Sweden Defeats Canada 6-5 to Take Lead in Mixed Doubles Curling World Championship Group B

Sweden's Rasmus and Isabella Wrana defeated Canada's Kadriana and Colton Lott 6-5 in a battle for the top spot in Group B at the 2024 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship in Östersund, Sweden. With the victory, Sweden improved their record to a perfect 6-0 while the Canadian husband-and-wife team from Gimli, Manitoba fell to 5-1.

Sweden opened up a 4-1 lead midway through the match, scoring one with the hammer in the opening end and following with a steal of one in the second. Canada got on the board with a single point in the third end, but Sweden responded with a deuce in the fourth to extend their advantage to three.

The Lotts fought back, scoring two in the fifth end to cut the deficit to 4-3. However, Sweden scored another two points in the sixth end which proved too much for Canada to overcome. The Canadians used their power play in the seventh end but could only muster a single point as Sweden held on for the 6-5 win.

Why this matters: The showdown between Sweden and Canada was a matchup of the only two undefeated teams remaining in Group B. With the victory, Sweden took sole possession of first place and is in prime position to advance directly to the semi-finals. Canada will look to rebound in their remaining round-robin games to secure a top playoff spot.

Earlier on Tuesday, Canada had defeated Scotland 12-5. The Lotts scored three in the second end and stole another point in the third to take an early 4-0 lead. Scotland got on the board with a three-point fifth end to cut the lead to 6-5, but Canada responded emphatically with a six-point sixth end to put the game out of reach.

Despite the loss to Sweden, Kadriana Lott continues to lead all female players with a 91.3% shooting percentage for the week. Canada will face China on Wednesday before concluding the round robin with games against Australia and the United States on Thursday. The top two teams from each group will advance directly to the semi-finals, while the third through sixth place teams will compete in playoffs for the remaining two semi-final spots.

Key Takeaways

• Sweden defeats Canada 6-5 in a battle for top spot in Group B at the 2024 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship.
• Sweden improves to 6-0, while Canada falls to 5-1 in the round-robin standings.
• Canada earlier defeated Scotland 12-5, with a dominant 6-point end in the 6th.
• Kadriana Lott leads all female players with a 91.3% shooting percentage for the week.
• The top two teams from each group will advance directly to the semi-finals.