With international curling medals more elusive for Canada than they once were, Kerri Einarson claimed bronze Sunday at the women鈥檚 world curling championship in Prince George.
Einarson edged Sweden鈥檚 Anna Hasselborg 8-7 in an extra end to get the host country on the podium at the CN Centre.
Switzerland鈥檚 Silvana Tirinzoni won a record third straight world title, beating South Korea鈥檚 EunJung Kim 7-6 for gold.
After a late-game letdown in a semifinal loss to Kim the previous evening, Einarson finished the job against Hasselborg, who won Olympic gold in 2018 and ranks No. 3 in the world.
鈥淲e came here for gold, but we鈥檙e coming home with something, so that鈥檚 pretty special,鈥� Einarson said.
An unprecedented number of Canada鈥檚 elite curling teams have broken up and reformed in recent weeks following last month鈥檚 Olympic Games in Beijing, but Einarson vows her foursome out of Manitoba鈥檚 Gimli Curling Club will carry on as is.
鈥淲e are definitely staying together,鈥� the skip said. 鈥淲hy break something that isn鈥檛 broken?鈥�
Einarson, third Val Sweeting, second Shannon Birchard and lead Briane Meilleur return to next year鈥檚 national championship in Kamloops, B.C., as the Team Canada entry among provinces and territories.
Winners of three straight Canadian titles, they鈥檒l attempt to win a fourth straight.
Einarson wasn鈥檛 able to wear the Maple Leaf in the 2020 world championship in Prince George. That event was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Her team went 1-5 to open last year鈥檚 world championship in Calgary鈥檚 curling bubble held without fans, and ultimately finished sixth.
Einarson posted a 9-3 record in the preliminary round this year to earn the third playoff seed behind Switzerland (12-0) and South Korea (9-3).
鈥淓very opportunity we get here at worlds, it almost feels a little easier,鈥� the skip said. 鈥淚 know last year, we felt a lot of pressure.鈥�
Her team competed in the first world curling championship held with spectators since 2019. Attendance at the 6,000-seat venue averaged just 1,500 per draw.
The virus continued to impede the 2022 women鈥檚 event, however. Scotland withdrew from the 13-country field on the second day because four players tested positive.
Japan played its 10th game with three players and withdrew from its last round-robin game due to COVID-19 concerns.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been amazing to be here in front of this crowd,鈥� Hasselborg said. 鈥淲e have to admit it鈥檚 been weird to have an open event like this when COVID is still around us.
鈥淚 love that we have been open, but it鈥檚 tough too. If you get it, you鈥檙e out.鈥�
READ MORE: Canada鈥檚 Einarson loses women鈥檚 world curling semifinal 9-6 to South Korea
The World Curling Federation booted Russia, the runner-up in Calgary, from the tournament because of that country鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine last month.
鈥淚f there鈥檚 anything I learned over the last two years, it鈥檚 perspective,鈥� Birchard said. 鈥淚 think that was key after last night鈥檚 loss coming into this game, but I think we鈥檙e just so grateful to be able to play with everything that鈥檚 going on in the world right now.鈥�
Jennifer Jones (2018) and Rachel Homan (2017) skipped the last Canadian teams to win world championship gold in the last dozen tournaments.
Tirinzoni joined Jones and Homan in skipping their teams to unbeaten records through the round robin and the playoffs.
Bronze was Canada鈥檚 first medal since Jones鈥檚 victory.
鈥淐anada hasn鈥檛 got a medal at the worlds in a while, so it鈥檚 really cool to get that medal for us,鈥� Meilleur said. 鈥淚t was a hard field and a really hard grind of a week.鈥�
One bronze medal in team curling in the last two Winter Olympics also indicates the rest of the world has caught up in a sport where Canadians on the podium was once a regular occurrence.
Canadian teams run a domestic gauntlet of some of the world鈥檚 top teams to wear the Maple Leaf internationally.
By contrast, Scotland hand-picks a pool of curlers from which to choose a national team.
Sweden鈥檚 Hasselborg and five-time world champion Niklas Edin are essentially full-time curlers whose teams have the full weight of their federation鈥檚 resources behind them.
鈥淚 hope we never get to the point where it鈥檚 a selection system in Canada,鈥� said Einarson鈥檚 coach Reid Carruthers, who is a national-level curler himself.
鈥淭hat would just take away from getting to wear this logo on my chest. This is such an honour because we鈥檝e earned the right to come here.鈥�
Sandviken, Sweden is the host city of the 2023 women鈥檚 world championship.
Brad Gushue of St. John鈥檚, N.L., is Canada鈥檚 representative at the men鈥檚 world championship starting Saturday in Las Vegas.
Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press
