Canada's Kadriana and Colton Lott win world mixed doubles curling opener

Kadriana Lott and Colton Lott kicked off their first world mixed doubles curling championship with a 7-2 win over New Zealand on Saturday in Sweden.

The husband-and-wife pair from Winnipeg Beach, Man., showed no rookie nerves in taking advantage of New Zealand's mistakes for a swift six-end victory.

"That was huge for myself, just getting that confidence throwing that last stone, especially here at a world event," said Kadriana Lott, whose shooting percentage in the game was 96 per cent.

She executed a delicate tap in the first end to promote a Canadian stone to the button and score two.

"Putting that big score up in the first couple of ends, that's huge," she said.

"I kind of got those jitters out of the way and it helped me feel more comfortable throughout the rest of the game."

Colton Lott has appeared in two world junior men's curling championships and attended another as an alternate, but his wife made her debut on the world stage Saturday.

"For sure, I have full confidence in what she's doing out there," Colton said.

"Every time she kicks out of the hack, I just know that she's close every time."

The Canadians face Czechia on Sunday.

The 20-team field is split into two 10-team groups. Australia, China, the Netherlands, South Korea, Sweden and the United States are also in Canada's pool.

The top three teams from each group will advance to Friday's playoffs. The medal games are set for Saturday.

Canada has yet to win a world mixed doubles title, but has finished on the podium four times with two silver and a pair of bronze since the first tournament in 2008.