies, Angharad Ward, Thomas Muirhead and Rachel Hannen 8-2 in six ends.
First end and Scoffin drew for a single. Canada piled on the rpessure in the second and with last stone Menzies faced three shots. The option taken was to try a raise on the out turn but he only made third shot.
GBR blanked the third but early on in the fourth got into trouble which piled up as the end progressed with Menzies facing four shots with his last stone draw which was light. The signs were ominous as the GBR team struggled with their weight and Canada were fully in control of the game.
With last stone in the fifth Menzies hit and lay for 2 but was still 2-7 down with a minimum of six ends to play.
In the sixth again Canada forced the play and had the chance of counting a second four shots but for once the Canadian skip played it badly and counted only one shot. This was enough for the GBR Team who conceded.
After the game Duncan said, "We were all struggling with our weight control and time after time Canada were putting us under pressure. That was our worst game and we now have to win the rest of our games. The team can definately get better but we have to pull it all together and hope it gets better."
There were results this afternoon which certainly help the GBR position in that Sweden lost to Italy 7-5 and Russia beat Japan 6-5. Austria beat Germany at an extra end taking seven shots in the ninth end. The GBR Group now has five teams on two wins and one loss - Austria, Canada, Japan, Russia and Sweden. GBR is two points behind and if they can win their remaining four games could still qualify but probably by the use of a tiebreak or tiebreak games.
GBR play Japan and Italy to-morrow."
Thanks Leslie.
CAN * 1204 01XX = 8
GBR 0000 20XX = 2
The results can be found here (although this site let me down today) or as a download from the official website here.
The top photo shows Angharad Ward delivering with Rachel Hannen and Thomas Muirhead ready to sweep. Photo © Leslie Ingram-Brown.
