Canada’s Team Einarson clinches semifinals berth at 2026 BKT World Women’s

Canada’s Team Kerri Einarson has earned a direct bye to the semifinals at the 2026 BKT World Women’s Curling Championship, presented by Pharmasave, following a win over Japan’s Team Satsuki Fujisawa.

The Canadian team from Gimli, Man., defeated Japan (9-3) 6-5 during the final round-robin draw on Friday night at Calgary’s WinSport Arena. Canada, now 10-2 and in sole possession of second place, secures a spot in the semifinals on Saturday at 4 p.m. (all times Mountain).

“We definitely upped it this game. We knew we had to,” Einarson said. “Japan’s a wonderful team, and they’re really good, so we knew that we had to bring one of our best games, and we definitely did tonight.”

It was the most complete game of the week for skip Einarson, third/vice-skip Val Sweeting, second Shannon Birchard, lead Karlee Burgess, alternate Krysten Karwacki, coach Reid Carruthers, and national coach Viktor Kjell. Einarson made fiery doubles to score and limit Japan, while her teammates delivered some of their best performances of the tournament.

Leading by two with hammer in the 10th, Canada made an open hit to close out the round robin on a high note.

Switzerland’s Team Xenia Schwaller (11-1) finished the round robin in first place and will receive the other bye to the semifinals.

It is the first time in four appearances that Team Einarson will advance directly to the semifinals, guaranteeing the skip a chance to play for a medal on Sunday.

“It’s a relief. It feels quite nice, actually,” Einarson said, though she was quick to note the job isn’t done. “It’s still like sudden death, and we still have a job to do, so we’re excited and ready for it.”

Canada’s game plan was to apply pressure early and limit Japan’s offensive opportunities, and by and large, it worked. Though Canada misfired on a blank attempt in the first and took one instead, it stole a point in the second when Fujisawa overcurled her draw. One shot earlier, Einarson had chased Japan’s shot stone with perfect weight to remove it and sit three.

Einarson continued her confident play in the third, making a beautiful double to hold Japan to a single point. After blanking the fourth and fifth ends, Canada converted a deuce in the sixth on an exceptional triple takeout. Facing two Japanese counters, they made the thin triple and nearly kept the shooter in play for a third point. The shot drew cheers from the sold-out crowd of 2,959.

“We had a couple of ends where it seemed like a big end was forming, and then they’d make a really good shot and put the pressure back on us,” Sweeting said. “That thin double through the port, it was an amazing shot, and we thought it might be there for more if we got lucky.”

Japan replied with two in the seventh, and Canada threatened a big eighth end after Sweeting made a double to sit three, but Fujisawa locked her first skip stone onto Canada’s shot rock to limit the damage. Canada answered with a double takeout to score a deuce and take a three-point lead.

“I felt I’m kind of close all week and just wasn’t always getting them, but I thought that we did a good job of figuring them out and managing them well and just tried to keep throwing them close,” Sweeting said, who curled 99 per cent. “It was nice to get those results and make those shots when the team needed them. I thought we did a good job of reading the ice and believing it, and the girls did a good job of judging and all the things.”

Momentum stayed with Canada in the ninth, where a raise takeout forced Japan into a tap against four, which Fujisawa made with poise to score a single.

The remaining four playoff teams play qualification games Saturday at 10 a.m. With the loss, Japan finished third and will face sixth-seed Team Dilsat Yildiz (7-5) of Turkey, who secured their spot with a 10-7 win over Italy’s Team Stefania Constantini (5-7).

Fourth-seed Sweden’s Team Isabella Wranaa (8-4) takes on fifth-seed Team Eunji Gim (8-4) of South Korea. South Korea bettered Denmark’s Team Madeleine Dupont (3-9) with a 7-4 win.

Canada awaits the winner of the Japan-Turkey qualification game.

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/.