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VERNON, B.C. -- Team Canada's Jennifer Jones ran smack-dab into the Great Wall of China here in the Okanagan Valley.
China's Bingyu Wang stole two in the third end to take a 4-0 lead, then hung on for a 7-5 victory over the Canucks in the Page playoff one-two game of the women's world curling championship at the Greater Vernon Multiplex last night.
Wang advances to tomorrow's 12:30 p.m. final. She'll meet the winner of today's 1:30 p.m. semifinal between Jones and Japan's Moe Meguro. The loser will play Switzerland's Mirjam Ott in today's 8 p.m. bronze-medal match.
Yes, the Chinese are for real.
For the sixth time this week, Jones got off to a very slow start. In fact she was terrible from the second to fifth ends.
Wang, who finished in first place with a 9-2 record, stole the two when Jones wrecked on a guard while attempting to out-draw two Chinese rocks socked behind cover. With her first draw in the end, Jones skated to the back eight.
Wang, who was full value for the victory, out-shot Jones 100% to 73% through the first five ends.
"We weren't out by much but we just couldn't get anything going," Jones said. "We struggled with draw weight early but we figured it out. And at least we'll have the hammer (today)."
Canada second Jill Officer had tears in her eyes when she came off the ice.
"The first few ends, we didn't necessarily leave her (Jones) with shots for points," she said. "We left her her pretty precise shots. At least we finished strong and we like to put ourselves in this position."
Canada third Cathy Overton-Clapham credited the Chinese.
"They did very well and we came out flat," she said. "And we just didn't get our rocks in the right position."
Wang was beside herself after knocking off the Canucks to put herself one win away from grabbing gold.
"Wow, I can't believe that's true," she said. "I'm very surprised. I'm so happy."
But can she beat Canada a third time should Jones rebound to make the final?
"It would be another surprise," said Wang, who beat Jones in the round robin. "It would be very good."
Wang said she hoped to meet Canada again in tomorrow's final.
During a fifth-end break, Jones was heard to blame her rocks for running too straight, despite having choice of rocks.
Jones battled back in the last five ends but dug herself too deep a hole.
Overton-Clapham has to be concerned. She's seeking her first gold medal in her fourth world championship but her team will have to rebound in a hurry in today's semifinal.
"Sometimes you wonder if it's meant to be," she said before last night's playoff. "This could be the last chance.I just want to come away from this week having no regrets."
Overton-Clapham, 38, won the bronze medal at the 1990 world junior women's championship, was forced to settle for silver at third for Manitoba's Connie Laliberte in 1995, and was shut out at third for Jones in 2005.
"Cathy has waited a long time for this and we really want to win this for her," Officer said.