Canada sweeps 2008 World Seniors

The two Alberta teams, skipped by former two-time men's world champion Pat Ryan and international rookie Diane Foster, led the event from start to finish and made quick work of their opponents in the finals. The women defeated Scotland 10-2 and the men dispatched Sweden 8-0 in a somewhat deceptive match.

Ryan held a comfortable 4-0 lead in the fifth end when Sweden threatened, and skip Per Lindeman lay one with a chance at three. Disaster struck, however, when Lindeman pushed a Canadian counter into scoring position, and now trailed 5-0.

"He couldn't buy a break today," said Ryan.

Ryan was helming three members of the Les Rogers team, the 2006 World Senior championship squad. Marv Wirth played third, with Ken McLean and Millard Evans anchored the front end.

"Anytime you win representing Canada, it's special," said Ryan, who captured the 1989 Worlds as the chief of the "Ryan's Express", and later played third for Rick Folk in winning in 1994.

"It never sinks in at the moment, but this will be a cherished memory."

Foster's foursome traded singles with Kirsty Letton's Team Scotland to start the women's final and grabbed three points in the third. They added a deuce in the fifth end and then back-to-back steals of two in ends six and seven, whereupon Letton conceded.

"I've never been a world champion. Heck, I'd never been a Canadian champion," said Foster.

"That's what (curling legend) Paul Gowsell told me, he said you've got to forget you have that maple leaf on your back, and just focus on curling."

Foster was supported by teammates Shirley McPherson, Shirley Kohuch and Chris Wilson.

The Canadian women were elped along by Ryan's teammates, who shared their information on the competition stones.

"They were our rock wizards," said Foster. "They're so much better than us girls with that stuff. They knew everything about each rock in the building in no time, and it was so great for them to share the info with us."

In men's bronze medal action, Bill Rhyme took over skipping duties from David Russell and led the United States to a narrow 6-4 win over Scotland's Graeme Adam. In the women's bronze match, hometown fans were disappointed when Finland's Helene Timonen lost 7-6 on a steal in the 10th end to Switzerland's Renate Nedkoff.

The Finnish Curling Association posted results of the Championships, available at:

www.curling.fi/en/competitions/leagues/2687

Results are also mirrored on the World Curling Federation website at: Http://results.worldcurling.org

The host website is www.wscc2008.com

LINESCORES - WSCC 2008

Men's Final

CAN *111 112 1x-8
SWE 000 000 0x-0

Women's Final

SCO 010 100 0x-2
CAN *103 022 2x-10

Men's Bronze


SCO 000 120 10-4
USA *003 002 01-6

Women's Bronze

SUI *130 010 11-7
FIN 004 101 00-6