It's a very different Kelly Wood at this year's World Women's Curling Championships.

The Scottish skip defeated Debbie McCormick of the United States 12-6 to move into third place with a 5-2 record, while McCormick dropped to 5-3. Kelly Scott's Canadian foursome leads the pack at 7-0 with Denmark's surprising Angelina Jensen in second at 6-1.

Wood, her sister Lindsay at lead, and second Lorna Vevers have competed together for years, but welcomed 2002 world champion skip Jackie Lockhart at third stone this season. The results have seen Wood playing with renewed confidence at having a "shotmaker" in the lineup.
"It's been excellent," said Wood, who fired a 75 in shooting percentage compared to McCormick's 58.

"Jackie makes the big ones, she's a nice touch player and she brings a lot of fun to the team."

Last year Wood lost 7-4 to McCormick, the eventual silver medallist, and finished far out of playoff contention in sixth place.

"That's what the game's all about," said Lockhart. "I like making the big shot." The senior on the team by about 15 years, Lockhart will turn 42 on March 22, the final day of the round-robin. "I'm a very busy lady these days," Lockhart said. "I'm married, I have two children, I've got a job, and it's quite pleasureable playing (third). "There's less work managing the team, that's up to Kelly."

The veteran has long been a favourite among curling journalists for her sharp wit. Her appearance in the 2007 "Fire On Ice" women's curling calendar, in which 17 international curling athletes model themselves - some nude - as a fundraising vehicle, only adds to her colourful career.

"I sold one to the icemaker," Lockhart grinned. "He had to take it back to the hotel, all his crew mates were trying to look at it."

With future matches against Germany, the Czech Republic and winless Italy, the Scots have an opportunity to control their own fate before they conclude the round robin, against the Canadians, on Lockhart's birthday.

Kelly Scott's British Columbia foursome edged a stubborn Bingyu Wang of China 6-5 before thrashing Hana Synackova of the Czech Republic 8-2. The wins guaranteed the Canadians a place in the top four, and the weekend's playoff action.

"It feels good that we're almost there," said Scott. "The number one goal was to make the playoffs. There's lots of work still to do over the last three games."

One of those games is against Denmark, on Wednesday night.

In other games, Japan lost twice - 8-3 to Denmark and 10-6 to Sweden - to fall to 3-5 and Switzerland split a pair of games, beating Italy 12-2 but losing to Russia 7-6 on a steal of two in the final frame. The Russians rebounded to beat Italy 11-4, in a rematch of December's Le Gruyere European Championship final.

Meanwhile, China rebounded to beat the Czechs 7-3 and the United States made a miraculous comeback from 5-0 and 7-2 deficits to steal a win from Germany by an 8-7 count

Sweden, China, Scotland, Japan