OSTERSUND – The 2008 World Junior Curling Championships are underway, and the upsets have already begun.

In the first round of junior women's play, Norway's Anneline Skarsmoen caused a minor uproar with a last stone, 10th-end defeat of Canada's Kaitlyn Lawes.

"It was my first game in world play and it is just very exciting to win it," said a delighted Skarsmoen. "It almost feels like we won the Worlds' final!"

The Canadians held leads of 2-0, 4-2 and 5-4 until Norway grabbed a key deuce in the eighth end. Lawes' foursome could only manage a single in the ninth. 

"I struggled a lot out there," said Lawes. "It was really difficult reading the ice.

"There were a lot of different paths. It was just my fault. I didn't catch on to it quickly enough."

Nearby, hosts Sweden defeated Scotland 9-8 on the last stone of an extra-end. The Swedes took two three-enders in the match only to see the Scots steal the 10th end to force the extra frame.

Germany, the country which came through the European qualifying round, beat the experienced Russians, skipped by Liudmila Privivkova, 8-4 in just nine ends. Privivkova won the 2006 World Junior Championship.

In the other first-round women's matches, Denmark defeated Switzerland 7-6, and Japan thumped the United States 7-2 in just eight ends.

In the first round of junior men's play, Canada's William Dion dodged a bullet in his match against Germany's Daniel Neuner, and came away with a 6-5, extra-end victory.

In the ninth end, Neuner had the opportunity to put the game away with a hit for a possible four points. But his takeout ticked a guard, allowing the Canadians to steal a key single for a 5-4 lead.

In the other men's games, Scotland crushed China 9-3, hosts Sweden thrashed Denmark 6-1, the United States finished off Norway 9-4, and Switzerland beat the Czech Republic 6-3.

Real-time results are available at: www.curlingkanalen.se with daily results mirrored on the World Curling Federation website at: results.worldcurling.org

Curlingkanalen is also webcasting selected matches live during the championships.

The event host website is: www.wjcc2008.org