Team Kim take tough loss to U.S. as curling round robin continues

Olympic Sports

Published: 14 Feb. 2022, 12:59 Updated: 14 Feb. 2022, 13:21

Team Kim take tough loss to U.S. as curling round robin continues

Korean skip Kim Eun-jung, center, calls a play during a game against the United States during the curling round robin tournament at the Beijing Games at the National Aquatics Centre in Beijing on Monday. [YONHAP]

Team Kim picked up their third loss of the Beijing Olympics on Monday, dropping a close-fought game with the United States at the National Aquatics Centre in Beijing.

After a scoreless first end, Korea was first on the board with a point in the second end. The two sides traded points for the next few ends before the United States suddenly jumped ahead with three in the sixth to take the score to 5-2.

Korea added two points of their own in the seventh inning to cut the deficit to one point, but the United States immediately pulled ahead again with two points in the eighth. Korea added two of their own in the ninth to take the score to 7-6, but were unable to steal a much needed point in the 10th.

The United States were able to force Korea out of the house with the very last stone of the end and take the score to 8-6 to finish the game.

Korea now have two wins and three losses in the early stage of the round robin tournament, having lost their opening match to Canada on Thursday and defeated Great Britain on Friday and ROC on Saturday. Korea lost a close game to China on Sunday and now sit at sixth in the round robin standing.

In the women's curling tournament, each team plays a total of nine games in the round robin tournament, with the top four teams advancing to the semifinals. Games are played daily, although the draw may leave some teams with multiple games on one day and none on another.

Korea will return to the ice at 9:05 p.m. to take on PyeongChang rivals Japan, who currently sit in second place.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]