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BEIJING, China — Jennifer Jones’ team depended on other results to advance to Thursday’s semifinals at the Beijing Olympics. She did not receive the help she had hoped for and will return to Canada empty-handed.
Despite a 10-4 victory for Canada’s women’s curling quartet over Denmark, they did not advance to the semifinals.
The first two places in the qualification were obtained by Switzerland (8-1) and Sweden (7-2). The last two places giving access to the semi-finals were shared between three nations that posted 5-4 records in qualification: Japan, the United Kingdom and Canada.
Notwithstanding Canada’s win over Great Britain, Jones’ team was third in the tiebreaker, fly-shot, with a distance of 45.44cm. The United Kingdom (35.27 cm) took third place and Japan (36.00 cm) finished in fourth position.
Canada and Denmark were tied after four ends when the score was 3-3. The Canadians, however, weighed on the accelerator for the next three ends which, by earning seven additional points, took a 10-3 lead.
The ninth end was particularly complex, with nine rocks finishing the end in the house. The Danes only scored one point on the streak, despite the hammer advantage.
Both nations have agreed not to play the 9th and 10th ends.
Unlike their female compatriots, the Canadian men’s team were defeated 5-2 by the United Kingdom in the last match of the qualifying phase, earlier in the day on Thursday, but will advance to the semi-finals.
The two teams already had their passes for the semi-finals in their pocket before the meeting. The Brits finished first in qualifying with an 8-1 record. The United Kingdom will face Olympic title holders, the United States, later in the day on Thursday.
The Maple Leaf (5-4) took third place and will face Sweden (7-2) in the semifinals. In the duel between the two nations in the qualifying phase, Sweden won 7-4.
Great Britain, led by Scottish veteran Bruce Mouat, scored two points in the first end.
Brad Gushue’s team tied the game in the second end, but went no further. Great Britain scored in the fourth end and stole a point in the sixth and eighth ends.
Canada is aiming for a return to the podium, after finishing just off the podium at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. in 2006 at the Turin Games.
Gushue led the Canadian team in all these editions.
