24 March 2024
Canada to face Switzerland in World Women’s final
Following two tense semi-finals in front of a packed house, hosts Canada will face defending champions Switzerland in the gold medal final of the BKT World Women’s Curling Championship.
Both semi-finals went to the last stone before Canada beat Korea by 9-7 and Switzerland overcame Italy by 6-3. Korea and Italy will now play for bronze medals at 11:00 before the gold medal game at 17:00.
Canada versus Korea
In the semi-final between Canada and Korea, Canada’s skip Rachel Homan opened the scoring with a draw for two points in the second end. However, Korea skip Gim Eunji responded in the third end, playing a double to score three points and take a 3-2 lead.
By the ninth end, Canada led by 6-5 when Gim nudged out a Canadian stone to score two points and take a 7-6 lead. In the tenth end, Homan hit out a Korean stone that was lying open, to score three points and win by 9-7.
After the win, Homan said, “I feel on top of the world right now. I’m so proud of my team for battling, they were phenomenal in front of me.” She also took a moment out to acknowledge the support she had received from this home crowd. “It’s just so much fun (playing in front of this crowd). I’ll never forget this week, win or lose.”
Italy versus Switzerland
In the other semi-final between Switzerland and Italy, the Swiss led by 2-1 when, in the fifth end, Italy’s skip Stefania Constantini played a raised take-out to score one point and level the game at 2-2.
In the seventh end, with the score still at 2-2, Switzerland’s fourth player Alina Paetz drew her final stone into a busy house to score two points and give her team a 4-2 lead. The eighth end was blanked then, in the ninth, Italy’s Constantini drew her final stone into position to score one point and reduce the Swiss lead to 4-3.
Finally, in the tenth end, Switzerland’s Paetz played a hit to knockout two Italian stones and score two, to seal a 6-3 win.
After this win, that gives her team a shot at a fifth successive world title, Switzerland’s skip Silvana Tirinzoni said, “I’m empty, I don’t know what to say, it was such an exhausting game. They played amazing.” Looking forward to the final, she added, “I could not wish for more, to play Canada, in Canada, for my fifth world title? It’s a dream.”
Times are ADT (GMT-3).
Find the scores, results and standings here.
Watch the games on The Curling Channel.
