2018 Audi quattro Winter Games NZ

Brent Laing and Jennifer Jones on their way to gold. Photo © Neil Kerr / Winter Games NZ

30 Aug 2018 – Brent Laing and Jennifer Jones claimed the gold medal for Canada in the Audi quattro Winter Games NZ Mixed Doubles curling tournament in Naseby this afternoon.

They beat Scotland’s Jayne Stirling and Fraser Kingan 9-5 in the final.

The tournament was also the first event of the northern season’s World Curling Tour, and was the first WCT event to ever be held in the southern hemisphere.

Semifinals in progress. Photo © Neil Kerr / Winter Games NZ

30 Aug 2018 – Scotland and Canada won this morning’s semi-finals at the Audi quattro Winter Games Mixed Doubles curling tournament in Naseby and will face off in the gold medal match this afternoon.

Scotland beat Norway in a high scoring game. The Scots took four points in the third end, and then a crucial steal of two in the next when Maia and Magnus Ramsfjell could find no way to the button for Norway.

When their last shot in the seventh end wrecked on a guard, the teams shook hands with the score at 12-7.

Scotland's Fraser Kingan and Jayne Stirling. Photo © Iain McGregor / Winter Games NZ via AP

29 Aug 2018 – Scotland and USA won tonight’s quarterfinals at the Audi quattro Winter Games Mixed Doubles curling tournament in Naseby to progress to tomorrow’s medal rounds.

The Scots won a tight match 5-4 against the local favourites, the New Zealand 2 side of Bridget and Sean Becker.

The Kiwis had a tough shot to tie the game in the final end, needing to score two with a thin in-off to dislodge a Scottish stone in the centre of the house.

New Zealand's Bridget Becker and Sean Becker vs Norway. Photo © Iain McGregor / Winter Games NZ via AP

29 Aug 2018 – Canada and Norway claimed the top spots in their pools to qualify direct to tomorrow’s semi-finals in the Audi quattro Winter Games Mixed Doubles curling tournament in Naseby this week.

Scotland, New Zealand 2, USA and Australia 1 will contest the right to meet them in tonight’s quarter-finals.

Team Canada had secured the top spot in Pool A before last night’s penultimate round.

Jennifer Jones and Brent Laing. Photo © NZCA

29 Aug 2018 – It's not every day we host two of the world's best and most well-known curlers in New Zealand.

Between them, Brent Laing and Jennifer Jones have won 6 Scotties (Canadian Women's Championships), 3 Briers (Canadian Men's), 5 World Championships, and an Olympic Gold medal (Jones in 2014).

So we asked them if they'd like to chat – and they said "Sure!"

Australia's Lynn Hewitt. Photo © Iain McGregor / WGNZ

28 Aug 2018 – With three pool sessions still to play, Canada has already qualified for the playoff rounds at the Audi quattro Winter Games Mixed Doubles curling tournament in Naseby this week.

Team Canada’s Jennifer Jones and Brent Laing locked in their playoff spot with a 9-1 win against New Zealand 1’s Thivya Jeyaranjan and Brett Sargon this morning.

On the next sheet, Australia 1 beat Finland 9-8 when Lynn Hewitt drew her last stone into the house to score three in the final end.

Canada's Jennifer Jones and Brent Laing. Photo © Iain McGregor / WGNZ

27 Aug 2018 – Canada showed their star power in the morning session of the Audi quattro Winter Games Mixed Doubles curling tournament in Naseby today.

Australia 1 ran them close all the way, and led by one going into the last end. With just Canada’s final stone to play the Aussies held two shots, one of them sitting on top of two Canadian stones and the other in the open.

The collective wisdom of the upstairs gallery was that Jennifer Jones’ only option was to hit the open stone, score one for Canada and take the game to an extra end.

Tahli Gill and partner Sam Williams made the comeback of the opening day. Photo © Iain McGregor / WGNZ

26 Aug 2018 – Canada and Norway set the pace with two wins on the opening day of the Audi quattro Winter Games NZ 2018 Mixed Doubles tournament. Australia 1 also went undefeated, winning their only game of the day.

The first draw saw the first big matchup of the day. Norway and USA sides both reached the playoff rounds of the World Mixed Doubles Championships in April this year, and their game in the opening round was keenly anticipated.

USA made the most of their last stone advantage in the first end to score 3, but there was nothing in it after three ends. A big 4-point end by Norway in the fifth gave them an advantage they maintained, and they ran out 10-6 winners.