Canada will fight for bronze

Weeks after Germany won a surprise bronze medal at the World Mixed Doubles Championship, Germany’s junior men’s team is guaranteed gold or silver at the World Juniors in Jonkoping, Sweden.

Benjamin Kapp’s foursome defeated Canada’s Owen Purcell 8-5 in one semifinal, while Scotland’s James Craik defeated Norway’s Grunde Buraas 7-5 in the other to set up a Germany-Scotland final on Sunday.

Sunday’s final marks the first time Germany has appeared in the world junior men’s final since 1995.

Canada and Norway will also meet on Sunday for the bronze medals.

Germany held a 4-0 lead after four ends. In the seventh end, Canada closed a 5-2 gap with a fine runback from skip Purcell to make the score 5-4.

Another German deuce in the eighth end made it 7-4, and when Canada was held to a single in the ninth Germany were in the clear.

Scotland, meanwhile, started their semifinal with a deuce and led 6-2 after six ends of play.

The Scots dominated the men’s round robin, finishing with an 8-1 won/loss record.

In the women’s semifinal round, Sweden defeated Norway and Japan walloped USA to set up a Sweden-Japan final on Sunday.

The host team, skipped by Moa Dryburgh, scored three in the fourth end to erase a 2-0 deficit and held Norway’s Eirin Mesloe to a single in the fifth. The Swedes managed the scoreboard well the rest of the way, and scored a single in the 10th end for the 5-4 victory.

Meanwhile, Japan battled United States in a taut match through eight ends. Leading 4-3 in the ninth end, Japan skip Sae Yamamoto stole a huge three-ender on USA skip Delaney Strouse for the eventual 7-3 win.

Norway and USA will meet before the championship final in the bronze medal match.