The Korean women's curling team finished their Olympic qualifiers disappointing after a close loss against Canada, failing to advance to the semifinals.
The Korean women's curling team, after standing just one victory away from reaching the Olympic semifinals, ended their campaign on a heartbreaking note with a 7-10 defeat to Canada in the Olympic round robin held in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. Team members included skip Kim Eun-ji, third Kim Min-ji, second Kim Su-ji, lead Seol Ye-eun, and fifth Seol Ye-ji. Their final record of 5 wins and 4 losses placed them in a tie for fifth, falling short of a semifinal berth in the highly competitive tournament where the top four teams aimed for medals.
Prior to the match, both South Korea and Canada boasted a 5-3 record, making the game a critical showdown—effectively a 'match of decapitation' where the victor would secure a spot in the semifinals while the loser faced uncertainty. Korea initially had a setback in the first end, conceding a point, but gained the last stone advantage in the second end. However, a disappointing shot by Kim Eun-ji resulted in the team losing a point instead, placing them behind 0-2. Korea managed to flip the scenario, scoring 3 points in the third end, momentarily taking the lead.
However, the momentum shifted dramatically in the second half of the match as Korea struggled against Canada, particularly in the sixth end where they conceded a significant 4 points. Canada's skip, Rachel Homan, executed flawless shots that wiped out Korean stones, putting enormous pressure on the Korean team, who then made critical mistakes that allowed Canada to pull ahead. Ultimately, despite an impressive start, the Korean team's hopes were dashed as they fell to a disappointing end in the tournament.
