Team Carey puts end to Team Einarson win streak

Anybody following the World Curling Tour this weekend likely had to do a lot of clicking to keep up with the online results. With events happening in Asia, Europe, and across Canada, trying to follow all of them would have required a lot of online navigation.

Chelsea Carey skipped her Canadian team to victory at the Canad Inns Women’s Classic in Portage la Prairie, Man. (Photo, Curling Canada/Michael Burns)

Now that the dust has settled, however, the results can all be found in one place.

In Portage la Prairie, Man., it appeared that Kerri Einarson’s juggernaut foursome from Gimli, Man., was going to add a fifth consecutive title to its WCT season after marching through the A-qualifier at the Canad Inns Women’s Classic. Chelsea Carey, on the other hand, looked to be in a bit of trouble after losing the A-qualifier, then a B quarter-final, and having to take the long road through C to reach the playoffs.

Carey, however, seemed to use those extra games to gain some momentum. Once her team (with Sarah Wilkes, Dana Ferguson and Breanne Knapp, filling in for Rachel Brown) reached the playoffs, it didn’t slow down. Team Carey knocked off Toronto’s Chrissy Cadorin, the team who beat them in the A final and in the quarters. They took down China’s Sijia Liu in the semifinal. That set up a meeting with Einarson’s squad in the final.

Carey controlled the game and took home the title, earning $15,500 and a whopping 76.408 points on the Canadian Team Ranking System and WCT Order of Merit. Einarson still cashed in for $10,400 and 56.032 points.

In Gatineau, Que., Scott McDonald’s Kingston, Ont. foursome bested Charley Thomas’s new squad, now playing out of Toronto. McDonald, John Beuk, Wes Forget and Scott Chadwick won the Challenge de Curling de Gatineau and took home $11,000 and 43.148 points. Thomas (now playing with Adam Casey, Pat Janssen and Fraser Reid) earned $7,000 and 31.642 points.

Émilie Desjardins, left, and Robert Desjardins prevailed at the Austrian Mixed Doubles Cup in Kitzbühel, Austria.

At the China Open in Chongqing, both Canadian entries came up just short of the titles in their respective events. Brad Gushue (St. John’s) lost an extra-end final to Russia’s Dmitry Mironov, while Jennifer Jones (Winnipeg) lost the semi to Switzerland’s Ursi Hegner, and had to settle for bronze-medal victory over China’s Jie Mei.

Gushue took home $32,776 (all dollar figures Cdn) and 24.131 points, while Jones earned $15,733 and 19.603 points. Russia’s Mironov and Alina Kovaleva won the titles, and each took home $65,552.

In Medicine Hat, Alta., Edmonton’s Ted Appelman bested Saskatoon’s Kirk Muyres in the final of the Medicine Hat Charity Classic. Appelman earned $9,000 and 34.906 points for winning the 20-team event.

Finally, in Kitzbuhel, Austria, the WCT Austrian Mixed Doubles Cup was won by Canadians Emilie and Robert Desjardins (Chicoutimi, Que.). The father-daughter duo lost only one game in the event, and ran through the playoffs with three straight wins. They won about $1,200 CDN.