Edmonton Journal from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada • 6

i 't SPORTS 3f EDMONTON JOURNAL MONDAY, MARCH 27, 2006 C5 Ice Queen shows emotion after world title victory Sweden's Anette Norberg continues winning ways STORIES by VICKI HALL Journal Curling Writer GRANDE PRAIRIE Ni MM Dordi Nordby (1990-91) in accomplishing the feat. Is there any question that Sweden cur-rendy rules the world of women's curling? "I think, in Canada, we've always looked up to the Colleen Jones team," said Canadian skip Kelly Scott, who captured bronze after losing Saturday's semifinal to McCormick. "We have a new team to look up to, and that would be the Norberg team. They're a solid unit, and we can elevate our game even a little bit more to get up to their level." American skip Debbie McCormick pushed Norberg to the limit in the final. A Saskatoon native who moved to the U.S.

as a toddler, McCormick pulled off a four-ender with a spectacular double takeout in the fourth end. But McCormick botched a draw in the sixth end to give Norberg a crucial steal and the Swedes are known to make people pay for the slightest of mistakes. "I think thatwas the big turning point," said McCormick, her eyes bloodshot after a good cry. "I hung in there, and we made her throw her last shot. So it was a good game.

Tm proud of my girls." Just 10 days ago, Norberg worried out loud about the possibility of a post- The cool veneer of Anette Norberg finally melted Sunday as her last rock drifted towards the blue ice and clung to the back of the four foot. Sweden's Ice Queen jumped up and down and pumped her broom in die auto celebrate a 10-9 win ever the United States for gold at the women'sworid curling championship. The game-winning draw looked heavy but Norberg rarely makes mistakes especially with a tide on the line. "I know Anette is a terrific player, but it's a hard shot to make for the world championship," said third Eva Lund. "I didn't dare to watch, because it seemed a bit heavy.

My head came closer and closer to the ice. "It turned out to be a perfect one." The Swedish rink is the model of perfection. The foursome of Norberg, Lund, Cathrine Lindahl and Anna Svard are the recent Olympic gold medallists and have now won back-to-back world championships, joining countrywoman Elisabet Gustafson (1998-99), Canada's Sandra Schmirler (1993-94) and Norway's Sweden lead Anna Svard, right, celebrates her team's 10-9 victory over the U.S. championship on Sunday at Grande Prairie with, from left to right, second Cathrine and coach Stefan Hasselbourg. THE CANADIAN PRESS in the final of the women's world curling Lindahl, skip Anette Norberg, third Eva Lund the world curling championship.

But Olympic gold? For a few fleeting days, that lifted Norberg, Lund, Lindahl and Svard to the status of Swedish hockey stars Mats Sundin and Peter Forsberg. "It's been an amazing season," Norberg said. "It was the perfect ending to be able to defend our world tide from last year so soon after winning the Olympics." Olympic letdown. Nothing could top the gold medal performance in Italy, so she wondered how the team could regroup just weeks after the life-changing experience in Pinerolo. "We are tired both in our bodies and our minds," Lund said.

"Keeping up the spirit to go for this gold cost us a lot. "So now we're going to rest." Virtually no one in Sweden cares about Scott needs to get tougher to beat world competitors Wearing the Maple Leaf for the first time was stressful for young B.C. rink -f Mm rmt 1 GRANDE PRAIRIE Gold in Vancouver is the ultimate goal for Kelly Scott, so the diminutive skip, also known as Cupcake, best toughen up so she can rise to the occasion in 2010. Scott understands that piece of sage advice after her Canada rink earned the bronze medals at the women's world curling championship. "No one could have explained to us what this week would have been like," said Scott, a bronze bauble around her neck Sunday on the ice at the Canada Games Arena.

"We had to feel it for ourselves. And now we know and we're maybe a litde big tougher." Through her smiles and sweet comments, Scott couldn't hide the stress of wearing the Maple Leaf for the first time here in booming oil country. At times, Canadian curling fans wanted to issue an all-points bulletin for the team that dominated the Scott Tournament of Hearts. At times, Scott, Jeanna Schraeder, A THE CANADIAN PRESS From left, Team Canada's Kelly Scott, Jeanna Schraeder, Sasha Carter and Renee Simons display their bronze medals from the women's world curling championship. Former motorsports journalist killed in warmup crash at To understand how dominant the Swedes are in women's curling, just listen to the words uttered Sunday by Roy Sinclair as he handed Norberg the championship trophy on the ice at the Canada Games Arena.

"This," said the president of the World Curling Federation, "is getting monotonous." rhalKsthejournal.eanwest.com erates more stress than the Olympics. Absolutely nothing. But Scott vows to learn from her first international experience, and there's reason to believe she will. Only 28, she considered taking the rest of the year off after losing to Shannon Kleibrink in the final end of the Olympic Trials at Halifax last December. The B.C.

rink rebounded to win the Canadian championship and place third at the world championship after an 8-7 semifinal loss to American Debbie McCormick. "With not winning the Worlds, it's just one more piece of unfinished business for us," Scott said. "And maybe that's what we need: more unfinished business. "Fouryears ago, we were aiming for the Olympics in 2010 and the fact is we got so close in four years instead of eight years. "Wow, are we going to be good for 2010." IndyCar race because he couldn't get past Dale Jarrett, who was fighting to stay on the lead lap.

Tired of being held up, Busch rammed Kenseth's back bumper to send him into a slide. That allowed Busch to scoot on by for bis fifth victory in the last nine Bristol races. "I bumped into him a little bit and that was my window to get the lead," Busch said. "If I was still a teammate of his, maybe I would have let him live. But I was hungry." Indeed, itwas Busch's first victory since joining Roger Penske's team at the start of the season.

Rookie driver Paul Dana, 30, slammed into another car at close to 200 mph i '-j i iWrfM AV i i I Sasha Carter and Renee Simons longed to rid themselves of the burden of representing Canada on home soil. "Yes, there was that feeling," Scott said. "Please can we just go back to being Team Scott or even Team B.C.? Team Canada is hard stuff. "It's just interesting how other teams from other nations play against you. They're out to see how they measure up against Canada.

And it's hard. We said, 'We feel like we've been thrown to the wolves out there to fight for "Really, havinga week and ahalf to prepare for this, we didn't have any guidance whatsoever. And it is a whole new world here, that's for sure." It's a world Scott best get accustomed to as the Kelowna rink is committed to chasing the dream of representing Canada at the Vancouver Olympics. The pressure of the five-ring circus makes a world championship look more like a cash bonspiel. Just ask Russ Howard or Kevin Martin.

Nothing gen Opinions differed later about whether Busch's brash bump with four laps to go in the Food City 500 was out of line. "We had to muscle past Matt Kenseth," Busch shrugged. "He's a good friend of mine, but he'll be OK with it." Uhh, not really. "He knocked me out of the way," Kenseth said. "I thought if he had a run on me, had me beat, that would have been OK.

But he drove extra hard and knocked me out of the way. I thought it was a cheap shot." Busch disagreed, believing the move was perfectly legal. Kenseth was leading, but had slowed -vt mi hands and signing autographs. "I can't wait to get started because I want to prove to everyone that I can do the job," Dana told a longtime acquaintance. "I'm feeling good and I know I can race with these guys.

And now I've got great equipment." Dana's wife, Tonya, was in Indianapolis, where the couple lived, and was notified of her husband's death while attending a church service. Dana, who began his career in Formula Fords and worked his way up through the ranks, was known as a strong self promoter. He got his new ride by bringing the Ethanol sponsorship to the Rahal Letterman team over the winter. Still, the wreck might have been the result of a rookie mistake by Dana, whose previous IRL experience included just three races last season. Moments into the 30-minute warmup, Ed Carpenter, stepson of IRL founder Tony George, crashed in turn two and went spinning down the racetrack.

Yellow lights came on around the track, and several cars could be seen slowing, some of which avoided Carpenter's car. But Dana's car kept its speed, passing Buddy Lazier and Scott Sharp. "He carried way too much speed in and wasn't aware of what was going on around him," Lazier said. Seconds later, Dana's Honda-powered Panoz slammed into Carpenter's Dal-lara-Honda at nearly full speed. Dana's car neariy split in half.

The chassis flew about two metres off the ground and pieces were strewn down the track. It nearly turned over, but landed on its wheels before sliding to a halt. Both drivers were flown by helicopter to a hospital in Miami, where Dana was pronounced dead about two hours after the 10:03 a.m. crash. IRL officials said tests revealed no injuries to Carpenter, but the 25-year-old third-year driver was kept overnight for observation.

A The Associated Press HOMESTEAD, FLA. Paul Dana was an up-and-coming rookie driver living his dream, a former motorsports journalist who was hours away Sunday from beginning his most promising season yet. Then, before the green flag flew, something wentterribly, inexplicably wrong. While streaking around the Homestead-Miami Speedway oval during a warmup session, Dana failed to notice that another car had spun to a stop, slamming into it at close to 200 mph. Two hours after his shattered car came to a rest, the 30-year-old Dana was pronounced dead at a hospital.

"Obviously, this is a very black day for us," team owner Bobby Rahal said. "This is a great tragedy." Dana believed he had finally gotten his big break in the months before the season-opening IRL IndyCar Series race here. After a string of modest successes rising through racing's ranks, he had secured a ride with the elite Rahal Letterman Racing the same team that fields IRL phenom Danica Patrick and Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Rice. Patrick and Rice did not run Sunday, but the race went onas planned, with defending Indy 500 and IRL points champion Dan Wheldon beating Helio Cas-troneves by a nose cone. If the drivers had any jitters going into the race, it didn't show by the end Wheldon and Castroneves carried off a side-by-side, tire-bumping duel in the final laps en route to the thrilling finish.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the Dana family and all of Rahal Letterman racing," said Wheldon, who ran the race with Dana's No. 17 on his side pod. "It's avery, very sad day.Itliinkhopefullywe put on a good race." Two days before his death the first in the IRL in three years Dana was strolling through the paddock, shaking THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Medical personnel carry IndyCar driver Paul Dana to a helicopter at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, on Sunday. Driver Ed Carpenter was injured and Dana died after a crash during the warmup for the season-opening IRL IndyCar Series race. Dana is the first IRL driver killed since Tony Renna died in a crash during testing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in October 2003.

The last NASCAR driver killed was Dale Earnhardt in February 2001, and the last driver to die in Formula One was Ayrton Senna in May 1994. Friendship takes a beating Kurt Busch's friend and former teammate was in his way. So Busch banged Matt Kenseth aside the first of two hard shoves Kenseth received to win yet another race at Bristol Motor.