Jones suffers 2nd Olympic loss as Canada comes up short against Sweden in women's curling
Canadian team falls to 1-2 in Beijing after losing 7-6 on a measurement
Jennifer Jones and her Canadian team dropped their second straight game in women's Olympic curling, falling 7-6 on a measurement to defending champions Anna Hasselborg and Sweden on Saturday morning at the Beijing Games.
After trailing 6-3 entering the eighth end, Canada battled back to within a point heading into the ninth. The Canadians then found themselves in position to claim victory after uncharacteristic misses from Sweden opened the door in the final end.
But Jones was unable to secure the double on the game's final shot, and the measurement left Canada with just a single.
"My rock curled just a little too much. It was a hard shot but it's nice to have a potential shot to win the game when you're trailing. I'm proud of us," Jones said.
She later added: "Those darn millimetres - they get you sometimes. It's always a game of millimetres, but that's why we play. If a sport was a guarantee it wouldn't be any fun. You can go out there and win by a millimetre and lose by a millimetre. It's the adrenaline rush, it's the fun of competing."
The two losses also bring unchartered territory, as they are the first for Jones at the Olympics following an 11-0 record at the 2014 Games, and an opening 12-7 win in Beijing against South Korea.
Her team includes Jocelyn Peterman, Dawn McEwen and Kaitlyn Lawes — with Lisa Weagle as an alternate.
WATCH | Canada's Jennifer Jones falls to Sweden after 10th end measurement:
Sweden (2-1) is on a quest to become the second women's team to ever win back-to-back Olympic titles. They opened the tournament with an 8-5 win over Japan before falling 8-2 to Great Britain yesterday.
Canada rebounded from a slow start in the first end against the Swedes when Jones made a perfect shot to steal a point with the last stone. It became clear that a tight game was shaping up following a blank in the second.
Hasselborg scored two on a great throw with the final stone of the third end, but momentum went back and forth as Jones cleared two stones before tying things up with a hit and stick for one in the fourth.
Jones' final stone in the fifth end went wide of the guard, and Hasselborg scored three to put Sweden in control with a 5-2 lead at the fifth-end break.
WATCH | That Curling Show: Jennifer Jones discusses thrill of competing in Olympics:
Canada inched closer by scoring one with the last stone of the sixth end, but Hasselborg reestablished breathing room with a commanding 6-3 lead after seven.
Hasselborg posted a draw for one in the ninth to slow down the Canadian rally, as Sweden went up by two heading into the final end before the dramatic conclusion sealed the win.
"Pretty disappointed. I missed a bad one in [the fifth end] to give up three and we were chasing after that. We fought back to the end," Jones said.
Each of the ten competing countries will play nine games during the round robin stage, with the top four teams advancing to the semifinals.
Jones and Canada were the first and only women's curling team to win Olympic curling gold with an undefeated record in 2014. The Winnipeg native is a six-time Scotties champion and a two-time world champion.
Brad Gushue and his Canadian men's team are scheduled to play Niklas Edin and Sweden at 1:05 a.m. ET.
Canada has won five medals in women's Olympic curling and 11 overall on the Olympic stage.
WATCH | Extended Highlights: Canada suffers 2nd straight loss in women's curling:
