Jones’ double trouble
Skip faces Olympic gold- and silver-winning Sweden and South Korea on same day
NORTH BAY, Ont. — It’s quite appropriate that Canada will play the Olympic gold and silver medallists on what’s commonly known as “hump day.”
The potential is there for the home team to take a hard slide one way or another in the World Women’s Curling Championships standings.
Emerging from Wednesday with losses to Sweden (4 p.m.) and South Korea (11 a.m.) would damage Canada skip Jennifer Jones’ chances of finishing the round robin in a top-two spot, which carries an automatic berth into a semifinal.
Winding up anywhere else in the top six means playing a qualification showdown Saturday morning (3 vs. 6, 4 vs. 5) and the possibility of an early exit, minus a medal.
The new playoff format for the 13-team event does not include the traditional tiebreaker games. Deadlocks will be decided by head-tohead meetings and, if the teams are still tied, the same method that determines who has the hammer in the first end — a draw to the button.
“It really then just comes down to a skills contest,” said Jones. “I don’t like how the women’s gold medal (hockey) game ended at the Olympics, in a shootout, and that reminds me of it. So I don’t like it.”
The Canadians won both their games on Tuesday against low standing opponents, and it wasn’t easy in either game. Sweden (7-0), Canada (6-0) and Korea (5-1) are the only teams with fewer than two losses.
Jones was unaware of the schedule past Tuesday night’s game, which saw Canada rally and survive some last-rock drama for a 8-6 victory.
“It’s a big day if we play both (Sweden and Korea), just because they’re in the hunt here,” she said. “But really, we just want to make sure we get a foot in the door of the playoffs, and so far we’ve been heading in that right direction.”
Canada had its hands full with Denmark (1-5) in Tuesday’s morning draw until scoring four in the eighth for a 8-6 victory over Scotland (1-6).
“We made a couple of good shots and it worked out well for us, but yeah, it was a little bit back and forth,” said second Jill Officer. “I think there’s a few shots we’d all like back. I think we’re going to have to make sure we’re still continuing to try to get sharper.”
The loss didn’t wipe the ever-present smile off the faces of the Denmark girls, who arrived here with modest expectations.
“I would be happy if we win one or two or three games,” Danish skip Angelina Jensen said. “That would be really high. We are normally curlers who play curling, and work next to it. We have a busy life at home. Most of the people here, they are full-time curlers. If we can get a few wins we will be extremely happy.”
Jones felt the victory over Scotland wasn’t as close it may have looked.
“I didn’t think it was a struggle, we were up 3-0 after two ends,” she said. “The last end, we played really well. My last rock I thought had to curl maybe an inch more, but it turns out it was perfect because she rubbed on it, so there you go.”
Asked to compare the Olympic gold-medal winners to Canada, Jensen replied politically.
“They are both really, really good teams,” she said. “I cannot say who is best, if that is what you want. I really think both of them are really, really good curler players.
“For us, in the first game against Sweden, to be honest we were a little bit like, ‘OK, we just landed.’ But I have to say both of the teams are amazing.”
Pressed for a prediction on Wednesday’s marquee game, Jensen laughed.
“I’m not going to tell you what I think. Nooooo,” she said. “I think it could go both ways. I see four extremely good throwers on both teams. So I would not put money on who would win. That I would not do.”
Jones wouldn’t offer up an assessment on either Sweden or Korea, primarily because she did not see their Olympic showdown. You’d think beating both on Wednesday would provide some inner satisfaction for Jones, who is still haunted by a loss to Rachel Homan in
the December trials that prevented her the opportunity of defending the gold she won at the 2014 Sochi Games.
“That was hugely disappointing,” said Jones. “It’s something we’re still talking about. It stings a little bit.”