(Dec 21, 2008) -- CAMROSE, Canada -- Team World captured the 2008 Continental Cup of Curling by a total score of 208-192 despite Canada's Kevin Martin scoring a win in the final round of men's skins.
Martin defeated Thomas Ulsrud of Norway 40-15 but Ulsrud, a two-time world bronze medallist, clinched the title in the fourth end by making a spectacular, down-weight double-raise takeout for two and the tournament-clinching skin. The Norwegians erupted in joy and ran to the Team World benches, where they were swarmed by their teammates.
Martin, the defending world champion, faced a Herculean task going in to the final. After Jennifer Jones lost 41-14 to Anette Norberg in the morning women's skins final, Martin had to win every skin but one in an unlikely attempt to snatch a win for Team North America.
"We couldn't play our normal skins game," said Martin.
"We wanted to throw the big shots but we couldn't afford to miss anything. He made a great shot, I'm glad he had to do that. Really good shot."
Team World led in all competitions from start to finish and fielded one of their strongest-ever teams. Two Chinese squads, skipped by Bingyu Wang and Fengchun Wang, blended well with the Europeans - Ulsrud, Norberg, Switzerland's Mirjam Ott and Scotland's David Murdoch - who had barely unpacked from their critical European Championship in northern Sweden before jetting off to bone-chilling central Alberta.
"My heart was pumping on that last shot (in the fourth end), let me tell you," Ulsrud said.
"It felt beautiful, man.
"You only get once chance sometimes, especially against Martin, so you have to take it."
In six straight Continental Cups no team has ever repeated in back-to-back years. This 2008 World win follows North America's emphatic 2007 victory in Medicine Hat and ties the series overall at three wins each.
North America looked strong with Martin and Jones on board, but only the U.S. men's team skipped by Craig Brown contributed strongly to a meager list of early point totals. Cup rookies Kevin Koe and Stefanie Lawton, together with former world champion Debbie McCormick of the United States, all found themselves struggling in the early going.
The North Americans had started gaining some momentum on Saturday, before successive lineup violations forced officials to claw back points earned in mixed skins play.
Team World's victory gives them the winner's portion of the $88,000 event prize purse.
The final matches were available for international online viewing at www.tsn.ca shortly after each domestic television broadcast had been completed.
Following the holidays, Member Associations of the World Curling Federation will prepare to announce their teams for the various upcoming World Championships. The 2009 championship event calendar starts in February at Vancouver, with the future site of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games hosting the 2009 World Wheelchair and 2009 World Junior Curling Championships.
The 2009 Championship Event calendar can be viewed at the WCF website, www.worldcurling.org . |
