World Seniors: Final Report

Senior Women Final: Canada 9 Sweden 2.
Senior Women Bronze: Switzerland 5 USA 4.

Senior Men Final: Canada 5 USA 4.
Senior Men Bronze: Australia 8 Denmark 5.

Leslie Ingram-Brown reports from Saint Paul:

"In the Senior Men's Championship, both the final and the bronze medal games went to extra ends with Canada winning gold 5-4 over USA and Australia cracking Denmark 8-5.

The Senior Women's Final was a one sided affair with Canada's Christine Jurgenson shooting the lights out of Sweden's Ingrid Meldahl, a past two time champion, 9-2. Switzerland grabbed the Bronze Medal from USA 5-4 when USA skip Margie Smith came up short twice with draws."

The official website is here. And there's a report with quotes on the WCF website here.

Top photo: Canada's Mark Johnson and USA's Geoff Goodland.

L-R: Christine Jurgenson (skip), Cheryl Noble (third), Pat Sanders (second), Roselyn Craig (lead), Lena West (alternate), Bill Tschirhart (coach).

L-R: Mark Johnson (skip), Marv Wirth (third), Ken McLean (second), Millard Evans (lead), Brad Hannah (alternate), Bill Tschirhart (coach).

Photos courtesy of Leslie Ingram-Brown.

World Seniors: Report 9

Leslie Ingram-Brown reports from Saint Paul:

"At the World Senior Championships in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Ken Horton, Gordon Butler, Angus Storrie and Eddie Banks were, quite honestly, outclassed by Team Canada in the quarterfinal.

Canada, skipped by Mark Johnson, opened with a three, then stole a single in the second end. From there on Scotland were on the back foot and never got back into the game, losing a further two shots in the fourth to be 6-1 down at the break.

Whilst a hit and lie brought some relief in the fifth with a two, Canada blanked the sixth and counted three shots in the seventh. The game was over then.

Two sheets away, England was working hard to take Hugh Milliken's Australian team out of the game but it was Milliken's experience that was, in the end, the major differnce between the two teams. Australia were 5-3 to the good coming into the final end. Whatever Michael Sutherland's team tried, the Australians had an answer.

In the semifinals Canada will play Australia and the USA take on Denmark.

Earlier, in the qualifying game against Germany, Ken and his team beat Germany. The Scots opened strongly and took a three in the first end. Germany was again in trouble in the second with skip Klaus Unterstab saving the day with a draw for a single. Scotland countered with a single in the third and stole a two in the fourth when Germany came up short with their draw.

Horton led 6-3 into the final end and ran their opposition out of stones in the eighth, setting up their quarterfinal match against the Canadians."

The official website for all the results and photos is here.

World Seniors update

I see that Linda Young's Scots won their final round robin game against Russia. Alternate Liz Horton played lead for the team following Fiona de Vries' accident. However, the Scottish record of six wins and four losses was not good enough to get them into the playoffs and they will finish in fifth place in the rankings.

Leslie Ingram Brown reports, "Sweden needed to beat Switzerland for the Scots to be involved in a tiebreak game for the fourth semifinal place. The score was 4-3 for Switzerland going into the last end but Sweden held the hammer. Chantel Forrer threw her last stone but left Sweden lying two shots, game, and a ranked third place in the final standings for the semifinals on Saturday morning. Then Canada will play Switzerland and USA will play Sweden."

Ken Horton's team finished third in their section in the men's event. Also in third place in the other two sections were New Zealand and Germany. The former had the best DSC average and gets the seventh place in the quarterfinals. Scotland plays Germany later today for the remaining place.

Follow the results here (look for Live Scoring).

Photo of Liz Horton courtesy of Leslie Ingram-Brown.

World Seniors: Report 8

England beat Scotland at the World Senior Curling Championship at Saint Paul, Minnesota, yesterday. Leslie Ingram-Brown reports:

"Never more than one shot separated the Ken Horton and Michael Sutherland teams. England led 4-3 into the final end but Scotland held the hammer. Lying shot, Horton nominated to draw the opposite side of the house and his stone looked heavy enough the whole way. But from about half way between the hog and house it started moving transversely and finished inches short. England then removed the Scottish counter rolling into the twelve foot leaving Horton to draw for the single and the extra end.

In the extra, with England lying shot behind a rampart of stones, Horton had no option than try a 'snooker' shot, but hit all wrong and England were the winners.

USA lead the Section and are joined by England in the quarterfinals. Scotland will have to wait until the Red and Green Sections are finished this evening to know the other third placed teams. The best of these on the basis of the draw shot challenge will go through to the quarterfinals. The other two will play a tiebreak game to decide the last qualifier."

The event website is here.

Photo of Ken Horton is courtesy of Leslie Ingram-Brown.

Accident to Fiona de Vries at World Seniors

Leslie Ingram-Brown reports on a most unfortunate accident to Scotland's Fiona de Vries on the ice at the World Seniors in Saint Paul:

"Marie O'Kane was skipping her Irish Women to a 3-0 lead over Scotland's Linda Young into the fourth end when Scottish lead Fiona de Vries tripped at the edge of the sheet breaking her ankle.

Sweden's skip Ingrid Meldahl is a trained surgeon and Marie is a nurse and they tended to Fiona until the ambulance arrived to take her to hospital. The games between Sweden and Japan and Scotland and Ireland were temporarily suspended.

In what can only be seen as extraordinary sportsmanship Ireland conceded the game to Scotlland. This was ratified by WCF Competitions' Director Keith Wendorf.

I can only say that the Irish are the real winners on all counts. The true Spirit of Curling is alive. On behalf of Scottish Curling I would personally record our thanks to all the players who temporarily suspended play until they were sure Fiona was getting proper attention and especially to Ingrid for her care and attention. The Scottish team acknoweldged this with a presentation of flowers in the restaurant after the game."

Thanks for this, Leslie. I can only echo your sentiments, and I am sure that all reading this will want to send their best wishes too to Fiona.

That's Fiona third from the right in the Scottish squad photo above. The most up to date news on Fiona is that she has broken three bones. An operation is to take place Thursday evening.

Photo courtesy of Leslie Ingram-Brown

World Seniors: Report 7

Leslie Ingram-Brown reports from Saint Paul, Minnesota:

"Late on Wednesday evening at the World Senior Men's Curling Championship, Ken Horton, Gordon Butler, Angus Storrie and Eddie Binks defeated Japan's Nobuyuki Kato.

Japan led 3-1 at the interval but, from the fifth end onwards, Horton had total control of the game, running a triple of twos over ends five through to seven for a 7-3 lead, when Japan conceded.

The Blue Section is headed by USA, on six straight wins. Scotland is in second place having beaten Japan and stands on four wins. Only one team separates Horton and a direct place in the quarterfinals - ENGLAND - and these teams play at 14.30 local time today (Thursday).

England defeated France 8-1 and would need to beat Scotland to have any chance of reaching the quarterfinals.

In the Senior Women's Championship, Linda Young's team went down to the USA's Margie Smith 9-3 in seven ends, and realistically the Scottish women are out of these Championships unless Sweden, Switzerland and USA slip up."

The official website is here.