Second-ever championship featured 29 teams in Edmonton
With files from World Curling
The Japanese team of Yuina Miura and Kaito Fujii captured the second-ever world junior mixed doubles championship in Edmonton with a huge two-point steal in the final end, good for a 6-5 victory over Canada’s Brooklyn Ideson and Owen Henry.
Canada started strong, scoring two points in the first end and also played a short raise for another pair in the fourth end for a 5-2 lead.
Japan used their Power Play in the sixth end in an attempt to generate a multiple score, but was unsuccessful and forced to a nose hit for a single. In the seventh end, Canada engaged their Power Play but was heavy on a chase attempt, leaving Japan with a steal of one.
The score was 5-4 in favour of Canada heading into the eighth end, but a long angle-raise attempt on Canada’s last stone overcurled, leaving two Japanese stones in the four-foot for the win and the world championship.
Eakin Howard-World Curling“I’m so happy. I’m just so happy. I’m crying,” said Miura, adding the title is part of their “road to the next Olympics.”
The bronze medal game saw Scotland’s Tia Laurie and Ethan Brewster defeat Denmark’s Katrine and Jacob Schmidt by a 10-7 count.
Team Japan’ coach was Ayumi Ogasawara while Mark Ideson – who won Paralympic wheelchair curling gold back in March – and second coach Laura Walker coached for Canada.
In the semifinals, Japan defeated Scotland 6-5 while Canada edged Denmark by a 5-4 count.
Germany, Norway, Korea and Czechia made the quarterfinals.
The 31-team draw had to be adjusted to 29 when Russia, intending to make their return to competition after four years of international suspension, was unable to secure travel visas from the Canadian government.
Nigeria then also withdrew from the competition, citing “a last minute personal issue.”