That’s what the U.S. women’s curling team faced when they played Team Canada in Winnipeg for the World Championship gold medal. The U.S. team, led by skip Debbie McCormick, overcame that, 10,000 fans cheering for Canada, and defeated Colleen Jones’ Canadian team 5-3 to claim the first ever gold medal at a Women’s World Championship.

Team USA barely made the finals after going 5-4 in round robin pool play and claiming the third seed.

We talked Team USA (Debbie McCormick, Allison Pottinger, Ann Swisshelm-Silver, Tracy Sachtjen, fifth player Jody Cotton, and coach Wally Henry.

Q1: Can you tell us a little bit about your last shot against Canada?

DEBBIE MCCORMICK: My last shot was basically a hit and roll. Canada had 2 stones in the ring, so I basically had to hit and roll to count. If we would have, if the top stone would have hit the back stone it would have jammed and it would have forced an extra end. I tried to not think too much about the shot and think of it as a basic hit and roll and turn. When I was going down the ice, I was telling myself to breathe, relax, and that I had plenty of time, and focus on the broom.

Tracy and Ann were at the other end; they were great.Tracy told me to take my time and was really supportive of whatever shot. As a team we played a great 10th end and I really wanted to win the game there. We played the shot perfectly. We had to sweep the stone so I think I was screaming kind of loud, Ann and Tracy were sweeping, and Alison was watching the line and she was screaming ‘SWEEP’ as well. For a second I thought we were going to roll a bit long, but when we hit the stone I knew that we had got it and I was so excited. I knew we had one the first gold medal for the United States in Women’s curling. It was fantastic, and we got a chance to celebrate a little bit on the ice as well.

Q2: What did it feel like to beat Team Canada in Canada, one of the biggest curling nations there is?

DEBBIE MCCORMICK: It felt awesome.There were so many people in the crowd there. In the states, you just don’t typically have that many people at any curling event.They had such a great crowd.To play such an accomplished team like Colleen’s (Team Canada’s skip) and play as well as we did for 10 ends and really control the game, it felt terrific.

TRACY SACHTJEN: It was really exciting because one, we were in Canada and because there were so many people there watching. I felt like we were in control the whole game and we played awesome. Colleen does have a great team but I think a lot of the pressure was on them and we could just go out and be prepared.

Q3: What made this year different from other years in which Team USA had gotten to the finals but lost?

DEBBIE MCCORMICK: This was our first season together and we’ve had so much fun playing together. I think as a team we knew it we could do it, at times it was a struggle especially since we had to win our last two round-robin games just to make the final four.That was a huge accomplishment for us. I think we had the confidence in each other that if we did make the final four we could go all the way. In the semifinals, we had a great game against Sweden who had beaten us in the round-robin. In our round-robin game, Canada dominated us and controlled the game, beating us 9-4. I really wanted to show them that we were a Gold-medal team and to show them we deserved to be in the finals. We weren’t backing down or giving up. You never know when you’ll be back in a World Championships again let alone the finals of one. We wanted to get the job done and bring home the gold to U.S.

ALLISON POTTINGER: I think one of the things was that we were all a little bit more experienced with Ann and Debbie going to the Olympics last year, getting that experience there playing in the semifinals and bronze medal games. Tracy and I had played in St. John’s before with a crowd that size. Our coaches also did a great job getting us ready and saying, “You know what enjoy it. The pressure is on Colleen, just go out and play.” I really feel the whole team had a sense of calm throughout the game, even when it got down to ninth and tenth ends, when you start getting excited and thinking, “we’re really going to pull this off and win.” I think we were all able to stay calm and focused.

WALLY HENRY: The composition of this team really made it that they couldn’t do anything other than finish high. Each of these players play so well at any position on a curling team. They know each other so well, they know everyone’s personality, they get along well, and like each other. The composition of the team was a big reason for the win.

JODY COTTON: I actually think that the best thing that happened to the girls was that they’ve been in some large international experiences. I know that in my own very first worlds in 97, the distractions can be huge. There’s people all around, there’s television cameras moving around, you’re wearing microphones, there’s cowbells and air horns, and it really forces you to concentrate and get through that. It’s so unlike playing at your home club, where you’re the only one out there and you can hear yourself sneeze.

Q4: Did the team change anything going into the semifinals and finals after you went 5-4 in pool play?

ANN SWISSHELM SILVER: I think what ended up happening was that our last two games of the round-robin were do or die situations and we had to win both of those to solidify our spot in the final four. We already had been in games where this is it, win or go home, and Sweden hadn’t. I don’t think we changed our game plan much because we were pretty confident in our throwing abilities and the game plan we had been applying. We just made a few more shots.

WALLY HENRY: One of the big things we did was take a new attitude into it as far as wins and losses were concerned. We decided at that point that we had four games to go and we took the point of view that we had 0 down and 4 to go, and each other game we won on the way we had 0 down and 3 to go, and 0 down and 2 to go, and so forth. That was a big boost and it made us look forward to the games in front of us and not the games in the past.

Q5: What kind of atmosphere was it like competing in Canada?

ANN SWISSHELM SILVER: The atmosphere in Canada, at a World championships is incredible. There’s no place on earth for the spot of curling like playing in Canada. I think all the fans in curling are so knowledgeable about the game, and the stands are filled. Canada is probably 100 years ahead of us as far as the curve goes.

Q6: What has to happen for that to translate into events in the States?

ANN SWISSHELM SILVER: The media coverage obviously helps and hopefully a world championship will help some more. I think the more the game gets out there the a little more, I think the people of the U.S will respect it a little more. It’s a great spectator sport especially at a Championships, and the U.S. will be hosting the Worlds in 2006 near Boston, so hopefully we have a great turnout.

Q7: Debbie, What was it like competing in the same spot your dad, when he won his bronze medal at Worlds?

DEBBIE MCCORMICK: In 1991, my dad played in Winnipeg and won the bronze medal. I was 17 at the time, and I have a lot of fond memories of that time. I drove up there with my junior team to watch. I have a lot of great memories of watching my dad in the semis and then winning the bronze medal. Two or three years ago I found out that Worlds was going to be back in Winnipeg in 2003, and my first thoughts were “Oh my God I have to be there” because of all the fond memories having had my dad play there, knowing the stands would be packed, and having relatives in that area too. I just had to get there. This really meant a lot to me.

Q8: Have any of you had any weird accidents with those 42 lbs stones you throw, such as dropping them on your foot or something like that?

DEBBIE MCCORMICK: Not really. The stones weigh 42 pounds so we don’t really pick them up, we just kind of slide them along the ice. I think what happens more often than stuff with the stones is that you forget you’re playing on ice and you happen to slip and fall. I think that’s how most injuries happen other than pulling a muscle if you don’t stretch out good enough. Most incidents are from slipping on the ice and forgetting what kind of surface you’re on

ALLISON POTTINGER: Even if you don’t hurt yourself physically, you know if you fall on the ice in front of a crowd of people, it’s a bit of a character builder.

Q9: How do you travel with those rocks or does the competition supply them for you?

JODY COTTON: You play with the stones of the house. That’s another factor that enters in because every ice surface is different from club to club and arena to arena. Even the ice at your club changes, so you need to adapt to the stones and play with the ones provided.

Q10: Do any of you have any luck charms you bring with you to each meet?

ANN SWISSHELM SILVER: I think every athlete has their own rituals and good luck charms they bring with them. The one that I have is an autographed ticket from the gold medal game at the 1998 Olympics and it’s autographed by the entire Canadian team that won the gold that year. I’ve taken it to every game I’ve played since then in hopes that one day my team would be the first team to bring home a gold medal for the United States.

DEBBIE MCCORMICK: I have 2 pins, one I wore throughout the entire Worlds and at the Olympics. It’s a ribbon pin that has diamond, ruby, and sapphire that represent the red, white and blue for the 9/11 tragedy. I’ve been wearing that for a couple of years. At the World, my friend had given me an angel pin with a diamond in it and a red, white, and blue skirt on it, and I wore that for half of the competition.

Q11: What’s next for you ladies?

DEBBIE MCCORMICK: For sure we’ll be playing in the Continental Cup, November 27-30 in Thunder Bay. Our main goal is getting back to the next couple of worlds and going to Torino, Italy in 2008

ANN SWISSHELM SILVER: I think we’re all planning on attending the athlete’s summit this summer, but then taking some time off.