Sunday, March 09, 2008

Hooray for Scotland
















OSTERSUND – Jill is in Winnipeg and The Curling News has eyes and ears here in Sweden, too.

What a difference a day makes! Yesterday Sweden’s junior women looked unbeatable in thumping Scotland 8-2 in the semi-final. After the Scots passed Russia in last night’s semifinal, the stage was set for a battle of the titans: the smooth Swedes, led by skip Cissi Ostlund, and the always improving Scots, who had to toss their alternate into the lineup just in time for the playoffs, due to a sudden injury.

But it wasn’t close. In one of those inexplicable scenarios that crops up all too often is this crazy sport, the Scots were a house afire – and great on them – but the previously brilliant Swedes could do nothing right. Absolutely nothing. Nine of Scotland’s 12 points were stolen, six of them in one end. Final score was 12-3 and the vocal Swedish contingent was hushed.

Eve Muirhead, the new skip who won the gold last year as third stone for Sarah Reid, is only 17. She has three years of world junior eligibility left. Yikes.

The WCF report is located here, while Curling Today has some thoughts here.

WCF photo of Swedish second Anna Domeij is by Bob Cowan.

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