Anette Norberg Still Winning

Here's a little bit of news from Sweden, particularly for fans of Anette Norberg. Last year Anette's longstanding team decided to split up after winning Olympic gold for the second time (see here), with only Anette indicating she wanted to continue to play at top level.

Now, with Cecilia (Cissi) Östlund, Sara Carlsson and Lotta Lennartsson, Anette is Swedish champion again.

Hakan Sundstrom writes, "Anette beat Stina Viktorsson's European champions with 5-4 in the final which ended very dramatic. Viktorsson had a 4-3 lead and also had the hammer when Anette Norberg had played her last stone. Norberg had the shot stone and Viktorsson should raise her own stone about one metre towards the Norberg stone.

But poor Stina missed her delivery completely, touched a guard and pushed another Norberg stone into to the house as second shot. But that's curling sometimes."

The Swedish playdowns were in Sundsvall. In the men's competition, Niklas Edin, Sebastian Kraupp Fredrik Lindberg and Viktor Kjäll beat the Swedish junior champions, skipped by Oskar Eriksson, 9-6 in the final. The juniors had a 6-5 lead after eight ends but lost a four-ender in the ninth.

Photos of the Swedish champions are courtesy of Hakan Sundstrom.

Salute to Sweden

I'm still in ECC09 mode! Here's a small tribute to the young Swedish team which won the Le Gruyere European Curling Championships at the weekend.

The skip of course is Niklas Edin

That's the team in conference. Can you name the four players? See below. I think we will be seeing a lot more of these curlers!

Here's the lead, Viktor Kjall

Niklas threading the port in the tenth end

Second is Fredrik Lindberg

Markus Eggler and Niklas Edin in the final

Third player Sebastian Kraupp

The team in action

Here's the podium photo with the full squad: Back L-R Soren Gran (coach), Victor Kjall, Oskar Eriksson (alternate). Front: Sebastian Kraupp, Niklas Edin, Fredrik Lindberg.