Einarson secures playoff berth at women's world curling championship

Canada's Kerri Einarson in action during the round robin session 19 of the LGT World Women's Curling Championship between Denmark and Canada at Goransson Arena in Sandviken, Sweden, Friday, March 24, 2023. (Jonas Ekstromer/TT News Agency via AP)

SANDVIKEN, Sweden -

Canada's Kerri Einarson closed her round-robin schedule with an 11-5 loss to Denmark's Madeleine Dupont on Friday but still managed to secure a playoff berth at the women's world curling championship.

Her Manitoba-based rink of Val Sweeting, Shannon Birchard and Briane Harris, which defeated Turkey's Dilsat Yildiz 10-4 earlier in the day, made the six-team playoff cut at 7-5.

After conceding to Denmark after eight ends, Canada locked up a spot in a qualification game a short time later when American Tabitha Peterson dropped a 10-6 decision to South Korea's Seungyoun Ha.

"We were going to have some anxious moments here waiting, but we knew there were a lot of scenarios here where we still make it through," Birchard said.

Canada was set to learn its seeding position later Friday upon the completion of the last round-robin draw at the Goransson Arena.

Defending champion Silvana Tirinzoni (11-0) of Switzerland previously locked up first place in the 13-team standings and one of two byes to the semifinals.

Entering the late games, Norway's Marianne Roervik and Sweden's Anna Hasselborg were tied in second place at 7-4. Canada, Italy's Stefania Constantini and Japan's Satsuki Fujisawa were next at 7-5.

The Americans missed the cut at 6-6.

Qualification games and semifinals were scheduled for Saturday and medal games were on tap Sunday.

Einarson won bronze at last year's world playdowns in Prince George, B.C. Canada hasn't won gold at this competition since 2018 when Jennifer Jones was victorious in North Bay, Ont.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 24, 2023.