Olympic hopes for Ferbey and Jones on thin ice

Curling champs in dire straits Infraction costly to Winnipeggers

HALIFAX— The hopes of two Canadian curling icons were hanging by a thread at the Olympic Trials yesterday. Randy Ferbey and Colleen Jones, both six- time Canadian champions, were officially on life support after recording their fourth losses.

“ It’s done. Absolutely, it’s over. Whatever we did didn’t work for this week,” a stunned Ferbey said. “ Four years of preparation down the tubes basically. Obviously we wanted to do well here and we didn’t perform bottom line.” Edmonton’s Ferbey was stomped 11-2 by Winnipeg’s Jeff Stoughton in a game that went only six ends, while Jones, in front of her hometown fans, gave up steals in the fifth and sixth ends in an 8- 7 loss to 1998 Olympic gold medallist Jan Betker of Regina.

Things went badly for Ferbey in the second end when he gave up a steal of three. The loss dropped the four-time world champion to a dismal 1- 4 with four games remaining in the round- robin portion of the tournament. Only the top three make the weekend playoffs.

“ Stoughton’s team absolutely kicked the living crap out of us. That’s the bottom line,” Ferbey said with a grimace. Dave Nedohin, who throws fourth stones, said the Ferbey team’s chances aren’t dead but they might as well be.

“ I know we’re not mathematically eliminated so we’re going to try and go out and win our last four games. The last trials there was a chance for a tie- breaker at four losses,” Nedohin said.

Jones’s loss came down to a measurement in the 10th end. Jones, at 2- 4, is in a little better shape than Ferbey but realizes the odds are against her. “We have to hope that four losses get in somehow. We’re not about to fold the tent yet because people are beating up on one another and we’re playing teams that are in contention and you can bring them back to the field,” Jones said.

Kelly Scott of Kelowna, B. C., and Saskatoon’s Stefanie Lawton moved into first place with 5- 1 records. Scott pounded Canadian defending champion Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg 9- 4. The turning point in the game was Jones being penalized when one of her sweepers hit a guard with her broom causing a rock to be removed. Scott capitalized with a wide open hit for three. She beat Jones 9- 4, but isn’t celebrating.

“ This thing isn’t over until Saturday night and we’re not here just to make playoffs. We’re here to win the whole thing,” Scott said. Lawton kept pace by beating Brantford’s Jo- Ann Rizzo 8- 6. Sherry Middaugh of Coldwater, Ont., is third at 4- 2 after pounding Marie-France Larouche of Quebec 10- 4.