Eye Opener - Curling Canada
Transcription
Eye Opener - Curling Canada
Issue 5 – Wednesday, April 1, 2015 Pants on fire! Sartorially-splendid Norwegians bring down Canada /2 Sponsor of the Day See Sponsor Profile on page 14 Page 2 Eye Opener - 2015 Ford World Men’s Curling Championship Team Canada worked hard but came up short against Norway and suffered its first loss at the Worlds. Dressed to kill Norway hands Canada first defeat S By JOHN KOROBANIK Eye Opener Associate Editor omebody turned off the cruise control and Canada’s unbeaten journey at the Ford World Men’s Curling Championship came to a crashing halt Tuesday evening. The first loss for Pat Simmons and his Calgarybased team came at the hands of Thomas Ulsrud of Norway and it was an emphatic, messagesending 9-3, eight-end result. Ulsrud, third Torger Nergård, second Christoffer Svae and lead Håvard Vad Petersson are still the world champions and they let everyone in the Scotiabank Centre know that they are not about to give up that title without a serious fight. “We showed up to play tonight,” said Ulsrud, wearing bright, multi-coloured pants that he is undefeated in. “The boys made some really good shots. Torger started off in the first end with a beautiful shot to set up the two points and kept going from there.” Norway was easily the better team, in contrast to their performance through their first six games — two of which they were fortunate to win — Wednesday, April 1, 2015 Page 3 A Canadian rockhead cheers on her team Tuesday night. where they often looked out of sorts and struggled with their game. Not so Tuesday. All it took was to wave the Canadian flag in front of Ulsrud. “That’s why I play curling, to play good teams from Canada in the worlds,” Ulsrud said before the game. Then he went out and demonstrated why he likes playing Canada. “That’s the beauty of curling,” he added. “Tonight we had real comfort in the ice and everything. I was really trusting it and just throwing it pure and we played some pretty good shots. We were a bit lucky to score four in the third end and after that it was really a game they had to go all out and we managed to defend.” He didn’t think Canada would take any message from the defeat and wouldn’t be bothered by it. “No, I think they’re going to be even more ready for us next time. It is my guess this is not the last time Norway and Canada play this week. We’ll meet them again.” Norway scored two in the first end, gave up one in the second and then took total control with four in the third. Simmons, who had half misses with his first shot in each of the first two ends, had to make key shots with his second stones to keep Canada close. “We got in trouble early and often and they’re too good to do that against,” said Simmons. “I wasn’t able to make the bail-out shots that were necessary tonight and that’s just the way it goes; you’re not going to make those every night. “We weren’t expecting to go through this undefeated. We’ll rebound for sure.” Canada’s woes deepened in the third end when neither third John Morris nor Simmons made a full shot, leaving Ulsrud a simple tap back for four and a huge 6-1 lead that proved insurmountable. The result left Norway and Canada, whose play was as drab as their black-and-gray uniforms, tied atop the standings at 6-1. Marc Pfister of Switzerland failed to keep pace, dropping to 5-2 when he was soundly beaten 8-2 in six ends by Sweden’s Niklas Edin, who stole two in the fourth and three more in the fifth. “We needed to win that game badly,” said Edin. “We decided to go out there with our heads held high and start strong from the beginning. We only got one point in the first end when we were wanting three or four, but he made a superb freeze there. “We were happy with that one, then we forced them to only take one in the next end, then it was pretty much our game from then on.” Page 4 Eye Opener - 2015 Ford World Men’s Curling Championship Olys expected to double up « C urling mixed doubles? In the Olympics? Bet on it. One week ago, after departing Sapporo, Japan, prior to the playoffs of the women’s world championship, Kate Caithness was in Lausanne, Switzerland, to make the presentation. If something went wrong, and there’s no evidence in her mood and attitude since arriving here to suggest anything but the opposite, then sometime in early June Canadians should expect to be shocked to discover that mixed doubles will be announced as a part of the next Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, Korea. Much ignored in traditional game nations, especially in Canada, where it was invented only a dozen years ago, the event has been a hit in smaller nations TERRY DAVE JONES KOMOSKY where it’s difficult to put together four-player teams. It wasn’t anything Caithness said specifically in an exclusive interview with QMI Agency, it was the overall impression left by the Scottish lady that she is beyond hopeful it will happen. Caithness, you should understand, is uniquely positioned. The first female president of the World Curling Federation was appointed to the International Olympic Committee’s program commission, responsible for reviewing and analyzing the sports, disciplines and events. “The reason the WCF has gone for mixed doubles is that they are completely different,” she said. The games, which require just two people per team, take just one hour, 40 minutes to play. “It’s three sessions easily a day,” she said of adding it between the three events per day in the men’s and women’s traditional four-player program at the Olympics. There have been mixed doubles world championships since 2008. Hungary and Russia have won gold medals. Spain, New Zealand, Austria, France and the Czech Republic have also won medals. “The countries which have won medals are not the top curling countries,” she said. “Spain on the podium — when would that have ever happened as a fourman team? “Our proposal was for 16 countries. That would allow a lot of smaller countries in the event. And if they get into the Olympics, they get Olympic funding. We’ve asked for 16. We’ll see.” Television is a huge factor. “NBC is very supportive of our proposal going forward. The TV figures from curling are great. And we don’t have to rely on weather conditions. Our broadcasters see we have two days set aside for training and say this is crazy, they are two days we could use for broadcasts,” she adds. When curling first became a Wednesday, April 1, 2015 full-medal sport in the Olympics in Nagano in 1998, there was no such thing as mixed doubles. Getting mixed doubles into the Olympics would be a great going-away present for the retiring director of event operations of Curling Canada, Warren Hansen, who played a huge part in getting curling into the Olympics and bringing the game to where it is today. The former Edmonton curler and 1974 Brier winner, with Hec Gervais, invented it. “It was part of the first Continental Cup, an event the WCF requested us to do because they were being pressured by the IOC to have a world competition of some sort other than the world championships because they were a sport which didn’t have a World Cup. “It was tossed to me,” he said of the Ryder Cup-type event that was a huge hit in Las Vegas in 2014 and will return there next Page 5 year. Hansen bounced ideas off associate Neil Houston during the process, then they test-drove it with curlers in Calgary in 2001 with TSN commentators and producers. “To my amazement it’s caught on very well in most of the countries around the world except Canada,” he said. “I thought Canadian curling clubs would just grab this because I thought it was something that would only take half the time and you only needed two people. Mixed was also the perfect formula for it. And it really hasn’t managed to get very far in Canada.” It’s like it has to get into the Olympics for Canada to take it seriously. “Probably,” said Hansen. Get ready for that to happen. Terry Jones is a sports columnist for the Edmonton Sun World Curling Federation president Kate Caithness is behind a push to get curling mixed doubles into the Olympics. ALWAYS A GREAT STAY Get your message out on target and on time. Four Points by Sheraton Halifax is located in the heart of downtown Halifax, just one block from the waterfront. Enjoy great rates, comfortable beds and so much more. Four Points by Sheraton Halifax A full-service commercial printer with directmail capabilities, unique in Atlantic Canada. Bounty Print offers a wide range of services for all your printing needs including a newly installed wide format division. Bounty’s industry-leading team has the knowledge and experience to deliver great value and impact for your next print project. FOURPOINTSHALIFAX.COM 902 423 4444 OFFICIAL GOLD SPONSOR On the button! ©2015 Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. All Rights Reserved. For full terms and conditions, visit fourpointshalifax.com WELCOME TO HALIFAX maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca FROM NOW ON CALL US 3 NOVA SCOTIA LOCATIONS : princegeorgehotel.com HALIFAX Proud sponsors of the 2015 Ford World Men’s Curling Championship, March 28 - April 5, 2015. ENJOY RESPONSIBLY. 3667 Strawberry Hill Street 902 453.0005 286 Robie Street 902 893.3703 ANTIGONISH *TM/MC Keith’s Brewery. Amy Curry_AK_Curling_Sponsor_AD_4.6x4.8.indd 1 TRURO 260 Main Street 902 863.4754 15-01-16 10:42 AM 1675 Lower Water Street 902-424-7491 WHERE WHERE HISTORY HISTORY HAPPENS! HAPPENS! hammering home the rock BOUNTYPRI NT YOUR FULL-SERVICE COMMERCIAL PRINTER 902.453.0300 WWW.BOUNTYPRINT.COM History in the MAKING. Come see the ancient craft of crystal making at work on the Halifax Waterfront. 5080 George Street NovaScotianCrystal.com Page 6 Eye Opener - 2015 Ford World Men’s Curling Championship Continental Cup this January in Calgary, and didn’t like it. Neither did his fans. But his regular pants? Yowza! The pants are so far out, they’re in. During the Olympics, the Norwegians had the only unofficial Facebook page dedicated to their pants. We all know clothes aren’t just there to cover up your private parts or keep you warm. Fashion expresses your inner self. Clothes are there to make you feel good. So it comes as no surprise that Ulsrud, a self-employed curling instructor and event co-ordinator, would adopt the bizarre attire for his team. It’s typical of the man. He is not afraid to go off the beaten path. What’s more, he’s hard not to like. He is approachable, funny and honest. As far as he’s concerned, who wants to live in a world where kitschy clothes and over-the-top outfits are taboo. The duds happened more by accident than design. The team received the wrong uniforms just as they were preparing for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. Svae went online and found some red, white and blue checkered pants, and the rest is history. The pants have been a nice, ahem, fit for the team in more ways than one. They have been so popular, they have led to a lucrative sponsorship deal with the manufacturer, Loudmouth Golf, which also supplies pants to American golfer John Daly. But unlike Daly, who is more of a novelty act on the golf course these days, the Norwegians can actually play at the highest level. All this raises the question: Do the pants make the man, or is it the Ulsrud’s back wearing ‘his’ PANTS! « DAVE KOMOSKY “You can never be overdressed or overeducated.” – Oscar Wilde T homas Ulsrud feels naked without his pants. Well, who wouldn’t? Actually, he feels naked without his team pants, the ones he wears to the delight of curling fans everywhere. He may be known for his curling but he is loved for his pants. That’s possibly the legacy Ulsrud will leave behind once he has finished his most excellent adventure in international curling. His curling has been top notch, but his pants, and those of his Norwegian teammates, have been top drawer. Ulsrud and his talented team from Oslo — third Torger Nergard, second Christoffer Svae and lead Havard Vad Petersson — are hard to miss at the Ford World Curling Championship this week. They’re the ones with the garish pants. They could be wearing an eyepopping zig-zag pattern, a sartorially splendid red, white and blue that mirrors the Norwegian national flag, the checkered pants that look like grandma’s tablecloth — or one of the other nine pairs of outlandish pants they wore at last year’s Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. All the pants’ patterns have some link to Norwegian traditions. Tuesday at the Worlds, they cranked it up a notch against Canada, wearing some golf-style plus fours. And to complete the ensemble, some jaunty caps. They looked like four Payne Stewart golfers out there. It’s all in keeping with the team’s philosophy about dress. Their threads should be a celebration of garish goodness. “It’s our gig now,” he says. “Every time we have to dress in a team uniform, fans are always asking, ‘where are your pants? What happened? You’re so boring.’ I guess this is our trademark now. We can’t play without them.” Ulsrud was forced to play in basic black pants as part of Team Europe in the Garish duds in style for world event Wednesday, April 1, 2015 Thomas Ulsrud had to wear his boring black pants in the Continental Cup as part of Team Europe. Page 7 other way around? Do the brilliance of the pants blind curling fans to the team’s world-class ability? Ulsrud is the defending world champion in Halifax and also a two-time European champion and former Olympic silver medallist. That’s some track record. But if he doesn’t think his team is getting its just due, he’s not saying. “ I guess this is our trademark now. We can’t play without them — Thomas Ulsrud “Looking back, it was the smartest move we ever made,” he says about climbing into the pants. “There’s so many good teams out there. We stick out from the crowd.” This is the start of another four-year cycle for Ulsrud and his team in the buildup to the next Winter Olympics, in South Korea. The team had discussed calling it quits after the Sochi Games, where they finished fifth with a 4-3 record, but after talking to family and sorting out some business details, they decided to give it another go. The team scaled down its cashspiel play this season, but otherwise it has been business as usual — which means wherever they play, the pants will help them make their usual flashy entrance. And if anyone looks at them sideways, Ulsrud has one thing to tell them: “Lighten up.” THANK YOU TO OUR FRIENDS Page 10 Eye Opener - 2015 Ford World Men’s Curling Championship CURLING QUIZ small céilidhs and local rock bands to giant, pulse-pounding concerts. No matter what you do, we guarantee an unforgettable East Coast experience. NOVA SCOTIA CANADA For more ideas, visit destinationhalifax.com DHFX-0486-R-2015 Men's Curling Championship_halfpage.indd 5 2015-01-20 4:33 PM ANSWERS Our vibrant nightlife has something for every mood, from 1. Braunstein won the 1965 Brier with a crack outfit out of the Granite Club in Winnipeg, but he couldn’t cap it off with a world championship, finishing second to Bud Somerville of the U.S. Truly East Coast from end to end. 2. Morris hit the dinger. 3. The hogline monitoring system used at all major national and international competitions was developed in what city? a) Calgary b) Stockholm c) Saskatoon d) Winnipeg 3. The technology was invented in Saskatoon. 2. One member of Team Canada hit a home run at old Exhibition Stadium in Toronto, original home of the Blue Jays, when he was a teen. That members was: a) Carter Rycroft b) Pat Simmons c) John Morris d) Nolan Thiessen 4. Air Canada at one time sponsored the world men’s curling championship. What was presented to the winning team? a) A Golden Cup b) A Brass Whisk c) A Crystal Brush d) A Silver Broom 4. You don’t know your curling if you don’t know it was the Silver Broom. It was strange when a European team won it, because they never used brooms, only brushes. 1. Canada won the first six world men’s curling championships, although the first two were head-to-head matches against Scotland. What skip lost the first world title for Canada? a) Ron Northcott b) Ernie Richardson c) Hec Gervais d) Terry Braunstein Wednesday, April 1, 2015 Profile: Russia Evgeny Arkhipov Alexander Kozyrev SKIP THIRD Born: Moscow Age: 23 Residence: Moscow Nickname: Jeka Marital status: Single Languages spoken: Russian, English Employment: Full-time athlete Years curling: 13 Years on team: Three Delivery: Right Most memorable sports achievement: Seventh-place finish at 2014 Winter Games in Sochi Sports awards/honours: Second-place finish at world junior championship 2013 Born: Moscow Age: 28 Residence: Moscow Nickname: None Marital status: Single Languages spoken: Russian, English Employment: Full-time athlete Years curling: 14 Years on team: 10 Delivery: Right Most memorable sports achievement: Seventh-place finish at 2014 Winter Games in Sochi Other life interests: Snowboarding, dominoes Artur Razhabov Anton Kalalb SECOND LEAD Born: St. Petersburg, Slantzy Age: 25 Residence: St. Petersburg Marital status: Single Languages spoken: Russian, English Employment: Full-time athlete Years curling: 16 Years on team: Seven Delivery: Right Most memorable sports achievement: First-place finish Group B European championship Sports hero/idol: Marian Dragulescus Born: Russia Age: 26 Residence: Moscow Nickname: None Marital status: Single Languages spoken: Russian, English Employment: Full-time athlete Years curling: 11 Years on team: Seven Delivery: Right Most memorable sports achievement: 2013 world men’s championship participant Sports hero/idol: Alexander Popov Other life interests: Reading photography Page 11 Various Curling Clubs Alt: Alexey Stukalskiy Coach: Vasiliy Gudin FACTS Formal name: Russian Federation Local name: Rossiya Local formal name: Rossiyskaya Federatsiya Location: Europe/Asia Status: UN member country Capital City: Moscow (Moskva) Main cities: St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Vladivostok, Nizhny Novgorod Population: 149,476,000 Area: 17,075,000 sq. km Currency: 1 ruble = 100 kopeks Language: Russian Religions: Russian Orthodox, Muslim, Buddhist RUSSIA AT THE WORLDS Last five years: 2014: Eugeny Arkhipov (2-9) 2013: Andrey Drozdov (3-8) 2012: Did not qualify 2011: Did not qualify 2010: Did not qualify Last championship — N/A World titles — 0 Page 12 Eye Opener - 2015 Ford World Men’s Curling Championship Wednesday, April 1, 2015 Rookie cool under pressure M arc Pfister is the second youngest skip at the worlds, at age 25, but he showed the poise of a veteran Tuesday morning as he prepared for his final shot, a tough draw that would determine the outcome of the game. He looked at the time clock, which showed he had just 20 seconds left. He rolled up the rock to clean it off as a roar went up as Scotland, on the next sheet, won its first game of the championship. Then Pfister calmly settled into the hack and made the shot, barely, to beat Finland 8-7 and improve to 5-1. He looked calm but admitted afterwards the nerves were working overtime. “It’s not easy with the crowds, but I love this feeling,” he said of his first world championship appearance. “Never had this before. Amazing feeling with the crowds. We are a little bit nervous at the end, but we still had the last stone so we did it. It’s unbelievable, it was so close, so close. First I thought, ‘oh it’s wide, it’s long.’ But the ice is a little bit flat now. At the end it curls so much.” STANDINGS WORLD NOTEBOOK nnn Speaking of Scotland, skip Ewan MacDonald said after his team’s 8-6 win over Russia, it has been a tough week, but they’re not surrendering. “We’ve not been a million miles away in so many of the games. It’s just half an inch here and there,” he said after giving up three to Russia in the first end and stealing one in the 10th for the win. “The first end couldn’t have gone any worse so it was nice to regroup and come back, especially when things aren’t running for you all week” So what’s their plan for the rest of the week? “Just keep grinding away, keep working, take each game one at a time. We have a couple of tough ones to come against Sweden and Canada but you just have to get a bit of momentum and see where we can go. We’ll go as hard as we can every game, that’s where we are now.” STAY O N TO P OF YOUR GAME PL AN. S TAY W I T H M A R R I OT T. • Indoor pool, fitness centre & full-service spa • Fresh cuisine at harbourstone sea grill & pour house • 5-minute walk to Scotiabank Centre BOOK YOUR GETAWAY TODAY AT MARRIOT T.COM OR CALL 1.800.943.6760 HALIFAX MARRIOTT HARBOURFRONT HOTEL 1 9 1 9 U P P E R W AT E R S T . , HALIFAX, NS World Scoreboard LINESCORES Draw 9 Swiss mister, Marc Pfister PROUD SPONSOR OF THE FORD WORLD MEN’S CURLING CHAMPIONSHIP Page 13 WL Norway (Ulsrud) 6 1 Canada (Simmons) 61 Switzerland (Pfister) 5 2 Japan (Morozumi) 4 3 Sweden (Edin) 4 3 Czech Rep. (Snitil) 3 4 Finland (Kauste) 3 4 U.S.A. (Shuster) 3 4 China (Zang) 2 5 S c o t l a n d ( M a c D o n a l d )2 5 Italy (Retornaz) 2 5 Russia (Arkhipov) 2 5 9:30 a.m. Scotland (MacDonald) Russia (Arkhipov) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10XE Total 0 2 2 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 — 8 *3 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 — 6 Czech. Rep. (Snitil) Sweden (Edin) *0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 x 0 2 1 0 0 2 1 0 1 x — 3 — 7 Sui (Pfister) Finland (Kauste) *3 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 2 0 1 0 1 1 0 — 8 — 7 Japan (Morozumi) 1 1 3 1 2 0 x x x x — 8 Italy (Retornaz) *0 0 0 0 0 1 x x x x — 1 Draw 10 2:30 p.m. China (Zang) Czech. Rep. (Snitil) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10XE Total *1 0 0 1 0 5 0 1 0 0 — 8 0 0 1 0 1 0 2 0 2 1 — 7 Finland (Kauste) Norway (Ulsrud) 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 2 1 *0 1 2 0 2 0 2 1 0 0 — 7 — 8 Japan (Morozumi) Canada (Simmons) *1 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 x 0 1 0 3 0 0 2 1 0 x — 4 — 7 Scotland (MacDonald) USA (Shuster) *1 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 — 6 — 4 Draw 11 7:30 p.m. Sui (Pfister) Sweden (Edin) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10XE Total 0 1 0 0 0 1 x x x x — 2 *1 0 2 2 3 0 x x x x — 5 China (Zang) USA (Shuster) 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 x *0 2 0 3 0 0 1 0 3 x — 5 — 9 Italy (Retornaz) Russia (Arkhipov) *0 0 0 2 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 2 0 0 1 — 4 — 5 Canada (Simmons) Norway (Ulsrud) 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 x x *2 0 4 0 0 1 0 2 x x — 3 — 9 * Last rock advantage Page 14 Eye Opener - 2015 Ford World Men’s Curling Championship Wednesday, April 1, 2015 TODAY’S SCHEDULE 9:30 a.m. draw A — Ita. vs. Nor.; B — Can. vs. Sui.; C — USA vs. Swe. D — Chn. vs. Rus. 2:30 p.m. draw A — Rus. vs Fin.; B — Swe. vs. Jpn.; C — Sco. vs. Sui; D — Ita. vs. Cze. 7:30 p.m. draw A — Can. vs Sco; B — Nor. vs. Cze.; C — Fin. vs. Chn.; D — USA. vs. Jpn. Proud Event Partner Sponsor of the Day Located at Halifax’s highest volume intersection (Windsor Street Exchange), Steele Ford Lincoln is Nova Scotia’s only Ford and Lincoln dealer. The product of a successful merger of our two existing Ford locations in 2004 (Wood Motors and Taylor Ford), Steele Ford is no stranger to customer satisfaction reaching the coveted Ford Diamond Club Level in 2010 and again in 2013. The only Ford dealer in the HRM to reach that goal this past year. We’re very proud of this accomplishment and feel it stands as testament to our ongoing commitment to service and customer satisfaction. 1-800-RESPOND Thank you to all the volunteers ROCK SOLID COVERAGE Read Herald Sports for complete daily coverage of the 2015 Ford World Men’s Curling Championship Subscribe for as little as $3/week THECH.CA/SUBSCRIBE_NOW PROUD SUPPORTER OF THE 2015 FORD WORLD MEN’S CURLING CHAMPIONSHIP thewestinnovascotian.com 1.877.993.7846 Profile: China Jialiang Zang Dejia Zou SKIP THIRD Born: Harbin Age: 26 Residence: Harbin Nickname: None Marital status: Single Languages spoken: Mandarin Employment: Full-time athlete Years curling: 13 Years on team: Eight Delivery: Right Most memorable sporting achievement: Fourth-place finish at the 2008 world men’s championship and 2014 Olympic Winter Games (Sochi). Other life interests: Music, swimming. Born: Harbin Age: 31 Residence: Harbin Nickname: None Marital status: Single Languages spoken: Mandarin Employment: Full-time athlete Years curling: 15 Years on team: 14 Delivery: Right Most memorable sporting achievement: Fourth-place finish at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games (Sochi). Other life interests: Music and basketball. Dexin Ba Jinbo Wang SECOND LEAD Born: Harbin Age: 24 Residence: Harbin Nickname: None Marital status: Single Languages spoken: Mandarin Employment: Full-time athlete Years curling: Nine Years on team: Eight Delivery: Right Most memorable sporting achievement: Fourth-place finish at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games (Sochi). Other life interests: Music and basketball. Born: Harbin Age: 19 Residence: Harbin Nickname: None Marital status: Single Languages spoken: Mandarin Employment: Full-time athlete Years curling: Six Years on team: Five Delivery: Right Most memorable sporting achievement: 2013 Pacific-Asia Junior curling champion. Other life interests: Music. Page 15 Harbin Curling Club Harbin Rongrui Zhang Alternate FACTS Formal name: People’s Republic of China Local name: Zhong Guo Local formal name: Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo Location: Asia Status: UN member country Capital City: Beijing Main cities: Shanghai, Tianjin, Shenyang Population: 1,361,512,000 Area: 9,596,960 sq. km Currency: 1 yuan = 10 jiao = 100 fen Languages: Mandarin Chinese, Shanghai-, Canton-, Fukien-, Hakka-dialects, Tibetan, Vigus (Turkic) Religions: Confucianist, Buddhist, Taoist CHINA AT THE WORLDS Last five years: 2014: Liu Rui (6-5) 2013: Liu Rui (6-5) 2012: Liu Rui (6-5) 2011: Chen Lu’an (4-7) 2010: Wang Fengchun (3-8) Last championship — N/A World titles — 0 Page 16 Eye Opener - 2015 Ford World Men’s Curling Championship Tough miss, but skip doesn’t miss any sleep Swedish skip Niklas Edin didn’t have trouble sleeping after his loss to Norway Monday night when his final rock, a draw to the four-foot, slid too deep. “Pretty good actually. Took sleeping pills and slept the whole night,” he said Tuesday when asked how the night went. “We played pretty good and definitely deserved to win that game. But we weren’t really comfortable playing the draw out there. We missed a couple short and it was kind of tricky. When we didn’t make that last shot it was a really tough loss.” But after beating Jirí Snítil of the Czech Republic Tuesday morning he felt his team was over the tough loss and their confidence level was fine, although their shot-making hasn’t been as sharp as expected. “Definitely the ice has been a trick to Niklas Edin master. I think a lot of teams out there are struggling a bit. Even Canada. If you watched the first two, three games they were struggling big time with the ice and missing easy shots, too. “We haven’t really been on track so far. I know we can pick it up but it’s about time to do it now.” Peggy’s Cove Village Don’t hurry too hard. While taking in the curling action, get outside between draws to discover hidden gems, delicious food and historic sites along the shores of the great Atlantic. All you have to do is take yourself there. Proud partner of the 2015 Ford World Men’s Curling Championship. Steele Ford is proud to be the Official Vehicle Sponsor for the 2015 Ford World Men’s Curling Championship. 3773 Windsor Street Halifax, Nova Scotia Phone: 902-982-3808 www.steeleford.com