Canada finishes unbeaten in women's Olympic curling

SOCHI, Russia, Feb. 20 (UPI) -- Jennifer Jones led Canada to a 6-3 win over Sweden Thursday in the gold medal game of the women's Olympic curling tournament.

Sweden had won consecutive Olympic gold medals in the event, but could not stop the Canadians -- who played 11 matches in this year's event and won them all.

Canada has won a medal in all five of the women's Olympic curling competitions, but this was the first gold for the Canadians since the sport debuted in the Nagano Games of 1998.

Jones, the Canadian skip, put her side ahead with a tiebreaking point in the eighth end and added two more in the ninth.

She was joined in the gold medal effort by Kaitlyn Lawes, Jill Officer and Dawn McEwen.

Only one of Canada's matches was decided by a single point and that was a 7-6 decision over the United States. The Americans won just one match in the group phase of the tournament finished last among the 10 teams.

The bronze medal went to Britain thanks to a 6-5 victory over Switzerland. Britain's only other medal in women's curling was a gold one captured in 2002.