Gim, Kim win bonspiels in Canada over Thanksgiving weekend
Published
South Korea's Team Eun-ji Gim showed why they are ranked fourth in the world this Thanksgiving long weekend after capturing the Curlers Corner Autumn Gold Curling Classic in Calgary for the second straight year.
Led by their 33-year-old skip, Team Gim put together a perfect 7-0 record over the four-day bonspiel, capping it off with an 8-3 win over Japan's Team Miori Nakamura in Monday's championship game.
Team Gim, also featuring Min-ji Kim at third, Su-ji Kim at second and Ye-eun Seol at lead, defeated Canadian rinks led by Jessie Hunkin in the quarterfinal and Beth Peterson in the semifinal.
British Columbia's Team Corryn Brown fell to Team Nakamura in the other semifinal while Manitoba's Team Kate Cameron, who have already won once this season, as well as the teams skipped by Kerry Galusha, Serena Gray-Withers, Nancy Martin and Kayla Skrlik all missed the playoffs.
Kim, Morozumi capture Stu Sells Tankard
The Stu Sells Tankard in Barrie featured a pair of finals with Japanese and South Korean teams going head-to-head for the title.
In the women's final, Team Eunjung Kim of South Korea were the last ones standing after beating Japan's Team Sayaka Yoshimura in the final, 6-5. They also defeated China's Team Rui Wang in the quarters and China's Team Yu Han in the semis.
Only three Canadian rinks reached the playoffs in Barrie with Lauren Mann's rink from Timmins getting as far as the semifinal where they lost Yoshimura's crew.
Team Krista McCarville, who were playing in their second event with new teammate Andrea Kelly, went 2-2 and missed the playoffs.
The men's final featured Japan's Team Yusuke Morozumi getting the better of Team Jeong Byeong-Jin of South Korea, 8-2.
Halifax's Team Owen Purcell and Toronto's Michael Fournier had the best Canadian finishes as both were ousted in the semis.
Walker, Muyres fall in mixed doubles final
Many of Canada's top curlers were competing in the first event of the Mixed Doubles Super Series this weekend at the Sherwood Park Curling Club in Alberta.
Laura Walker and Kirk Muyres, who are now full-time mixed doubles curlers, put together a solid bonspiel with playoff wins over Shannon Birchard-John Morris in the quarterfinal and Rachel Homan-Tyler Tardi in the semifinal before losing to Japan's Chiaki Matsumura and Yasumasa Tanida in the championship game, 7-5.
Matsumura and Tanida won all eight of their games, including topping the father-daughter duo of David and Alyssa Nedohin in the quarters as well as Australian Olympians in Tahli Gill and Dean Hewitt in the semis.
Last year's Canadian mixed doubles champions in Jennifer Jones and Brent Laing as well as Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant, winners of two Canadian mixed doubles titles, both missed the playoffs.
Other results from the curling tour
Men
Prague Open - Fabio Ribotta
New Scotland Brewing Men's Cashspiel - James Grattan
Capital Curling Classic - Francois Roberge
McKee Homes Fall Curling Classic - Fei Xueqing
Women
New Scotland Clothing Women's Cashspiel - Melissa Adams