Norway wins, but Canada qualifies for playoffs at 2026 BKT World Women’s

Despite a loss on Thursday evening, Canada’s Team Kerri Einarson has officially clinched a playoff berth at the 2026 BKT World Women’s Curling Championship, presented by Pharmasave.

It wasn’t the way the Canadians — skip Einarson, third/vice-skip Val Sweeting, second Shannon Birchard, lead Karlee Burgess, alternate Krysten Karwacki, coach Reid Carruthers, and national coach Viktor Kjell — envisioned a playoff-clinching game would go.

Norway’s Team Torlid Bjoernstad (3-7) turned in their best performance of the week, beating the Canadians 10-6 in an extra end. The Gimli Curling Club squad from Manitoba now sits at 8-2 in the round robin.

Einarson tucked her shot behind cover as best she could, but Norway had hammer and converted a runback for four points to seal the win.

Canada’s playoff fate was settled elsewhere, however, as Japan’s Team Satsuki Fujisawa (8-2) and Sweden’s Team Isabella Wranaa (8-3) both earned extra-end wins Thursday evening at Calgary’s WinSport Event Centre, throwing the Canadians a lifeline.

“That’s exciting! Step one,” Einarson said after learning Canada qualified for the playoffs partway through her post-game media scrum. “Step one, still lots of work to do.”

Japan defeated China’s Team Rui Wang (5-5) 8-7, while Sweden bested Turkey’s Team Dislat Yildiz (5-5) 8-6. Those results sent all three teams to the playoffs, joining Switzerland’s Team Xenia Schwaller (9-1), who had already clinched earlier in the day.

South Korea’s Team Eunji Gim (6-4), China, Italy’s Team Stefania Constantini (5-5) and Turkey all remain in the hunt for the final two playoff spots.

After three consecutive days of morning and evening games, Einarson and Co. will get their first chance to sleep in on Friday — a welcome reset before the final round-robin day, which features games against Australia’s Team Helen Williams (1-9) at 2 p.m. and Japan at 7 p.m. (all times Mountain).

“Yeah, it’s definitely been a long three days,” Einarson said. “The girls seem to be sweeping their butts off all week, and it’s exhausting. But we’re grinding away and doing the best we can, and looking forward to some rest.”

Bjoernstad led Norway through a stellar first half, building a three-point lead by the fifth-end break while throwing 90 per cent. Though she cooled slightly in the second half, Einarson noted that even the Norwegians’ misses tended to keep the pressure on Canada.

“We knew that they were young, but those young teams, they come out firing,” Einarson said.

Bjoernstad set the tone early, raising a stone through a port to score two in the fourth end.

“[That was] an unreal shot, like, and I think that kind of brought up their intensity a little bit, and we’re like, oh boy, we better string some shots along here, and come back with a two,” Einarson said.

Canada scored a deuce in the sixth and kept Norway to a single in the seventh. Norway returned the favour in the eighth, forcing Canada to a draw against three for a single point.

Norway had a shot for two in the ninth that would have put the game away, but Bjoernstad couldn’t stick the shooter on a difficult double. The Canadians pushed for three in the 10th but managed only a deuce, forcing the extra end.

“I don’t like playing teams like that, because they have nothing to lose,” Einarson said. So they come out there firing, and they did tonight, and you know what? Kudos to them. They played very well.”

Teams with the bye on Thursday evening included Switzerland, South Korea, Denmark’s Team Madeleine Dupont (3-7), Australia and Team Delaney Strouse of the U.S.A. (1-9).

The 2026 BKT World Women’s Curling Championship continues Friday with draws at 9 am., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. (all times Mountain).

Round-robin play runs through to Friday, with the top six teams making the playoffs; no tiebreakers will be played, so ties for playoff spots will be broken based on head-to-head results, and if that doesn’t resolve the tie, then the pre-game Last-Shot Draw distances.

The top two teams from round-robin play will be seeded directly into the semifinals on Saturday at 4 p.m., while third will play sixth and fourth will play fifth in the qualifying-round games earlier on Saturday, at 10 a.m.

The winners of the qualifying-round games will advance to the semifinals. The semifinal winners will play for gold on Sunday at 3 p.m., with the semifinal losers battling for bronze Sunday at 9 a.m.

Live scoring, standings and statistics for the 2026 BKT World Women’s Curling Championship are available by CLICKING HERE.

TSN and RDS2 will provide coverage of all Team Canada games, and all playoff games, at the 2026 BKT World Women’s Curling Championship. CLICK HERE for the broadcast schedule.

For ticket information for the 2026 BKT World Women’s Curling Championship, go to www.curling.ca/2026worldwomen/tickets/.

This story will be available in French as soon as possible at www.curling.ca/fr/2026worldwomen/nouvelles/.