Everything going Ulsrud’s way

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This article was published 23/01/2010 (5976 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

First he came back from giving up four in the first end.

Then he stole the winning point on Kerry Burtnyk at the MTS Centre on Friday to punch his ticket to today’s quarter-finals at the BDO Classic Canadian Open.

It’s the latest example of how things have been falling into place for Norway’s Thomas Ulsrud this year. And he hopes nothing changes when the puts on his curling boots for the biggest bonspiel of them all next month: the Vancouver Games.

“It seems we’ve been winning the close games,” said Ulsrud after beating Burtnyk 8-7 to run his record to 4-0. “Like today, stealing in the last against Kerry, it’s probably only going to happen one out of 10 times. That’s just our season. Everything’s going (right). I just want it to keep on going until February.”

Ulsrud was happy to only give up four on the first end after his freeze attempt chipped a rock in the top four-foot and left Burtnyk a hit for six.

“Kerry had a shot for six, and I told the guys (before he threw it), ‘do you have to play six ends?,’ ” said Ulsrud, who is supported by Torger Nergaard, Christoffer Svae, Harvard Vad Petersson.

But Ulsrud got three right back the next end, and he left the ice with a spot in the playoff round of a Grand Slam event for the second time this season.

In October, Ulsrud lost to eventual winner Glenn Howard in the semi-finals of the Grey Power World Cup in Mississauga, Ont.

The team from Oslo also has three wins (all in Switzerland) and two second-place finishes this year on the World Curling Tour. They came into this week’s event ranked third (behind Howard and Kevin Martin) on the WCT with $61,598 in winnings.

They’ll add to that total this weekend. And they’ll go into their first Olympics with some pretty good momentum.

“It’s just now starting to (hit) me, speaking to people like you — you keep mentioning it all the time,” Ulsrud said with a laugh. “It’s going to be pretty cool, actually. I’m looking forward to it. If we bring a medal back from the Olympics, that’s going to be big.”

Ulsrud will look to follow in the footsteps of countryman Pal Trulsen, who won Olympic gold in 2002.

“He’s still recognized on the street back in Norway,” said Ulsrud, a three-time world bronze medallist. “He’s ‘Mr. Curling.’ “

Ulsrud says there are just 10-15 curling clubs in Norway, and they have trouble filling an eight-team national championship. But the country is captivated by the sport when they see it at the Olympics.

“In Norway there’s only like 4.5 million people, but when Pal Trulsen won the Olympic gold there were one million people watching,” said Ulsrud. “There’s like 20 per cent of the population sitting around watching curling on TV and understanding nothing.”

Trulsen stole the winning point in his 2002 final against Martin, the man Ulsrud will face in his first Olympic test on Feb. 16.

Would he like to send a message by beating Martin this weekend?

“I think I’m going to save it for Olympics,” Ulsrud joked. “I don’t know if I’m like (David) Murdoch. I’m not going to beat him four times in row. I’m going to save it for that one special time.”

For now, Ulsrud is enjoying his run at the MTS Centre.

“This is the centre of curling,” said Ulsrud. “People know their curling here. I’m really impressed by the crowds here. I’m looking forward to the playoffs.”

BDO Canadian Classic

W L

Kevin Martin 4 0 Glenn Howard 4 0

Thomas Ulsrud 4 1

Wayne Middaugh 4 1

Randy Ferbey 3 2

Mike McEwen 3 2

Bob Ursel 3 2

Jeff Stoughton 3 2

Pat Simmons 2 2

Ted Appelman 2 3

Jean-Michel Menard 2 3

Kerry Burtnyk 2 3

Kevin Koe 2 3

Jason Gunnlaugson 2 3

Brad Gushue 1 3

John Shuster 1 4

Dale Matchett 1 4

Chris Schille 0 5

Draw 6 results: McEwen 7 Shuster 3; Appelman 10 Ferbey 7; Matchett 7 Simmons 6; Middaugh 5 Menard 4; Gunnlaugson 6 Koe 4.

Draw 7 results: Gushue 9 Schille 4; Ulsrud 8 Burtnyk 7; Howard 4 Shuster 3; Martin 6 Ursel 4; Stoughton 6 Simmons 4.

Draw 8 results: Ursel 7 Menard 6; McEwen 8 Matchett 4; Middaugh 6 Schille 2; Koe 6 Appelman 4; Ferbey 7 Burtnyk 4.

Draw 9 results: Stoughton 8 Shuster 3; Koe 10 Ulsrud 5; Gunnlaugson 6 Appelman 3; Howard vs. Simmons (late); Martin vs. Gushue (late)

MANITOBA LINESCORES

Draw 6

McEwen 111 040 xx–7

Shuster 000 201 xx–3

Gunnlaugson 010 021 20–6

Koe 201 000 01–4

Draw 7

Burtnyk 401 002 00–7

Ulsrud 030 210 11–8

Stoughton 020 010 03–6

Simmons 100 101 10–4

Draw 8

McEwen 202 130 xx–8

Matchett 030 001 xx–4

Burtnyk 100 200 10–4

Ferbey 011 031 01–7

Draw 9

Stoughton 104 210 XX–8

Shuster 010 002 xx–3

Gunnlaugson 010 120 11–6

Appelman 002 001 00–3

TODAY’S DRAWS

9:30 a.m.: Tiebreakers; 2 p.m.: Q-finals. 6 p.m.: SemIs.