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Wright, Anseeuw split first two games at World Wheelchair Curling Mixed Doubles

Canada opens with 8-4 victory over Latvia before dropping 6-4 decision to Germany in first two games in Finland
Marie Wright Jamie Anseeuw
Moose Jaw’s Marie Wright will be joining Winnipeg’s Jamie Anseeuw in representing Canada at the World Wheelchair Curling Championship at the end of April.

It was an up-and-down start for Canada’s Marie Wright and Jamie Anseeuw at the World Wheelchair Curling Mixed Doubles Championship on Saturday in Lohja, Finland.

The duo opened the tournament with an 8-4 victory over Latvia’s Polina Rozkova and Agris Lasmans in the afternoon draw before falling 6-4 to Germany’s Christiane Putzich and Burkhard Moeller in the late draw.

Moose Jaw’s Wright and Winnipeg’s Anseeuw are playing their first mixed doubles event as a team after winning bronze in curling with Team Canada at the 2018 Paralympic Games.

The world championship is also the first of its kind in mixed doubles for wheelchair curling.

Canada got off to a solid start against Latvia, stealing one in the first end and leading 2-1 through three. Things turned dramatically in Canada’s favour from there, though, as they’d steal two in each of the next three ends. That included the fifth, when Latvia used their power play to try and get back into the game, only to give up a pair.

Trailing 8-1, Latvia got on the board for only the second time in the game in the seventh with a three-ender and the following end, Canada used their power play and ran Rozkova and Lasmans out of rocks to pick up their first win.

Against Germany, it was Canada’s turn to chase after a tough start. Putzich and Moeller used the hammer to take a pair in the first and then stole single points the next three ends for a 5-0 lead. 

Wright and Anseeuw didn’t go quietly, though, putting up their first point in the fifth, stealing two in the sixth and another in the seventh to get back to within one. Germany put their power play to perfect use in the final end, though, picking up a single point for the win.

Canada sits tied at 1-1 with the Czech Republic, Germany and the United States for third place in Group B, with Denmark and Norway unbeaten at 2-0 after Day 1.

They’re back on the ice at 4 a.m. Sunday against Slovakia in their lone game of the day.

Canada takes on the United States at 12:30 a.m. and Norway at 7:30 a.m. Monday before facing Turkey at 12:30 a.m. and Czechia at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday to cap the round robin.

The top three teams from each round robin pool advance to the playoff round.

For more information, including live scoring throughout the event, be sure to visit www.worldcurling.org/events/wwhmdcc2022.

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