Canada's Bernard edges Swiss in curling opener
Last Updated: Tuesday, February 16, 2010 | 9:03 PM ET
By Dan Robson, CBC Sports
Canadian skip Cheryl Bernard looks up ice after throwing a rock in the Olympic opener against Switzerland on Tuesday. (Nathan Denette/Canadian Press)Cheryl Bernard led Canada to a 5-4 win over Switzerland in the women's curling opener at the Vancouver Olympic Centre on Tuesday.
Bernard trailed Swiss skip Mirjam Ott 2-1 at the fifth-end break. But the 43-year-old from Calgary scored a deuce in the sixth end to take the lead.
Ott played a quiet tap-back to tie it with a single in the seventh end, but Bernard regained the lead in the eighth.
Canada held the Swiss to one in the ninth, and then drew to the button for the 5-4 win in the 10th.
In other women's curling round-robin action on Tuesday:
- Sweden edged Denmark 6-5.
- Japan beat the United States 9-7.
- Germany walked over Russia 9-4.
CBC curling analysts Mike Harris and Joan McCusker both say the final will likely feature China's Bingyu Wang, the reigning world champion, against Sweden's Anette Norberg, the defending gold medallist.
Ott took silver at the last two Winter Games, and was a formidable test for Bernard in the opener.
Canada will play Japan in further preliminary action at the Vancouver Olympic Centre on Wednesday morning.
Kevin Martin narrowly squeezed past Norway with a 7-6 win in extra ends earlier on Tuesday. Canada's men's squad is back in action on Tuesday night at 10 p.m. PT, taking on Germany.
