ABERDEEN, Scotland — Canada has secured the top spot in the playoffs at the world mixed curling championship.
Colin Kurz's Winnipeg-based rink finished pool play at 7-0 after a 7-2 win over Estonia's Erkki Lill and a 17-3 victory over Kosovo's Peter Andersen on Thursday.
The Canadian rink, which also features third Meghan Walter, second Brendan Bilawka and lead Sara Oliver, finished tied with fellow pool leaders Russia, Scotland and Spain in the standings. Canada got the top seed by virtue of having the best draw shot challenge distance among the tied teams.
"Obviously coming to a world event you never expect to go 7-0, even though that's always the goal. But we were able to achieve that. Now it's a long road in the playoffs," Kurz said.
"It's an interesting playoffs, with 16 teams qualifying and being a single knockout. Every game matters and every game can be your last. We've got to treat every game as importantly as possible and come out and play the best game you can."
Canada now plays Simon Olofsson of Sweden (4-3) in the round of 16 on Friday. The quarterfinals are later Friday with the semifinals and medal games on Saturday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2019.
The Canadian Press
