Canada’s Kelly Scott settles for bronze at world women’s curling championship

Team Canada skip Kelly Scott after losing to the USA in Grande Prairie, Alta. on Saturday. (CP/Andrew Vaughan)

March 25, 2006 - 17:42
By: BILL GRAVELAND

GRANDE PRAIRIE, Alta. (CP) - After a series of Houdini-like escapes, Canada’s Kelly Scott finally ran out of lives at the Ford World Women’s Curling Championship on Saturday when she lost the semifinal to Debbie McCormick of the U.S.

“How’s the makeup?” an emotional Scott asked reporters as she rubbed her eyes moments after McCormick drew for two points with her final rock in the 10th end to beat Canada 8-7.

“Darn . . . obviously we’re very proud going home with a medal. We had to fight for every ounce of that bronze medal and you know, a few shots here and there could have turned into a silver or gold so we can’t hang our heads about that.”

McCormick, the 2003 world champion, will face Anette Norberg’s Swedish team, the Olympic champions, in Sunday’s final (CBC, 12:30 p.m. ET).

The Canadian team, including third Jeanna Schrader, second Sasha Carter and lead Renee Simons, got into serious trouble in the first end when Scott wrecked on a guard allowing McCormick a draw for three.

Scott’s team battled back and stole a single point in the ninth for a 7-6 lead.

But McCormick had last-rock advantage coming home and scored her two with the hammer after Scott’s final throw left the door open for the Americans.

Scott had pulled off an improbable comeback against Norway in the last draw of the round robin Thursday just to secure the fourth and final playoff spot.

Trailing 8-4 after eight ends, Canada eventually won 9-8 in an extra end.

The pressure of playing on home ice weighed on the diminutive skip from Kelowna, B.C., as Canada is a world power in the sport and those who follow it have high expectations of their teams internationally.

“It has been so hard,” Scott said. “We went as far as we could, playing in front of a Canadian crowd like this, under the Canadian microscope.

“All we care is we’re happy with it and people can think what they want. Until you’re here, until you’re playing in this atmosphere, you have no idea and people can think and say what they want.”

Schraeder said the team just ran out of steam with the world championship following so soon after the Canadian championship, the Scott Tournament of Hearts, concluded on March 5.

“It’s still great,” Shraeder added. “If you had asked us at the beginning of the year, ‘hey you’re going to be third in the world this year’ we would have said ‘we’ll take it.”‘

Scott’s team finished runner-up to Shannon Kleibrink’s in the final of the Olympic curling trials in December. Kleibrink’s team went on to win bronze at the Games in Turin, Italy, last month.

So Scott found consolation Saturday in the way her team rebounded from that loss to win a Canadian title and represent the country here.

“We could have packed her up in December but we hung in there, fought our way through districts, provincials and the Scott,” she said. “And what a tough week here. We could have packed her in here too but we just kept going and finally ran out of steam.”

McCormick, who was born in Saskatoon but now lives in the U.S., was relieved with the win because she’d had problems with her throwing weight.

“It was very tense,” she said. “I mean getting the three in the first end . . . but we knew we had nine ends left and Canada played really tough to get back in there,” she said.

The U.S. has already lost twice to Norberg, the defending world champion, both in the round robin and in a playoff game between the top two seeds. McCormick had been hoping for a rematch.

“They’re a great team but we really want this and we need to play a really strong game,” she said. “I know the girls are going to be up for it.”

Norberg’s team opted not to practice Saturday and instead watched the semifinal.

The Swedish skip wasn’t worried about the law of averages catching up with her in playing the same team for a third time.

“No you don’t bother about that,” Norberg said. “We’ve been here 10 days and it’s been a long time since we played them the first game, so it doesn’t matter.”

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