The final draw will determine the final placings at the 2023 Everest Canadian Senior Womenº¦Ðß²ÝÑо¿Ëù™s and Menº¦Ðß²ÝÑо¿Ëù™s Curling Championships Friday, Dec. 8, at 6 p.m. at the Vernon Curling Club.
The top four womenº¦Ðß²ÝÑо¿Ëù™s and top four menº¦Ðß²ÝÑо¿Ëù™s rinks that will qualify for Saturday morningº¦Ðß²ÝÑо¿Ëù™s semifinals will be confirmed, as will their placings.
Going into the draw Friday, thereº¦Ðß²ÝÑо¿Ëù™s a logjam on the womenº¦Ðß²ÝÑо¿Ëù™s side featuring six of the eight teams. Saskatchewanº¦Ðß²ÝÑо¿Ëù™s Nancy Martin (8-1) and Ontarioº¦Ðß²ÝÑо¿Ëù™s Susan Froud (7-2) have clinched final four spots. Those two play each other, with the winner getting the No. 1 seed for the semifinals Saturday.
B.C.º¦Ðß²ÝÑо¿Ëù™s Diane Gushulak (6-3) and Albertaº¦Ðß²ÝÑо¿Ëù™s Atina Ford Johnston (6-3) are in positions to clinch. But the remaining four teams º¦Ðß²ÝÑо¿Ëù“ Northwest Territories, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Manitoba º¦Ðß²ÝÑо¿Ëù“ are 5-4.
Gushulak will take on Quebecº¦Ðß²ÝÑо¿Ëù™s Chantal Osborne. Ford Johnston plays Nova Scotiaº¦Ðß²ÝÑо¿Ëù™s Andrea Saulnier. Manitobaº¦Ðß²ÝÑо¿Ëù™s Joelle Brown plays the Sharon Cormier rinkof the Northwest Territories.
Should teams be tied, tournament records will be used to determine the final two spots.
Gushulak fell to 6-3 Friday morning with an 8-5 loss to Saulnierº¦Ðß²ÝÑо¿Ëù™s Nova Scotia squad.
On the menº¦Ðß²ÝÑо¿Ëù™s draw, Saskatchewanº¦Ðß²ÝÑо¿Ëù™s Bruce Korte rebounded from his first loss Thursday night, 7-5 to Dave Boehmer of Manitoba, to defeat Francois Roberge of Quebec 8-3 Friday morning.
The win lifted Korte to 8-1 and in position to clinch the No. 1 seed in the 6 p.m. draw with a win over Paul Flemming of Nova Scotia (7-2). A Flemming win and the Maritimes rink gets the top seed.
Flemming is tied with B.C.º¦Ðß²ÝÑо¿Ëù™s Wes Craig of Duncan and Boehmer at 7-2 while New Brunswickº¦Ðß²ÝÑо¿Ëù™s Mike Kennedy is alive at 6-3. Craig plays Kennedy Friday at 6 p.m.
Semifinals for both men and women go Saturday morning, Dec. 9, at 8:30 a.m. The first- and second-place team in each draw gets the hammer (last rock) to start the semis.
The menº¦Ðß²ÝÑо¿Ëù™s championship and bronze-medal matches will be played at 12:30 p.m., followed by the womenº¦Ðß²ÝÑо¿Ëù™s medal games at 3:30 p.m.
The two champions will represent Canada at the World Championships in 2024 in Sweden.