Dong Ziqi (L) and Han Yu of China celebrate after the Curling Women's Round Robin Session 6 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics between South Korea and China at the National Aquatics Centre in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 13, 2022. (Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang)
BEIJING, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- China registered another morale-boosting victory by topping PyeongChang 2018 silver medalist South Korea 6-5 after an extra end in the women's team curling at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games here Sunday afternoon.
This was China's second consecutive victory after they stunned defending champion Sweden 9-6 on Saturday.
These two victories were achieved after a string of three straight defeats to open its Olympic journey at Beijing 2022, and after China reshuffled its line-up as the third Wang Rui, the only member with Olympic experience, replaced the 21-year-old skip Han Yu to play the fourth.
At the National Aquatics Center on Sunday, despite a surprising blunder which gifted two points to South Korea in the opening end, the Chinese girls kept believing in themselves by winning the second 1-0 and stealing one point in the third to quickly level the game 2-2.
Although South Korea regained a 3-2 lead in the fourth, a double takeout and a nose-hit by Wang tied the game again for China after five ends.
As South Korea led by one point with the hammer in the sixth end, Wang then chose to blank the seventh in order to keep the last stone advantage for the next end, where China overtook South Korea for the first time by 5-4 after Wang played a raise from a tough angle to take two points.
South Korea also decided to blank the ninth end, hoping to reap at least two points in the last end. But their efforts proved to be in vain.
With clear mind and firm determination, Wang made a pair of amazing shots to corner South Korea to score one single point and surrender the last-stone advantage in the following extra end, where the Chinese girls held on until the last stone and laughed with high fives at last.
"We stuck to our plan and took as many chances as we could to score. Two straight victories gave us more confidence, and we will move on with the momentum and play our best," said Wang.
Against the tough opponents, Wang made splendid shots in the crucial ends, which proved to be the key to China's victory. "Actually, I didn't feel any pressure when I made the shots, and I just did what I should do," said the 27-year-old.
In other actions, Sochi 2014 champion Canada suffered an 8-4 loss to reigning world champion Switzerland for its third straight defeat, while Denmark was smashed by Britain 7-2, and the United States lost to Sweden 10-4. ■
Wang Rui of China reacts after the Curling Women's Round Robin Session 6 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics between South Korea and China at the National Aquatics Centre in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 13, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Jingqiang)
Athletes of China celebrate after the Curling Women's Round Robin Session 6 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics between South Korea and China at the National Aquatics Centre in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 13, 2022. (Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang)
Dong Ziqi (top) of China competes during the Curling Women's Round Robin Session 6 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics between South Korea and China at the National Aquatics Centre in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 13, 2022. (Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang)
