GANGNEUNG, South Korea, March 28, 2009 (CCAO— Canada’s quest for three straight world women’s curling championships came to an end Saturday afternoon at the Gangneung International Ice Rink.
Jennifer Jones and her Winnipeg foursome — third Cathy Overton-Clapham, second Jill Officer and lead Dawn Askin — dropped a 5-4 extra-end decision to Sweden’s Anette Norberg in the Page playoff three vs. four game at the Mount Titlis world women’s championship.
Jones was bidding for a second straight world title, while Kelly Scott of Kelowna, B.C., claimed gold for Canada two years ago in Aomori, Japan.
Jones held a 3-2 lead through eight ends, but gave up a crucial steal of two in the ninth end to Sweden when her last-rock draw wrecked on a guard.
Jones settled for one in the 10th end to force the extra, and in the 11th, Norberg made a draw to backing in the four-foot for the victory and a berth in the semifinal later Saturday against Denmark’s Angelina Jensen (6 a.m., all times Eastern, TSN; repeated at 7 p.m. on TSN).
“I thought we outplayed them again, and they snuck it out,” said Jones. “But they’re a great team. We controlled it; we were one up with (hammer) playing nine. You can’t really ask for anything more than that. Just not a very good ninth end all the way around, and it led to a really bad steal. It’s really unfortunate.”
Awaiting the winner of tonight’s semifinal is China’s Bingyu Wang, who’ll play for a gold medal for the second straight year after losing in the final to Jones in last year’s Ford world women’s in Vernon, B.C.
The championship game is scheduled for 2 a.m. (TSN2; repeated at 7 p.m. on TSN).