Olympic Curling – Session 5 (Women’s)

Live Blogging in Progress … There are only 4 games this morning in Session 5 – Women’s Curling …

UPDATE: ALL SCORES ARE NOW FINAL

Canada vs Switzerland

END 1 – CAN 0, SUI 0
END 2 – CAN 1, SUI 0
END 3 – CAN 1, SUI 0
END 4 – CAN 1, SUI 3
END 5 – CAN 3, SUI 3
END 6 – CAN 3, SUI 3
END 7 – CAN 4, SUI 3
END 8 – CAN 4, SUI 5
END 9 – CAN 5, SUI 5
END 10 – CAN 5, SUI 6

FINAL: Switzerland 6, Canada 5
Results

Japan vs Denmark

END 1 – JPN 0, DEN 1
END 2 – JPN 1, DEN 1
END 3 – JPN 3, DEN 1
END 4 – JPN 4, DEN 1
END 5 – JPN 4, DEN 4
END 6 – JPN 4, DEN 6
END 7 – JPN 4, DEN 6
END 8 – JPN 5, DEN 6
END 9 – JPN 5, DEN 8
END 10 – JPN 5, DEN 9

FINAL: Denmark 9, Japan 5
Results

Russian Federation vs Great Britain

END 1 – RUS 0, GBR 2
END 2 – RUS 2, GBR 2
END 3 – RUS 2, GBR 6
END 4 – RUS 2, GBR 7
END 5 – RUS 4, GBR 7
END 6 – RUS 4, GBR 7
END 7 – RUS 4, GBR 7
END 8 – RUS 4, GBR 7
END 9 – RUS 4, GBR 9
END 10 – RUS 4, GBR 10

FINAL: Great Britain 10, Russian Federation 4
Results

Sweden vs Italy

END 1 – SWE 0, ITA 0
END 2 – SWE 0, ITA 1
END 3 – SWE 2, ITA 1
END 4 – SWE 2, ITA 2
END 5 – SWE 5, ITA 2
END 6 – SWE 5, ITA 3
END 7 – SWE 6, ITA 3
END 8 – SWE 6, ITA 4
END 9 – SWE 7, ITA 4
END 10 – SWE 8, ITA 4

FINAL: Sweden 8, Italy 4
Results

~~~ Tidbits of stuff while I am Live Blogging (latest on top) ~~~

10th end – CAN vs SUI
* Shannon missed her first rock but the second looked good, hiding behind a guard. All that needed to happen was the Swiss skip to miss her final shot – but – alas – she drew to the 4 foot to win. *sniff*

Dancing in their “Spandies”
* Team USA Skip Cassie Johnson attributes her recent win to group dancing in their spandies listening to music on REAL speakers, instead of individually dancing to the tune of your own iPod… :-) That’s cute. Awwwww ..

Questioning Shannon Kleibrink’s Stragegy
* Don Whittman was pretty sure that kleibrink would kill her final stone in the 9th and let Switzerland steal 1 to lead by 2, just so she can take the hammer home in the 10th (having last rock). She drew to the button and tied it up – now Mirjam Ott has final stone ..

Average Age of Olympians? Oldest? Youngest?
* According to THIS, the average age of the Male Olympian at the Salt Lake City Olympics in 2002 was 26 years, 8 months. The average age of the women at the 2002 Olympics was 25.
* Two of the oldest Males in 2006 Turin are in the Curling competition .. Russ Howard from Canada (turning 50) and the new record goes to the oldest olympican .. Scott Baird from United States at “54 years and 282 days” old, at opening games.
* The oldest woman at the 2006 Turin games, “Grandma Luge” (Anne Abernathy from Virgin Islands) broker her wrist on Sunday .. is 52
* The youngest? 14-year-old female Sun Zhifeng of China (of the halfpipe) and male 15-year-old Manuel Pietropoli of Italy (also of the halfpipe) .. Manuel is officially the youngest male now. the youngest female is still from 1932 at age 11 – British figure skater Cecilia Colledge. Hmmm.. that’s young!

Yesterday’s Measurement
* Was yesterday’s measurement during Team Canada men’s game the only time so far in 2006 Olympics? (i don’t know the answer to this) .. at the time – Russ Howard thought it was a SUI point, but it ended up being a CAN point .. it goes to show how close it can be to get to the center button ..

Sure am proud of Team Kleibrink!
* Shannon just made a great final shot draw to steal 2 to tie it back up in the 5th.. You have to make the crunch shots, and be able to draw when you need to! wtg

Types of Curling Shots
* In case you didn’t know, there are basically nine types of curling shots: (1) the draw, (2) the freeze, (3) the hit and stay, (4) the come around, (5) the guard, (6) the raise and (7) hit and roll. That’s the 7 shots that you can see animated. I would add to their list (8) the “throw as hard as you can for a takeout” shot and (9) “miss the bloody shot by going straight through the house or not even reaching the hog line”

Cheering Local Crowd
* It was much quieter in the house when Sweden ended up with points in End 3 .. but that is natural .. Italy should be proud of their teams (Men 2/2, Women 1/2) .. The few games that I’ve watched – were all close!
* Number of times Italy has entered a curling team in the Olympics: 0 (the host country of the 2006 Games will ice its first-ever team in Turin)

Today’s Events
* There are 8 medals to be issued today at the games .. Go Canada Go!

Go Italy Go!
* Wow .. the cheers from the Italy game are quite loud and proud … but will the distraction affect the current curlers? Probably not. Curlers are kind of used to loud rinks, bad acoustics, etc etc.

Team Canada using different brooms?
* Team Kleibrink are using Yellow brooms this morning // update: Shannon Kleibrink (skip) and Amy Nixon (3rd) have been using yellow brooms. I never noticed it before – Glenys Bakker (2nd) and Christine Keshen (lead) are using http://www.torino2006.org/ENG/OlympicGames/photogallery/gallery_104_12.html brooms.