Norway nears semifinals in men's curling

After winning the gold medal in 2002, Norway failed to make the semifinals in Turin four years ago.

Canada did not play in the early round of matches Saturday and maintained its lead in the nine-match, round-robin tournament with a 5-0 record.

Norway improved to 5-1 with its win. In a possible preview of the gold medal match, Canada defeated Norway in their round-robin meeting 7-6 in 11 ends.

Britain improved its chances of reaching the semifinals by defeating China 9-4.

The British team has a 3-2 record, as does Sweden.

Sweden, however, fell to the United States 8-7 in 11 ends. The Americans won their second consecutive match after losing their first four. Germany advanced to 3-3 with a 9-4 victory over France.

Only the top four teams at the end of the round-robin tournament will have a chance to win a medal. Canada is the defending champion.

Copyright 2010 United Press International, Inc. (UPI).