Run for the gold ends for Einarson/Gushue

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This article was published 22/05/2021 (1812 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Kerri Einarson and Brad Gushue won’t return home with Canada’s first gold medal at the world mixed doubles curling championship.

But the new partnership made considerable noise in 2021 — inside the Calgary bubble and in Aberdeen, Scotland — and will definitely be heard from again.

The talented tandem suffered a 7-4 defeat to Jennifer Dodds and Bruce Mouat of Scotland in one of two semifinals Saturday. Earlier in the day, Einarson executed an astounding shot — one for the highlight reels for years to come — in a qualification game that helped vault Canada into the semifinal.

Scotland meets Norway on Sunday at 9 a.m. CT, as Mouat plays in his second world final of the season. His four-player team lost the men’s final in Calgary to Niklas Edin of Sweden.

The Canadians battle Sweden for the bronze medal at 4 a.m. CT.

Canada has yet to prevail in the championship’s 14-year history.

Einarson and Gushue trailed 4-1 after three ends — the result of an unlucky break — and 5-2 after five but were still grinding to score a game-tying deuce in the eighth before running out of steam.

“It was a little frustrating,” Einarson said, in an interview with the Free Press. “The three-ender (in the third) was the difference. Unfortunately, it grabbed something. I don’t know what. Brad (was sweeping) and he liked it out of my hand and got a good (time) split on it, and it was just gone right away. The ice was a little softer than we had seen, and it was just grabbing if you weren’t positive (with your turns).”

Dodds was gifted a simple draw with her final stone for the big count.

There was no quit, however, from the two-time reigning Scotties national women’s champion and the former Olympic and men’s world champion.

“We kept grinding and making shots right until the end. It’s so nice to play with Brad, he’s such a good teammate and I’m very lucky to be partnered with him,” said Einarson.

The duo captured the Canadian crown in its first venture together in the Calgary bubble.

Einarson said each outing was a learning opportunity.

“There are no easy games. Definitely, many of these countries play this game a lot more than we do,” she said. “Just getting this opportunity is pretty amazing, and I think Brad and I have done a pretty great job of it.

“We’ll get a good night’s rest and come out hard against Sweden (in the third-place game). We know what we need to do and we just have to be a little sharper.”

Canada began the day by falling behind 5-1 before slipping past Switzerland 7-6 in an extra end, a comeback win made possible by Einarson’s miracle eight-end toss to tie the game.

Gushue stood in the house, monitoring the line of the laser beam, and was left awed when the dust finally settled.

“It was one of the best shots I’ve ever seen. You had to throw it really hard to make it and she hit it absolutely perfect,” acknowledged one of the country’s most decorated curlers.

Einarson heaved a rocket, catching a sliver of one yellow stone and dislodging three others, leaving a Canadian counter in the back four-foot to knot the score 6-6. Canada then stole the decisive point when Swiss competitor Jenny Perret narrowly missed a draw to the button with her final stone.

The qualifying game began at 4 a.m., so most fans across the country likely missed the true classic.

Seemingly, a shot to score just wasn’t there, however, the 33-year-old married mom of twin daughters insisted her delivery with the hammer was no ‘Hail, Mary.’

“I saw it the whole entire time,” she said. “I said, ‘OK, there is a quad here, I can get these rocks going if her guard overcurls.’ And it did and left me the shot.”

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPJasonBell