BEIJING – The United States scored twice in the eighth and last end to eliminate Canada with a 6-4 quarterfinal victory at the 2021 World Wheelchair Curling Championships on Friday.
The Canadians, the defending silver medallists, trailed most of the game but manufactured a two-point score in the seventh end partly due to two excellent take-out shots by fourth player Jon Thurston to tie the score 4-4.
In the eighth end, Thurston was unsuccessful with his raise take-out attempt with his last stone, and it led Canada to concede defeat with two U.S. counters in the house.
After blanking the first end, the Americans got on the scoreboard in the second, by scoring two points.
Canada responded in the third with a single point. Then, in the fourth, the Americans scored another single point for a 3-1 lead.
In the fifth and sixth ends, the teams traded single-point scores with the hammer.
Canada was skipped by Mark Ideson who shot first rock. Ina Forrest, Dennis Thiessen and Thurston rounded out the team with Collinda Joseph as the alternate.
Before facing the U.S., the Canadians had concluded the round robin with four straight wins to finish fifth with 7-4 record. The Americans beat Canada by the same 6-4 score in the round robin.
The world championships was also an opportunity to play at the venue for the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games. The final field for the Games will be locked up following the worlds.
On Saturday, China faces Sweden for the gold and the U.S. meets defending champion, the Russian Curling Federation, for bronze.
For more information about the 2021 World Wheelchair Curling Championship, including scores, schedules and team lineups, go to: worldcurling.org/events/wwhcc2021/
With files from the World Curling Federation
