2009 World Championships 소식

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2009 World Championships
Vancouver, Canada - February 21 - 28

Meet Team Canada 2009 HERE

The schedule and results, the standings and a summary of each day's news will be posted below. For up to the minute scores, visit our blog at wheelchaircurlingblog.blogspot.com

February 22nd - Day 2

Draw 4 wrap-up - a bad day for favourites

It was a bad day for the favoured sides, though the in form team, Germany, kept winning. They may have used a whole week's worth of good fortune in scoring four in the final end to overcome a two point deficit to beat USA 10-8.

You can review a recap of the game as we reported it live on our blog but in short USA played well enough to win, but missed takeouts with their last four stones, gifting Germany a fourth win to stay top of the table.

Scotland finally found their form after struggling painfully in their first two outings. They fell behind 6-2 to Norway at the break, but then scored 7 unanswered points. Norway coach Thoralf Hognestad was in constant motion, jumping up and down, imploring his side to pull their game together but to no avail. If it had been a soccer match he probably would have been banished from the sidelines. It's refreshing to see some animation from a coach. Most have gone to coach stoicism school, and betray no emotion.

Sweden pricked the China bubble, stealing singles in three of the ends in a 6-5 victory, and Italy continued their momentum from their morning win over Canada by swamping Korea 7-1. There was a lengthy delay a the third end when an official incorrectly moved a stone. After much deliberation it was decided to replay the end. Korea, who had given up two singles, were unable to regain their composure, giving up a further three steals before getting on the board.

Tomorrow morning Canada face Switzerland, who are still looking for their first win. The Swiss team has been completely reworked with long-time skip Manfred Bollinger leading a team with very little experience. USA play Korea in a game that will test who can better rebound from frustrating Draw 4 losses. Sweden play Scotland and Norway take on China.

See you online as we live blog the Canadian game.

Quick impressions of Draw 3

As goes the skip, so goes the team. That's true for any curling team but especially so with this one. Jim Armstrong is the powerful personality on the team and the player that the rest of the side look up to. And he is calling a great game.

Today's problems were that even though he gave himself a chance to bail his team out every end, too often he failed to execute.

Italy were very pumped for this game and even though their front end struggled, Tabanelli at skip remained calm and out shot Jim Armstrong.

That said, Italy nearly made the same mistake as China in the final end. Canada threw a corner guard and Italy, rather than throwing through, chose to challenge Canada with draws. Jim still had a chance to save the day if he could have made his first stone of the final end count. But he came up short and Canada were out of rocks.

In other games, Scotland continued their erratic play in a 10-6 loss to USA. Tom Killin and Michael McCreadie both struggled with weight control and the score would have been much worse than 10 -6 had Aileen Neilson not bailed them out a couple of times.

Norway's coach chewed out his team at the fourth end break. Norway took 2 in the first but then gave up steals in the third and the fourth to go into the break down 4 - 2. The Swiss team have a very experienced skip but are otherwise new to wheelchair curling, and Norway Coach Thoralf Hognestad was not happy to see his defending champions behind to a team he would expect to beat.

"I told the team I was angry at them. They were not focusing. I told them they had to visualize the path of the rock before every rock and not be looking into the stands."

His words took effect as Norway scored three in the fifth and had single steals in each of the last three ends.

Germany took on favoured Korea and beat them decisively 8 - 3. Germany started with a 3, gave up 2, but finished with steals in the 6th and 7th ends for a decisive victory. Germany lead the table at 3 - 0 and take on the USA this evening. See you there!

Visit our blog for up to the minute match reporting of Canada's draws

February 21st - Day 1

The teams were led in by the RCMP pipers and the trophy was carried in by an RCMP officer with jaw that jutted in the best comic book tradition. It was a stirring sight for a disappointingly small crowd. I'm sure it was more trouble than it was worth to collect the five dollars they were charging at the door. Pass checkers outnumbered people lacking passes.

Scottish coach Tom Pendrieigh told me that he was hoping for a good start to Scotland's campaign as they had the toughest early draws of any of the teams. "I hope there's a lot of rocks in play," he said, "and that we provide some entertainment for the crowd."

Both Canada and Scotland struggled in the first couple of ends. Canada managed to get three rocks in the rings in the first end and they all counted. They followed up with a steal of two and the game was pretty much over as a spectacle as Scotland struggled at all positions. Scotland were throwing from behind the tee line in the near rings for draws and moving up to the hogline for hits, but were never able to get going. Michael McCreadie struggled to make the rings towards the end of the game. The final score tells it all: Canada 10 - Scotland 2 although Michael had to be told by an official that he had been run out of rocks in the eighth end and had to leave the ice. Now that is a never-say-die spirit.

USA played China and the game was very close with a rare blank end. USA's problem was that they played the first end with lots of rocks in the rings and gave up three. Coach Brown was philosophical in defeat. "We just have to make more shots," he said.

Swedish skip Jalle pointed out to me at the end of the evening that I'd been wrong in suggesting that the qualifiers, Germany and China, might struggle with an increase in the standard of competition at the Worlds. Bothe finsished the day 2-0.

China gave Canada a spanking through seven ends although inexperience at skip nearly cost them a four-ender in the final end. The game started slowly. China without the hammer threw centre line guards. Canada threw to the wings. China hit and rolled. Canada hit and rolled. Canada missed first, and China stole singles in the first three ends.

In the fourth end Jim Armstrong changed tactics when China's centre line guard was further from the rings. He came in first and scored three with lots of play around the four foot but Canada failed to build on that momentum and in the last end were down 7 - 3.

They threw a hopeful corner guard and China missed their peel and then forgot about the guard. Canada tucked three rocks behind it and were sitting three when China threw their last rock, a fully buried come around back of the four foot. Coach Joe Rea said, "You can't be unhappy if you're down four and have a chance to tie the game with your last rock," and Jim had a legitimate chance to tap the Chinese shot stone back to score four. It wasn't to be.

"I was too tentative," he told me afterwards. "I should have gone for it." His rock clipped the guard and China scored one for an 8 - 3 win.

Norway and Korea, two of the favoured teams, went to an extra end tied at 5 after Korea stole singles in the seventh and eighth ends. Norway had an open hit to win the game with their last rock but crashed a guard and lost 6- 5.

In other results, Germany crushed a very inexperienced Swiss team 10 - 2 to go 2 - 0. Sweden scored often but not often enough to overcome a five-ender in the third, losing to Italy 10 -7.
 

February 20th - Preview

The first thing you notice as you approach the brand new Olympic/Paralympic Curling Centre, site of the 2009 World Wheelchair Curling Championships is that it is still a work in progress. You are entering a building site and this championship is the venue's first event.

A friendly lady handed over a media credential courtesy of the CCA. and pointed to an elevator festooned with sticky tape over buttons yet to be programmed, The "wheelchair media' table, up a ramp to the coaches area, afforded a view of only 5 of the 8 rings across the 4 sheets, so tomorrow I hope to report from the regular press area if I can find someone to pull my chair up the 11 scaffolded steps.

Each team had a couple of 45 minute practice sessions broken into 15 minute segments on different sheets. Attitudes to practice, and the practice teams had at practicing, showed in how efficiently they used their allotted time. Chairs were allowed to enter the ice a couple of minutes before the practice, to cool their tires. Then an official with a microphone announced "You may begin."

Team Korea already had their rocks ready, and had gone through a full rotation before other teams had sorted out who was doing what. Korea probably threw twice as many rocks as any other team, and looked a very efficient unit. I clocked several 7 second takeouts and it would be a brave team who challenges them to a hitting game. Their rotation over, the skip, third and coach took stopwatches and scouted the other teams,

The Scots entered the ice wearing shades; small ones for Michael McCreadie, and a pair that covered the entire top half of Jim Sellars' face. The Scots were throwing from behind the tee line in the near rings, and both team coaches spent a lot of time writing things down. It will be interesting to see how that works for them. Everybody I spoke to was skeptical about their chances.

Team Canada looked very focused. Coach Rea held the broom while Jim Armstrong sat beside him chatting. There seemed to be as much chatting as throwing. Somebody suggested they were trying to psych out the competition. I wonder if anybody was paying attention enough to be psyched.

There were a variety of delivery styles on display. Jim Pearce, USA third, used a two-handed delivery. The Chinese had their chins almost at the level of the rock handles. Team Canada has moved from a pendulum to a piston delivery, while Scotland's Tom Killin continues to use a three-quarter side delivery that lines up head, arm, hand, rock and broom through the length of delivery. I wonder why it is not more widely used.

Team USA were in an ebullient mood. They have a new and very high energy assistant coach and through Coach Steve Brown would not be drawn into a prediction, the players I spoke to felt confident that they could maintain or improve upon last year's success.

Many of the championship's teams draw from very small player pools. Germany have perhaps a dozen wheelchair curlers in the whole country and receive very little financial support. "Before we qualified for this tournament, we were having to pay our own expenses," said Jens Jäger, the German skip.

 Jalle Jungell, the Swedish skip, said there were maybe two dozen wheelchair curlers in Sweden, though this year they had a four team playoff to decide who would represent Sweden at the Worlds. Three of the Swedish team won bronze in Torino but they only brought four players to Vancouver as one player was too ill to travel. "We'll just have to stay healthy," he said, adding the refreshing comment, 'but we are also here to enjoy ourselves. It has to be fun." Both Jalle and Jens thought Canada should be considered tournament favourites, though Jalle reminded me that Norway were a very strong team, "Rune (Norway's skip) is a very cool person; he has no nerves at all.'

The icemakers spent the day experimenting with different pebble and temperatures on each of the four sheets, balancing the need for fast ice and a manageable amount of curl. "The rocks are brand new," explained Swiss ic maker Peter Luk, who with Denmark's Jorgen Larsen made ice at Torino and tha  lat twoWorlds. "New rocks curl a lot. The keener we make the ice the more the rocks will curl, and we're still trying to find a balance." Hog-to-hog tee line draw times were between 12 and 13 seconds, and the ice makers hope to get that to 14 or 14.5 seconds.

So, who's going to win? I didn't see anything today that makes me want to change my mind from the assessment I blogged in the comments a week ago. Canada are favourites: home ice, enormous experience at skip, more than adequate skill throughout the line-up and a Torino gold medalist at alternate. In the blog survey, 90% of respondents put Canada on the podium, with most suggesting gold. Korea was 2nd favourite, with Norway a close 3rd, followed by USA, China and Scotland. Here's my guess from a week ago and I'm staying with it.

Those of you who worry that Armstrong has not been tested have a point, but a small one. He throws well, at least as well as anyone throwing last rocks for Canada, or he would be doing a Ferbey and skipping from 3rd.

He's been curling 50 years, under pressure that none of the other curlers will know. And I think he has had enough success this season, not always with the best possible support, to have confidence in his own ability to draw to the centre of the rings when he has to.

That was what Canada has lacked with past skips; someone who could draw reliably with their last rock, though in fairness to Darryl, I would be comfortable with him throwing 4th.

Jim's understanding of the game is a huge advantage given that he knows that wheelchair curling is not able-bodied curling without the sweeping, but a different game requiring a completely different approach. He won't make the mistake of calling or attempting shots that are not there. He will also understand the point that Linda Moore stresses; assessing risk and reward, and calling for the shot likely to be made.

That's the area where I think he gives Canada its real edge, not so much the ice-reading, or overall strategy which are so susceptible to the fallibilities of throwing without sweeping.

He has also spent a lot of time practicing with Darryl which will help.

Ina is a very strong second. She (and Darryl) threw top of their positions last year. She can throw weight, and also throw guards if as I expect Canada comes into the rings with lead stones.

Chris at lead is the unknown. He has worked hard to earn his place and I suspect that his ability to throw takeouts at opposing leads stones in the rings is the reason he edges out Sonja. If he fails to overcome his nerves, then Sonja is a more than adequate alternative.

The entire Canada squad have improved over the past year, but we won't know until the weekend how much the other teams have improved also. Korea shocked everyone in 2008 by how accurately they threw weight. This year we'll be seeing how accurate they are on their draw game, and how able they are to manage ends with lots of rocks in play,

USA have a team spirit and a confidence that will carry them past other sides, though I don't think they have the opportunity to play enough to challenge Canada and Korea. China is a complete unknown. I suspect they will be too inconsistent to challenge at this level, which is a big step up from the Qualifying Tournament.

I don't think Norway will emulate their recent successes. They have never been a statistically impressive side, but have big game experience. If they get to the semis they could win again, but I don't think they'll get that far.

Strange to leave Scotland so late. They have the most experienced side, but they have shown no form this season, and while I know from firsthand experience just how good a curler Michael McCreadie is, I fail to see how throwing from far behind the hogline helps their cause. Unless Michael gets some early success I fear self-doubt will scupper his team's chances.

Switzerland arrive with a reworked team, Sweden bring Torino medal experience, Germany equaled China at Qualifying, and I'm afraid it will be Italy, despite losing a tie-break for a playoff spot last year, doing a Mike Harris and wondering where the easy games are.

So, as I posted at the top of this thread:

Canada
Korea
USA

Here are some thoughts from Torino Gold Medal skip Chris Daw on the eve of this event.

Medal round results
28th 2.30 pm	Gold
28th 2.30 pm	Bronze
28th  9 am	Semi-final
27th  8 pm	Play-Off	1st v. 2nd                   3rd v. 4th

February 27th  2.30pm  Tie Break -

Standings after Round Robin Draw 0
(click on team for team members)

	Team	Won	Lost	Points For	Points Against	Steals For	Steals Against
	Germany - GER	4	0	37	18
	Italy - ITA	3	1	24	21
	China - CHN	2	1	19	12
	Sweden - SWE	2	1	22	19
	Canada - CAN	1	2	18	19
	Korea - KOR	1	2	9	13
	Norway - NOR	1	2	29	29
	Scotland - SCO	1	2	17	28
	USA - USA	1	2	13	12
	Switzerland - SUI	0	3	10	27

For line scores go to Wheelchair Curling Blog

Results and draws
(times are Pacific Standard Time = GMT plus 8 hours)
 

Date Feb		Sheet A	Sheet B	Sheet C	Sheet D
21	12.30	ITA - GER 5   -   9	SUI - SWE 4  -  9	CHN - USA 6  -  3	SCO - CAN 2    -   10
	6	NOR - KOR 5   -   6	CHN - CAN 8   -   3	GER - SUI 10  -   2	SWE - ITA 7   -   10
22	12.30	SCO - USA 6  -  10	KOR - GER 3   -  8	ITA - CAN 9   -   5	SUI - NOR 4   -   8
	6	SWE - CHN 6   -   5	SCO - NOR 9   -   8	USA - GER 8   -  10	ITA - KOR 7   -   1
23	12.30	SUI - CAN	USA - KOR	SWE - SCO	NOR - CHN
	6pm	GER - SWE	ITA - SUI	KOR - CHN	CAN - USA
24	12.30	KOR - SCO	GER - CHN	NOR - SWE	USA - ITA
	6pm	USA - SUI	NOR - ITA	CAN - KOR	GER - SCO
25	12.30	GER - NOR	CAN - SWE	SCO - ITA	CHN - SUI
	6pm	X	SUI - SCO	USA - NOR	KOR - SWE
26	12.30	CHN - ITA	X	X	CAN - GER
	6pm	CAN - NOR	SWE - USA	SUI - KOR	SCO - CHN

Team Canada   Sonja Gaudet Chris Sobkowicz Ina Forrest Darryl Neighbour Jim Armstrong Coach - Joe Rea
	Team China Wang Haitao, Liu Wei, He Jun Liu Chunu Li Hongchen (Coach)
Team Germany Jens Jäger Marcus Sieger Jens Gäbel Caren Totzauer Astrid Hoer coach Helmar Erlewein
	Team Italy Alternate: Emanuele Spelorzi, Lead: Lucrezia Celentano 2nd: Gabriele Dallapiccola 3rd: Egidio Marchese, Skip: Andrea Tabanelli, coach Mauro Maino
Team Korea Haksung Kim (skip) Myungjin Kim (3rd) Yanghyun Cho (2nd) Misuk Kang (lead) Kilwoo Park (fifth player)
	Team Norway Skip Rune Lorentsen Third Jostein Stordahl Second Geir Arne Skogstad Lead Lene Tystad Alternate Anne Mette Samdal Coach Thoralf Hognestad
Team Scotland Skip Michael McCreadie Third Aileen Nielson Second Tom Killin Lead Jim Sellar Alternate Rosemary Lenton Coach Tom Pendreigh
	Team Sweden Patrik Burman Glenn Ikonen Jalle Jungnell Anette Wilhelm coach Patrik Kihlstrom
Team Switzerland Martin Bieri Daniel Meyer  Melanie Villars Manfred Bolliger Anton Kehrli  coach Anton Ruesser
	Team USA Alternate Patrick McDonald Third Jim Pierce Lead Jacqueline Kapinowski Second Jim Joseph Skip Augusto Pérez

(CLICK HERE fof full coverage  of the 2008 Worlds)
 

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