Sweden downs Canada 6-5, takes control of Group B at mixed doubles curling worlds

Colton and Kadriana Lott, pictured in 2021, stay undefeated at the world mixed doubles curling championship in Sweden on April 21, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)

Östersund, Sweden — Sweden's Rasmus and Isabella Wrana handed Canada's Kadriana and Colton Lott their first loss at the world mixed doubles curling championship on Tuesday.

Sweden opened up a 4-1 lead midway through the game and held on for a 6-5 win over Canada in a battle for top spot in Group B at the 20-team tournament.

The Wrana siblings improved to 6-0 with the win, while the Lotts fell to 5-1.

Sweden scored one with the hammer in the opening end and followed with a steal of one in the second.

The Lotts, a husband-and-wife team from Gimli, Man., got one back in the third before Sweden scored a deuce in the fourth to open up its lead.

Canada responded to start the second half of the match with two in the fifth end, but a deuce from Sweden in the sixth proved too much to overcome.

The Lotts scored one in the seventh and had a steal of one in the eighth but couldn't close the gap.

Sweden curled at 94 per cent, making it difficult for Canada to find its way back into the match.

"There's not much you can do, you just take it as it is and try to make something of it," said Colton Lott. "Today I think we were just on the wrong side of the inch and not getting our rocks in those precise spots to make those shots harder for them.

"We just kind of let them off the hook a few times early. We clawed back but just wasn't good enough."

Canada opened the day with a 12-5 win over Scotland.

The Lotts scored three in the second end and stole another in the third after the Scottish duo of Sophie Jackson and Duncan McFadzean opened with a single.

Later with Canada in control leading 6-2, Scotland applied some pressure by scoring three in the fifth end to cut the lead to one.

The Lotts fully extinguished the Scottish comeback with a score of six in the sixth.

Scotland fell to 2-3.

Canada faces China on Wednesday before ending the round robin with Thursday games against Australia and the United States.

"We just want to finish off the round robin strong and get a last couple wins in here and I think that puts us in a good spot," Kadriana Lott said.

   This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 23, 2024.