Music: {allcanada} STOUGHTON SWEEPS TO VICTORY OVER SWITZERLAND IN OPENER

Saturday, April 2, 2011

{allcanada} STOUGHTON SWEEPS TO VICTORY OVER SWITZERLAND IN OPENER

REGINA -- Canada's Jeff Stoughton rode a wave of adrenaline and opened the Ford World Men's Curling Championship with a win Saturday.

His Winnipeg team beat Switzerland's Christof Schwaller 8-4 to kick off their bid for a world title.

Stoughton, third Jon Mead, second Reid Carruthers and lead Steve Gould may be from Manitoba, but had a full house at Regina's Brandt Centre loudly backing them.

"I don't think my heart got down under 100 until the fourth end," Stoughton said. "It was exciting. It takes a lot out of you and you have to calm down a little bit. It's great to get No. 1, that's for sure.

"We were hoping the place would be packed and they'd be cheering for Canada. Why wouldn't they? If it was a Saskatchewan team playing in Winnipeg, we would adopt them just as quickly as Regina is adopting us."

Stoughton stole three in the fifth end to lead 5-2. After stealing a pair in the ninth, Schwaller opted to shake hands rather than play the final end. Canada was to face Denmark's Tommy Stjerne in the evening draw.

Pete Fenson of the U.S., was a 7-4 winner over Denmark, Thomas Dufour of France scored a 9-5 victory over Jiri Snitil of the Czech Republic and South Korea's Dong Keun Lee upset Olympic silver medallist Thomas Ulsrud of Norway 8-7 in an extra end.

The world championship features 12 teams. The four teams with the best record at the conclusion of the preliminary round Thursday advance to the playoffs.

Canada's first game required measurements of stones in the first, eighth and ninth ends. Canada tried to score a pair with the hammer in the first end, but was held to one point. The measurements went their way in the eighth and ninth, however, as they scored a single point to lead 6-4 and then stole two the following end.

The foursome curled an outstanding 96 per cent as a team versus Ontario's Glenn Howard to win the Tim Hortons Brier final last month in London, Ont. They weren't quite as sharp to open the world championship at 82 per cent.

"We had a little struggle out there just getting used to the atmosphere and the rocks and the ice," Stoughton said. "Once we got onto it a little bit better, we made a couple of shots. Still a little sloppy, but all in all, it's still a win."

The skip made a key shot in the ninth and had Schwaller drawing against three Canadian stones with the last shot of the end. Schwaller was just happy to give up the steal of two.

"We needed a double there, just to make sure they didn't get an easy deuce," Stoughton said. "The skipper's got to make one once in awhile so it was good timing."

Canada has won 32 world men's curling championships since the first one was held in 1959. Canada has also won three of the last four: Kevin Koe (2010); Kevin Martin (2008); Glenn Howard (2007).