Kablammo!

Here’s a partial list of key shots in games played by New Zealand’s men’s Olympic curling team in Torino:

• vs Sweden:
  Facing two opposing stones New Zealand Skip BECKER S misses an open Take-out, failing to remove any stones and sets up a Draw for three points for Sweden and a commanding lead in a game that had so far been very close.
• vs Great Britain:
  New Zealand Skip BECKER S, missed a critical Hit and Roll allowing Great Britain to steal four and take control of the game.
• vs United States:
  United States was counting two behind Guards and had forced New Zealand to attempt to navigate a very tight path to promote one of their own stones. New Zealand Skip BECKER S was light and the stone over-curled, touching a Guard. USA seemed to gain momentum from this point in the game and was encouraged by the enthusiastic crowd.
• vs Switzerland:
  Swiss Skip STOECKLI R played a perfect Draw to guard his shot stone and force New Zealand skip BECKER S to attempt a difficult Draw. New Zealand missed and Switzerland stole 3 to take command of the game.
• vs Italy:
  The Italian Skip RETORNAZ J made a cross house Double Take-out to lie two stones and turn the end around in Italy’s favour. The difficulty of this shot was increased by having to avoid jamming the New Zealand shot on one of Italy’s own stones lying in the back of the house. New Zealand Skip BECKER S was forced to make a Take-out to lie shot which RETORNAZ J removed to score two shots and take a lead into the fifth end break.
• vs Norway:
  In an attempt to limit Norway to one point by pushing back a Norway stone, New Zealand Skip BECKER S added a touch more weight than necessary and tapped his own second shot back enough to allow Norway an easy last stone draw for three points to take control of the game.

Better luck next time, Skip.

1 Comment

• Aili says:

  February 26, 2006 at 1:11

  You are a neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerd

  Reply