Slovakia and Italy prevail at Worlds Qualifying

Radoslav Duriš, Branislav Jakubec, Dušan Pitoňák, Monika Kunkelová

The top two teams after round robin play were also the two teams who qualified for the 2012 Worlds after the Page playoff, but it wasn't easy.

Italy (7-1) got off to a fast start against Slovakia (5-3) taking 2 with hammer and then adding a steal, only to fall behind 4-3 in the 3rd. A 3 of their own saw Italy's lead restored at the break, but Slovakia tied the game with 2 in the 5th.

Again Italy struck back, posting 3 in the 6th only to give two back in the 7th. With the hammer and the score 9-8 in their favour, the Italians looked to put away the nightmare of the 2010 playoff by keeping the house clean. That didn't happen.

With Slovakia sitting shot, Italian skip Andrea Tabanelli missed a peel with his first stone. Slovakia drew for second shot behind a guard and Tabanelli missed his take-out attempt, giving up a steal of 2 and allowing Slovakia, in just their third year of competition, to take the first of the two Qualification slots.

Slovakia  0 0 4 0 2 0 2 2 - 10

Italy *   2 1 0 3 0 3 0 0 - 9

A surprised Slovak Skip Radoslav Duriš, said: “It’s very impressive. There were highs and lows in this game for both teams but in each end we thought we could do it. The win for us is amazing.

“We lost four games in a row in the middle of this event and at that point we said ‘Houston we have a problem!’ but since then we have won every game. It was a dream for us to go to Korea – and now we are going.”

The 3 vs. 4 game Germany faced Finland without their skip. Jens Jäger injured his had the previous evening and Caren Totzauer moved up, but gave up a 6 ender and then a steal of 4 either side of the break before losing 13-2 in six ends.

Finland * 1 2 0 6 4 0 x x 13

Germany   0 0 1 0 0 1 x x 2

That set up a match between Finland and Italy. Skip Andrea Tabanelli later professed to feeling lucky to get a second chance.

He rode his luck all the way to the last rock of an extra end.

Italy began with a single with hammer but immediately gave up 3 and then a steal of 1 before taking a point to go in to the break down 4-2. A steal of 1 in the 5th and a 2 with hammer in the 7th levelled the scores at 5.

Early in the 8th Italy looked good to steal the game. But Markku Karjalainen made a great shot on his first stone to double out Italy's shot rocks. Tabanelli drew partially behind a centre stone to count one and Finland had a hit and stick for the win. They hit but rolled out, forcing an extra end but keeping the hammer.

Both teams showed signs of mounting pressure in the final end but Markku Karjalainen again threw a double take-out with his first throw. His second take-out attempt, however, may have been slightly over-thrown. It missed and Italy could finally put 2010 behind them and celebrate the steal that qualified them for South Korea next February.

Finland 0 3 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 - 5

Italy * 1 0 0 1 1 0 2 0 1 - 6

Team Italy

Andrea Tabanelli, Angela Menardi, Emanuele Spelorzi, Egidio Marchese, Rosanna Menazzi

A relieved Andrea Tabanelli said: “I was upset this morning, due to a mistake I made with my last stone, I lost us the game. We are very lucky to have a second chance and play again this afternoon. I am delighted that we won. This win is for my team, who are fantastic and have managed to form a strong bond.”

Finnish skip Vesa Hellman was philosophical. “We’ll try again next year. We showed massive improvement this year, so we will be coming to next year’s competition with a completely different mindset. After a couple of days, I’m sure we’ll be able to enjoy this achievement too, even though we didn’t manage to achieve the spot at the Worlds.”

Italy and Slovakia join Canada, Scotland, Norway, Russia, China, Korea, USA and Sweden at the 2012 Worlds in Chuncheon City, South Korea February 18 -25.

The 2012 Worlds Qualifying event will return to the Kisakallio Sports Institute, Lohja, Finland from the 3-8 November. Kate Caithness, President of the World Curling Federation, said: “The Finnish Curling Association and Kisakallio Sports Institute have delivered an excellent event. The institute provides top class facilities and optimal competition conditions for disabled athletes. We are delighted to return to Kisakallio once more and would like to thank the organizing committee for all their hard work this year.”

Click HERE for full statistics, line scores and team line-ups. The event also has a Facebook page.

Worlds Qualifying Day 5

Slovakia's Branislav Jakubec and Dušan Pitoňák
[Photo: Katja Kiiskinen/World Curling Federation]

At the start of the final day of round robin play at the Worlds Qualifying Tournament in Loja, Finland, seven teams held their own fate. They just had to avoid defeat in the final two draws to join Italy in the playoffs. Only one, Slovakia, succeeded, beating their Czech neighbours 8-4 in the morning and Germany 7 -5 in the afternoon.

The Czechs then had to beat Italy to hope for a tie-break, but the confident Italians, leading the round robin table as they had in 2010, were in no mood to be beaten, eliminating the Czechs  7-1.

Italy's morning opponents, Denmark had only to win one of their final two games to clinch a playoff spot, but lost to the leaders 8-4 and then lost to Japan 6-5 in the day's tightest game. Japan were ahead 4-1 at the break, but saw the Danes level  the score with a steal of 2 in the 8th. Japan, already eliminated after suffering a 5th loss to Finland in the morning, played spoiler by taking the extra end for a 6 -5 win that pushed the Danes into a tie-break.

Germany and Switzerland could not both avoid a 4th defeat as they played each other in the morning, Germany coming out on top  6-3. Switzerland salvaged a tie-break chance by beating bottom of the table Latvia 9-4 in the final draw.

Finland's skip Vesa Hellman[Photo: Katja Kiiskinen/World Curling Federation]

With Italy facing Slovakia in the Page 1 vs.2 game, there were four teams on four losses to decide who played in the Page 3 vs. 4 game, In the tie-breakers, Germany completed a miserable day for Denmark by posting a 4 in the 2nd end and holding on for a 7-5 win. Hosts Finland gave the home fans a stake in tomorrow's playoff round, beating Switzerland 7-3 after getting off to a 4-0 lead after 3 ends.

The winner of tomorrow's Italy vs Slovakia game will claim the first qualification spot, while the loser will play the winner of the Germany vs. Finland game to decide who gets the second qualification place The two teams will join the eight (Canada, Scotland, Norway, Russia, China, Korea, USA and Sweden) already qualified for the 2012 Worlds next February 18-25 in South Korea.

Standings after Draw 9 and tie-breaks

Italy       7 - 1
Slovakia    5 - 3
Finland     5 - 4 won tie-break
Germany     5 - 4 won tie-break
Denmark     4 - 5 lost tie-break
Switzerland 4 - 5 lost tie-break
Czech Rep . 3 - 5
Japan       3 - 5
Latvia      2 - 6

Click HERE for full statistics, line scores and team line-ups. The event also has a Facebook page.

Worlds Qualifying Day 4

With just two more draws to play, eight of the nine teams at the 2011 Worlds Qualifying Tournament in Lohja, Finland, are still in with a chance of making the playoff. The one certainty: Italy with just one loss after 7 Draws, is guaranteed a berth.

Italy's only defeat was to Japan in the morning draw. Japan, Vancouver Paralympians, lost their opening 3 games but their narrow win over table-toppers Italy was their second.

Down 5-2 after 3 ends they stole the next 3 points to inch ahead, but gave up a single in the 8th to see the score tied at 6. They then took 2 with hammer in the first extra end of the event to post an 8-6 win.

Kaneko Emi from the Japanese Curling Association said: “The team was feeling down after losing our first three games but all the other teams and our own technical staff have been very supportive. After two wins the team is feeling much more positive and happy now and hopefully we can continue that in our final games. We have a new team this year with two new players, both of whom bring a lot of positive energy to the group.”

Unfortunately for the Japanese they were unable to maintain momentum, giving up an 8th end 2 to the Czechs in a 5-4 loss this afternoon.

Czech Republic
Radek Musilek, Stepan Benes, Martin Tluk, Michaela Charvatova, Jana Brincilova
[Photo: Katja Kiiskinen/World Curling Federation]
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Four losses may still qualify for the playoffs as tomorrow's draws pit Germany and Switzerland, and the Czechs and Slovakia, each with 3 losses, against each other.

The host Finns, coming off a run of 3 consecutive victories, fell to Slovakia in the morning draw, tying the game at 6 with a 2 in the 8th, but unable to prevent Slovakia taking the winning point in the extra. Another narrow loss, 6-5 to Italy this afternoon drops Finland down the table with 4 losses, needing help to get to the playoffs.

Slovakia and Latvia, the least experienced of the competing sides, played a very tight game in the afternoon draw. Latvia went ahead on two double steals, but surrendered the last 4 points to lose 6-5, and drop out of contention. Slovakia moved to 3-3 and hold their fate in their own hands.

Team Slovakia
Radoslav Duriš, Branislav Jakubec, Dušan Pitoňák, Monika Kunkelová[Photo: Katja Kiiskinen/World Curling Federation]
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Germany, who had started so brightly, lost their only game today 9-4 to the Danes who then went on to edge the Swiss 6-5 this afternoon. The Danes leapfrogged Germany and Switzerland in the table and with the four teams below them playing each other tomorrow, need just one win tomorrow to clinch a playoff spot; against either Italy or Japan.

Standings after Draw 7

Italy       5 - 1
Denmark     4 - 2
Czech Rep . 3 - 3
Slovakia    3 - 3
Germany     3 - 3
Switzerland 3 - 3
Finland     3 - 4
Japan       2 - 4
Latvia      2 - 5

Click HERE for full statistics, line scores and team line-ups.2 The event also has a Facebook page.

Worlds Qualifying Day 3

As play began on Day 3 of the Worlds Qualifying Tournament in Lohja, Finland, three teams were unbeaten. By the end of Draw 5 just one had a perfect record: Germany and Switzerland both losing to Italy.

Italian coach Giulio Regli was delighted with his team’s performance. Remembering that the Italian team had faltered after finding themselves in this position only a year ago, he cautioned that there were still four games of the round-robin to go.

"The team had to keep focused," Regli said.

Switzerland were first to face the new leaders, and nosed ahead 3-2 on a steal of 2 after the mid-game break. Italy came back to steal 2 in the 7th, and sealed the win 5-3 with a final stolen point in the 8th.

Italy then faced Germany, who had lost to Finland 7-4 this morning, after allowing 4 stolen points. They also may have lost some confidence as they surrendered seven more stolen points to Italy in an 11-1 loss.

Switzerland, like Germany, failed to recover from their morning defeat, allowing the Finns to grab an 8 -6 win with 3 in the 8th.

Denmark's Sussie Neilsen bracing Proben Neilsen
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Per Christenson, Denmark's very experienced (and ex-Norway) coach, may have had some tough words for his under-performing national squad; whatever was or was not said, the Danes came out fighting today, blowing away the Czechs 13-5, and Latvia 15 -3.

Latvia's lead Vita Miezite
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Rookies Latvia had earlier disposed of Japan 10 - 6, stealing the game's final 5 points. Paralympics skip Yoji Nakajima's team may be feeling the absence of preparation occasioned by the series of natural disasters that hit his homeland this year, though Japan did regroup to post their first win, 9-3 over Slovakia in Draw 5.

Japan controlled that game with some great set up shots from the front end. Here's an observer's description of some fine play in the 3rd end that resulted in a steal of 2.

Japan and Slovakia each had a stone in the 4ft, both well hidden behind guards but Slovakia had other counting stones in the house, and the hammer.

Skip Yoji decided to play a hit and roll off a stone in the 12ft. to attempt to remove or make sure of the stealing point. The first two ends had been decided on a measure for the point.

He made it perfectly, pushing the Slovakian counter out of the 4ft, and sitting 2 buried. Radoslav Duriš attempted a raise but was unable to outcount Japan's stones, giving up a steal of 2.

Standings after Draw 5

Italy       4 - 0
Finland     3 - 2
Germany     3 - 2
Switzerland 3 - 2
Denmark     2 - 2
Latvia      2 - 3
Czech Rep . 1 - 3
Japan       1 - 3
Slovakia    1 - 3

Click HERE for full statistics, line scores and team line-ups.2 The event also has a Facebook page.

Worlds Qualifying Day 2

Team Italy

Andrea Tabanelli, Egidio Marchese, Emanuele Spelorzi, Angela Menardi, Rosanna Menazzi

Italy are a Cinderella team. They dropped into the qualifying pool by losing in a 5 way relegation tie-break at the 2009 Worlds, and last year in this event, made the 1 vs. 2 game before losing to both China and Russia.

Their two-time Paralympics skip, Andrea Tabanelli, had to leave before play began last year, but after an opening bye, has steered his team to two wins on Day 2, 9-2 over Slovakia and 10-4 over Latvia.

A very experienced neutral observer reports: "Latvia tied Italy after 5 ends but missed their opportunities to pressure Italy when it mattered. Their lack of strategic understanding often let Italy off the hook. Latvia missed opportunities to score a big end on numerous errors."

A tough assessment of a rookie team, but probably more useful to them than the usual anodyne public relations coach-speak if the team is serious about competing at the world level.

Team Latvia
Aleksandrs Dimbovkis, Ojars Briedis, Maris Dzelzkalns, Polina Rozkova, Vita Miezite

Germany and Switzerland also posted two wins. Germany beat newcomers Latvia 9-5 and were gracious in post game remarks.

"We were really surprised by how strong a team Latvia was," said skip Jens Jäger. "They are very precise and good players and have clearly very good team spirit. It is always a great feeling when the wheelchair curling family grows and grows."

Germany blanked Japan 12-0 in the afternoon draw.

Co-leaders Switzerland stole their way to an early  7-2 lead against the Czechs in Draw 2 before hanging on for a 7-6 victory. They repeated the pattern against Slovakia in Draw 4, leading 7-0 after two ends before cementing a 10-6 win with 2 in the 8th.

Hosts Finland posted their first win with a 5-ender and a 4-ender in a 14-1 rout of Denmark. The Finns shot an impressive 67% as a team.

"It was like having a different team on the ice," said lead Tuomo Aarnikka. "We had a great start to the game. We stole five points in the second end and after that we managed to keep the game simple for us and the opposition was the one who had to keep taking the risks."

The Finns were unable to maintain momentum, however, surrendering 6 steals in an 8-1 loss to the Czech Republic in Draw 3.

Standings after Draw 3

Germany      3 - 0
Switzerland  3 - 0
Italy        2 - 0
Czech Rep.   1 - 2
Latvia       1 - 2
Finland      1 - 2
Japan        0 - 2
Denmark      0 - 2

Click HERE for full statistics, line scores and team line-ups.

Worlds Qualifying Day 1

Team Switzerland
Manfred Bolliger, Felix Wagner, Claudia Heuttenmoser, Eric Decorvet, Melanie Villars

[Photo: Katja Kiiskinen/World Curling Federation]
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The World Wheelchair Curling Qualifying Tournament began today in Lohja, Finland, with nine teams competing for the final two places in the ten team 2012 World Championship in South Korea next February.

Manfred Bollinger, the tournament's most experienced skip, edged his team to a 7-6 win over Japan in the opening draw. Team Japan had interrupted their Qualifier training camp to compete in the Friendship league in Hokkaido, Japan, at the end of October (where they finished bottom of the table) and with Japanese curling centred in the north of the country so badly affected by the earthquake, tsunami and its repercussions, had not had the easiest of preparations. So holding the Swiss was an encouraging result for their experienced skip Yoji Nakajima and his rookie squad.

The good times were rolling again for Germany, whose skip Jens Jäger had been alarmed at my previous description of ebullient. (It had somehow become mangled in translation.) They beat the Czechs 7-4.

Team Germany has a new coach (Bernd Weiser) and traveling team official Petra Schlitt professing general happiness with everything, adding: "This new group has great team spirit, and more than anything else, they want to keep the playing fun for everyone." Those of us who fondly remember their traveling supporters singing in the stands at the 2009 Worlds, hope the fun lasts the week.

Team Finland
Vesa Hellman, Tuomo Aarnikka, Markku Karjalainen,  Sari Karjalainen, Riitta Särösalo
[Photo: Katja Kiiskinen/World Curling Federation]
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Hosts Finland were feeling confident before their opener against Latvia. Their skip, Vessa Hellman, said: "Practice went well and the ice feels quite good. The stones are quite a lot less swingy than last year, but they give us a good amount of curl."

Unfortunately for the home fans, the Finns lost to Latvia 3-7. It was Latvia's first win at this level. "Playing in Scotland last month was good preparation," an excited vice-skip Ojars Briedis said.

Slovakia, also relative newcomers to the sport at the World level, beat Denmark 11-4 in the remaining match, while Italy had a bye.

Rock moving and time-keeping duties are being performed by student volunteers led by Jari Moberg  "The students are extremely active in helping out in the tournament. It serves as good practice for them in how to organise and help out in sporting events and thus it is a useful experience for them also in their studies. The fact that it is an international event is always a nice addition because the students get a chance to use English."

Draw 2 begins at 10.30 local time.  Tournament organizers plan live webcast coverage of some games.

The draw and game schedule can be found HERE. Results will be posted HERE.

Worlds Qualifying Tournament deadline approaching

August 15th is the registration deadline for wheelchair curling teams representing a WCF Member Association wishing to compete at the World Wheelchair Qualifying Competition in Lohja Finland between 5 and 12 November 2011.

The top two qualifiers will join the top eight finishers at the 2011 Worlds: Canada, China, Korea (host), Norway, Russia, Scotland, Sweden and USA,  at the World Championships in Chuncheon City, South Korea, 18-25 February 2012.

Germany and the Czech Republic are the two teams who competed at the 2011 Worlds in Prague but will have to travel to Finland to attempt to rejoin the chase for 2014 Paralympics qualifying points.

South Korea to host 2012 Worlds, Qualifiers go to Finland again

Chuncheon City, in South Korea will host the 2012 World Wheelchair Curling Championship. The event will be held in the Uiam Ice Rink, Chuncheon City, Gangwon Province between 18-25 February 2012.

The World Championship Qualifying tournament, open to all countries not in the top seven teams (excluding Korea) at this year's Worlds in Prague, will be held as last year, at the Kisakallio Institute in Lohja, Finland from 29th October to 5th November 2011.