Halifax's Team Jones sweeps Canada to another world junior curling title

Kaitlyn Jones says her teammates are heading out for a much-deserved milkshake today.

The Halifax-based team is celebrating another gold medal for Canada at the World Junior Curling Championships, held in Aberdeen, Scotland, this year.

Team Canada stayed calm and collected to defeat Sweden, the defending world champs, 7-4 in the final game on Saturday.

"I'm just feeling amazed, I guess," said the 19-year-old skip. "Very thankful that we played as good as we did in that last game."

China beat Norway 11-5 to win bronze at the tournament.

The Canadian team, which also includes Kristin Clarke, Karlee Burgess, Lindsey Burgess and Lauren Lenentine, got off to an early lead in the third end.

It was Jones first time at the world juniors, but the second time for Clarke, Karlee Burgess and the team's coach, Andrew Atherton.

In 2016, Team Canada, led by Chester's Mary Fay, won gold in Denmark.

"We knew that we didn't have anything to lose because we were playing the reigning world champions, so I think that all the pressure would have been on them," said Jones.

Still, there were a few moments when the nerves set in, she said.

In the fifth end, Jones said she felt a bit shaky and the team wasn't sitting well until her last shot, in which the team ended up scoring three.

Atherton said it was unbelievable to watch the team make almost every single shot.

"We had a good week but we had an unbelievable final," he said. "It's the best game I've ever seen them curl, probably the best game I've ever seen curled by a junior women's team — ever."

The win secures the team a spot at another international competition in Calgary at the end of the month. They'll be up against the best women curlers in the world, like fellow Canadian Jennifer Jones.

The team only started training together a year ago, but you'd never know it, said Atherton. 

"Just having that chemistry with the teammates is really huge, and I think we just had a lot of fun this season," said Jones.

The team is expected to return home to Nova Scotia Sunday night.