Gushue needs extra end to beat South Korea
LAS VEGAS — Canada’s Brad Gushue downed South Korea’s ChangMin Kim 7-6 in an extra end at the men’s world curling championship Tuesday.
Canada moved into a tie at 4-1 with Norway’s Steffen Walstad and Scotland’s Bruce Mouat, behind front-runner Niklas Edin of Sweden at 5-0.
Kim buried his final draw behind a guard with his last throw of the extra end, forcing Gushue to draw the four-foot ring for the win, which he did.
The extra end was necessary after Gushue was heavy on an attempted corner freeze to South Korea’s shot stone in the 10th. Kim delivered his final stone with just four seconds left on their game clock, but executed the soft hit for two.
Canada played back-to-back draws Tuesday with a game against Japan’s Go Aoki (2-4) in the afternoon.
Gushue’s team from St. John’s, N.L., is the defending champion, having gone unbeaten to take the title last year in Edmonton.
South Korea won the pre-game draw the button to earn last-rock advantage in the first end.
It was the first time in the tournament Canada didn’t have hammer to start, but Gushue nevertheless stole three points over the first four ends before the South Koreans countered with a deuce in the fifth.
The Canadians drew in for a series of freezes in the second. Kim ticked on a guard trying to draw in for one and Gushue counted two.
After blanking the third, the South Korean skip’s draw was short of the rings to hand a point to Canada.
Kim made a soft tap for a deuce in the fifth to trail 3-2. With hammer for the first time in the game in the sixth, Gushue was able to draw for two. But Gushue missed a runback in the eighth end, and Kim drew for two to cut the lead to 5-4.
Kim’s delicate tap in the ninth had South Korea laying one. A strong sweep by Canadian front end Brett Gallant and Geoff Walker helped Gushue get his double tap to score one and lead 6-4 coming home before Kim forced the extra end.
The top six teams at the conclusion of the preliminary round Friday advance to playoffs. The top two teams gets byes to Saturday’s semifinals while teams three to six square off in quarterfinals. The final and bronzemedal games are Sunday.