(Photo credit score: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images)
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Sweden superior to the ladies’s curling closing on the Winter Olympics after beating reigning world champions Canada 6-3 and can tackle Switzerland, who defeated the United States 7-4 on the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium on Friday.
Rachel Homan’s Canada have been hoping to affix their male counterparts within the closing, however put in an error-strewn efficiency in opposition to Anna Hasselborg’s Sweden within the semifinal.
After a cagey begin during which each groups picked up a few singles, Sweden bought the breakthrough within the sixth finish when Homan couldn’t nail a hit-and-roll, which freed up Hasselborg to seize two factors.
Sweden had a lead of three heading into the ultimate finish, and although Canada had hammer, an exquisite shot from Hasselborg put three of her stones in the home and Homan conceded victory along with her closing shot remaining.
Sweden have now ensured a medal for a 3rd successive Games, profitable gold in Pyeongchang and bronze in Beijing 4 years in the past.
‘You’re by no means in management, however I had an awesome feeling, and we did begin with hammer,’ Hasselborg mentioned.
‘It was only a nice sport, and to attain a two there within the sixth was actually necessary for the sport.’
US HEADS TO BRONZE-MEDAL GAME
In the opposite semifinal, Switzerland’s win ensured an Olympic medal for skip Silvana Tirinzoni and fourth Alina Paetz, the one prize lacking from their lengthy and profitable careers.
At the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022, the four-time world champions had come shut, dominating the round-robin stage with eight wins and one defeat to enter the semifinals.
However, they suffered a shock loss to Japan earlier than falling to Hasselborg’s Sweden within the bronze-medal sport — sending them house empty-handed.
‘(Beijing) was a disappointment, however I by no means thought that we performed badly. We did not fairly attain our aim, however I nonetheless went house with fairly an excellent feeling, really, and I feel that helped us additionally in these Olympics,’ Tirinzoni mentioned.
‘It’s not all the time in regards to the medal. It’s additionally about being at your greatest within the spherical robin having fun with the second and being your self and all that.
‘I feel we did so many issues nicely in Beijing, and we simply misplaced two essential video games. But now we received it, and now every little thing is implausible.’
The United States, hoping to grow to be the primary girls’s workforce from the nation to win an Olympic medal, will play Canada for bronze on Saturday. Cory Thiesse and the U.S. received silver within the blended doubles competitors earlier these Games.
Sweden and Switzerland vie for gold on Sunday within the finale of the curling competitors on the Milano Cortina Games.
–Reuters, particular to Field Level Media