There’s a silver lining

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/03/2009 (6265 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

PURPLE crocuses in their hands and silver medals around their necks didn’t quite match up to the gold that Kaitlyn Lawes and her two-time Canadian champions would have preferred after a last-rock loss to Scotland at the World Junior Curling Championships.

But the Pembina Curling Club foursome of Lawes, Jenna Loder, Laryssa Grenkow and Breanne Meakin arrived home Monday afternoon sporting the big smiles that were missing following Sunday’s devastating 8-6 defeat.

"It was kind of heartbreaking that we weren’t able to finish it off but at the same time, we’re second in the world, so we can’t complain," said Lawes, whose slightly heavy shot in the 10th end in Vancouver Sunday gave the Scots the victory, rather than counted two for the win or one for an extra end.

Lawes could barely talk to reporters after the loss Sunday. But on Monday, she had regained her composure — as any elite athlete must — and had begun to look at the result in a positive light instead of in the most negative.

"(Sunday) it was just too soon, everyone was just coming up to me right away and it was too heartbreaking to talk about it right away. I was too emotional. It was obviously something that I wanted so bad and to have it just slip away was pretty tough."

While Lawes talked about how she simply wanted to go to home and sleep, her team leaves today for Yorkton, Sask., to compete in the Canada Cup. She, Loder and Grenkow will graduate into women’s next year from juniors, but she’s not sure whether they’ll stay together as a team.

Meakin, 18, is going to skip her own juniors team next year.

"It’s a dream come true to be able to compete at that level," Lawes said of the worlds, after being hugged by friends and family and presented with yet more flowers following a round of applause at James Richardson International Airport.

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"It’s something that we’ve worked for always, since we were just little kids and dreamed of standing up on that podium. Obviously, you want to hear your national anthem at the end of the day."

The team won a bronze medal last year.

Loder said she feels more relaxed "to know we won silver, we didn’t lose gold. We’ve been through a lot. I mean, we’ve played so many games to get there, we’ve practised so much, we’ve worked so hard as a team just to be there and be in that gold-medal game. It was fun, it was awesome, we enjoyed the moment and it was great."

Meakin said while she was calm during the final, "obviously the result wasn’t what we wanted. At first, it was pretty devastating to not reach the goal but after we got off (the ice), after a while, I’m starting to appreciate the silver a whole lot more. I have no regrets."

chris.cariou@freepress.mb.ca