(by Larry Wood)
Switzerland’s Mirjam Ott was more than ecstatic Thursday to find out she was ranked No. 2 behind Sweden for Ford World Women’s Curling Championship playoff purposes today.
A double winner on the last day of round-robin qualifiers, Ott found herself in a familiar but, in this case, possibly unexpected position.
Mirjam Ott at the 2012 Ford World Women’s Curling Championship. (Photo: CCA/Michael Burns Photography)
The Davos skip knows all about being No. 2. She has two silver medals from sorties to the Olympic Games to prove that point.
Now the Swiss and Swedes have the extra life for playoffs for this Worlds scuffle as Page One-Two combatants tonight (7 p.m.) at the Enmax Centre.
“That’s great that we qualified for the playoffs,” Ott said following a last-draw 6-4 conquest of Russia on Thursday night. “We’ve never been in the Page One-Two at the Worlds. That gives us two playoff lives. We’d like to take the first one.”
Earlier on Thursday the veteran Swiss unit — third Carmen Schaefer, second Carmen Kueng and lead Janine Greiner — forced a four-way tie going into the last games by defeated Korea’s surprising Ji-Sun Kim 6-5.
Sweden — Margaretha Sigfridsson, Maria Prytz, Christina Bertrup, Maria Wennerstrom — lost a 6-5 extra-end morning tussle to the hottest team in the building skipped by Allison Pottinger of the U.S. but bounced back in the afternoon to clobber Lene Nielsen of Denmark 7-2 and qualify No. 1 for the playoff round.
Korea, a 7-3 conqueror of Russia in the afternoon, matched the 8-3 records of Sweden and the Swiss and was slotted No. 3 in the playoffs.
The U.S., winner of seven straight on the heels of an 0-and-4 start this week, will face Canada’s Heather Nedohin and her Edmonton team in a tiebreaker today at 2 p.m. Nedohin was twice tripped up on Thursday and finished 7-and-4, losing on last rock to Italy 6-5 in the afternoon, then bowing 9-3 to Scotland’s Eve Muirhead on the late draw.
The tiebreaker survivor will be placed fourth for playoffs and take on Korea in a Page Three-Four match on Saturday at 1 p.m.
“We have no concerns,” said a curt Nedohin after the evening spanking. “Have you ever seen hungry Canadians? We’re feisty. We’ll be back. I’d say the skip didn’t show up today and I’ll be there tomorrow. I’m going to have a better day.”