In an evenly matched game that came down to the final rock, Switzerland came from behind to defeat defending champions Sweden 7-6 to win the 2012 Ford World Women’s Curling Championship.
Canada defeated Korea 9-6 to claim the bronze medal.
The gold medal game was a rematch of an earlier playoff between the two, which Sweden won 7-6. This time, Switzerland needed an extra end in order to beat Sweden.
After two scoreless ends, Maria Prytz of Sweden notched two points in the third.
Mirjam Ott’s successful draw shots helped Switzerland tie the game in the fourth end. Ott managed a successful draw shot to steal a point at the halfway mark.
Sweden came back with two in the sixth end, but Switzerland took a two-point lead in the eighth.
Sweden managed to take two for a 6-5 lead.
It was Ott’s title to win, however. With her final rock, she was able to draw to the button and score two to take the gold and leave Sweden with the silver medal.
This was Switzerland’s first medal at the World Championships since 2008 and its first gold medal since 1983.
Sunday morning, in a rematch for the bronze medal, Canada defeated Korea 9-6.
Korea upset Canada on Saturday afternoon during the playoff with a conservative game while Canada was all fired up.
Korea scored the first point in the opening end off of Ji-Sun Kim’s shot. In the second end, after she missed her first, Heather Nedohin made her second shot for a two-point lead.
Canada managed to steal a point in the third end.
Korea managed to tie it up soon after but Nedohin responded with a three-point steal in the fifth.
The teams traded single points in the sixth and seventh ends but Korea brought the game within one point in the eighth.
Nedohin put another on the board in the ninth end and sealed her victory with a point in the 10th end to give her team the bronze.
The Korean curling team had its best performance this year and finished third in the round robin in their fourth appearance at the tournament.
Scotland skip Eve Muirhead was awarded the Frances Brodie Award voted by the players to the curler who best exhibits sportsmanship and ability.
In all, 55,401 people attended the championship over the week, which is the second highest attendance in Canada for the World Women’s Championship. The record is held by Grande Prairie, with 60,791 attendees in 2006.
In 2013, the World Women’s Championship will be held in Riga, Latvia from March 16-24.
Photo by Charles Lefebvre
Team Switzerland sweeps the last rock down the ice, giving them the winning score.