Last Updated: Sunday, March 25, 2007 | 7:26 PM ET
CBC Sports

Canadian skip Kelly Scott led her teammates to gold over Denmark’s Angelina Jensen by a score of 8-4 Sunday in the final of the women’s world curling championship in Aomori, Japan.

Scott’s team from Kelowna, B.C., includes third Jeanna Schraeder, second Sasha Carter and lead Renee Simons.

Canada’s curlers, from left, Jeanna Schraeder, skip Kelly Scott, Sasha Carter and Renee Simons celebrate after defeating Denmark.
(Ng Han Guan/Associated Press) “We were on a mission today and we stuck together,” Scott told CBC Sports. “We don’t have any family or friends with us this week.

“It was just the curling girls here on a mission and it feels so good to finally cap it off today.”

The win marks Canada’s first world title since Nova Scotia’s Colleen Jones won in 2004 and is the fifth world title for Canada in the past decade.

Canada thumped the Danes in the Page playoff game between the top two seeds out of the round robin on Saturday by a score of 11-3.

Denmark rebounded for a win in a thrilling game over Scotland’s Kelly Wood by a score of 9-6 in Saturday’s semifinal, which set up a rematch with Canada in the gold medal match.

The Danes appeared much more composed to start the gold medal game as both teams would exchange points to start the final.

Scott’s rink jumped out to a 3-1 lead early after scoring two in the first and another in the third, but Jensen’s rink tied it with two in the fourth.

A raise in the fifth would give Canada a 4-3 lead.

The tide began to turn in Canada’s favour after Scott stole a point in the sixth and made a takeout with her last shot in the seventh end to set up a steal of two to take a commanding 7-3 lead.

After Scott scored another point to conclude the ninth end, Denmark conceded the victory to Canada, a title that was sweet redemption for the Canadian skip and her teammates after their learning experience in last year’s world cup in Grande Prairie, Alta.

“Just the whole course of last season was a huge learning curve for us and we went through it, we stuck together and got through world’s last year with a bronze,” Scott told CBC Sports. “This year we were after the gold medal and sure enough, we did it today.”

Canada was nearly perfect throughout the tournament, posting just one loss to Scotland during the round robin.

Vernon, B.C., will be the site of the world -championship in 2008.

With files from the Associated Press

SOURCE: CBC News

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