Canada’s Einarson Reaches World Curling Championship Semifinals

Canada’s Team Kerri Einarson has secured a direct bye to the semifinals of the 2026 BKT World Women’s Curling Championship, presented by Pharmasave, following a 6-5 victory over Japan’s Team Satsuki Fujisawa on Friday night. The win brings Canada’s record to 10-2 in the round-robin play at Calgary’s WinSport Arena, positioning them second behind Switzerland.

Dominant Performance Secures Semifinal Berth

“We definitely upped it this game. We knew we had to,” said Einarson. “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.”

The Canadian team, comprised of skip Kerri Einarson, third/vice-skip Val Sweeting, second Shannon Birchard, lead Karlee Burgess, alternate Krysten Karwacki, coach Reid Carruthers, and national coach Viktor Kjell, delivered what was described as their most complete game of the tournament. Einarson executed key doubles to score and limit Japan’s opportunities, while her teammates consistently performed at a high level.

Key Moments in the Victory

Canada led by two with the hammer in the 10th end, ultimately closing out the round robin with a well-placed hit. Earlier in the game, Einarson’s precise takeout in the sixth end resulted in a deuce, and a triple takeout in the same end nearly led to an even larger score. Sweeting’s shooting percentage was an impressive 99%, with Birchard at 93% and Burgess at 97%.

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

Semifinal Matchup and Tournament Outlook

Switzerland’s Team Xenia Schwaller (11-1) finished atop the round robin and also receives a bye to the semifinals. This marks the first time in four appearances that Team Einarson has advanced directly to the semifinals, guaranteeing a medal opportunity on Sunday.

Canada will face the winner of the qualification game between Japan (9-3) and Turkey’s Team Dilsat Yildiz (7-5), who secured their spot with a 10-7 win over Italy. Sweden’s Team Isabella Wranaa (8-4) will play against South Korea’s Team Eunji Gim (8-4) in the other qualification game.

Broadcast and Ticket Information

The semifinals are scheduled for Saturday at 4 p.m. Mountain Time. TSN and RDS2 will broadcast all Team Canada games and all playoff games. Ticket information is available on the Curling Canada website.