By Aadi Nair
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy, Feb 20 (Reuters) – Sweden advanced to the women’s curling final at the Winter Olympics after beating reigning world champions Canada 6-3 and will take on Switzerland, who defeated the United States 7-4 at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium on Friday.
Rachel Homan’s Canada were hoping to join their male counterparts in the final, but put in an error-strewn performance against Anna Hasselborg’s Sweden in the semi-final.
After a cagey start in which both teams picked up a couple of singles, Sweden got the breakthrough in the sixth end when Homan could not nail a hit-and-roll, which freed up Hasselborg to grab two points.
Sweden had a lead of three heading into the final end, and though Canada had hammer, a wonderful shot from Hasselborg put three of her stones in the house and Homan conceded victory with her final shot remaining.
Sweden have now ensured a medal for a third successive Games, winning gold in Pyeongchang and bronze in Beijing four years ago.
“You’re never in control, but I had a great feeling, and we did start with hammer,” Hasselborg said.
“It was just a great game, and to score a two there in the sixth was really important for the game.”
SWITZERLAND END OLYMPIC DROUGHT
In the other semi-final, Switzerland’s win ensured an Olympic medal for skip Silvana Tirinzoni and fourth Alina Paetz, the only prize missing from their long and successful careers.
At the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022, the four-times world champions had come close, dominating the round-robin stage with eight wins and one defeat to enter the semi-finals.
However, they suffered a shock loss to Japan before falling to Hasselborg’s Sweden in the bronze-medal game – sending them home empty-handed.
“(Beijing) was a disappointment, but I never thought that we played badly. We didn’t quite reach our goal, but I still went home with quite a good feeling, actually, and I think that helped us also in these Olympics,” Tirinzoni said.
“It’s not always about the medal. It’s also about being at your best in the round-robin enjoying the moment and being yourself and all that.
“I think we did so many things well in Beijing, and we just lost two very important games. But now we won it, and now everything is fantastic.”
The United States, hoping to become the first women’s team from the nation to win an Olympic medal, will play Canada for bronze on Saturday.
Sweden and Switzerland vie for gold on Sunday in the finale of the curling competition at the Milano Cortina Games.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair;Editing by Alison Williams)
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