Canada's women get bronze
ByReuters
Published 23/02/2006 at 15:56 GMT
Canada won the bronze medal in the women's Olympic curling competition on Thursday, beating Norway 11-5 in just eight ends. The final between Sweden and Switzerland was being played later on Thursday, starting at 1730cet.
CURLING 2006 Torino 2006 Canada-Great Britain Kleibrink
Image credit: Reuters
Canada's bronze equalled their performance at Salt Lake City in 2002 but the team, favourites going into the Games, could barely disguise their disappointment about not having the gold.
"We didn't play as well as we could to get the gold medal. But this is the next best. So we're going to be happy," team member Christine Keshen, looking resigned, told reporters.
It is now up to the Canadian men who face Finland on Friday to appease the demands of the world's largest curling nation for a gold medal.
Canada's women swept on to the curling sheet looking more relaxed and confident than they had at any time in the 10-day competition and after a semi-final loss against Switzerland that was riddled with misses.
The team, skipped by Shannon Kleibrink, seized the lead within the first 10 minutes of the match taking four points in the first end against a lacklustre Norway.
"I was surprised at getting four in the first. It worked out really great for us and really bad for them," Kleibrink said.
The quintet, in their first international competition, had suffered for much of the Games from what doctors said was food poisoning or stomach flu and several of the team had blamed the illness on their hit-and-miss performance.
Vice Amy Nixon, who sank on to the ice sobbing after Canada's 7-5 loss to Mirjam Ott's Switzerland, said the world's biggest curling nation should be satisfied with the women's achievement given their struggle with sickness.
"If I were sitting at home I'd want a gold in the curling. But to those who say they are disappointed in a bronze, I'd say, it felt like a gold to me after all we've been through.
"Norway's lead Camilla Holth felt it was their worst game of the competition. "We've never been that far behind," she said.
Sweden favourites
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