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Both Canada and Korea are beyond our strength. Howard's watching us.

Canadians have been a bit of a mixed bag so far at this championship. But what Amber Holland played against the Czechs was really excellent. According to my percentages, she played at 93%, with one significant error meaning our one no advantage and nearly finishing off her opponent. Significant to the development of the match was the three that came after an unlucky layup. It gave the Canadians two corner guards and a rock in the circle. A promising double attempt on our number two also played a role, but it was ultimately the opponent's number one. All in all, a nice game, but under the control of a more experienced opponent. Against Korea we failed to make the opening, in which we fell out of the defensive zone and subsequent attempts to get back into the match always ended with a great response from the Korean skip. Even this time the Asians did not allow us to score a win. It's a good thing that no more Asian teams await us, unless you count the Russians!? The other stars of world curling are here, Ulli Kapp, David Murdoch, Bob Kelly and especially the Torino Olympic champion Russ Howard, a man who has had a significant impact on world curling. After the game against Korea, Russ praised the Czech team for the way they played, gave one piece of technical advice about the effect of the quality of the pibble on the spin rate of take outs and added a joke. Unlike the meeting I attended today at the official hotel (rules, qualifications, statutes, etc.), this was a very refreshing encounter. photo: Karl and Russ