In a crucial match at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, Japan's curling team Fortius suffered their fourth consecutive defeat, this time against South Korea with a score of 5-7. With this loss, they face a dire situation regarding their chances of advancing to the semifinals. The pivotal moment of the game occurred in the eighth end when both teams were tied at 3-3. South Korea utilized their timeout strategically, leading to a critical double takeout that knocked out two of Japan's stones, demonstrating their tactical superiority and adaptability. Japan's third player, Yoshiko Onodera, acknowledged being outplayed by the opponent's unexpected strategy during this moment.

Despite South Korea's shot success rate of 88% compared to Japan's 82%, the difference in results stemmed from subtle execution errors by the Japanese team, particularly in the eighth end where Japan's skip, Sayaka Yoshimura, failed to place the stone close enough to the target, resulting in a missed opportunity for a big end. Onodera remarked on the importance of minimizing mistakes, as minute differences ultimately shaped the match's outcome. Historically, no team that had a losing record in the previous four Olympic tournaments managed to reach the semifinals, and Japan currently stands at 1 win and 4 losses with four matches remaining, requiring an all-win streak to survive. However, Onodera remains hopeful and reflects on the team's resilience through past challenges, emphasizing the necessity to maintain their fighting spirit and belief that it is too early to concede defeat.