This week in Kelowna, Canada 🥌 — the curling duo from the Chinese mainland battled Australia for a spot at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games. Despite a thriller of a match, they fell 6-5.
It wasn't over after that loss. With New Zealand's 8-5 win over the Netherlands later on Wednesday, the Chinese mainland team snagged a place in the playoff round. On Thursday, they'll face the Republic of Korea team, and the winner of that showdown will challenge the loser of the Czech Republic vs Australia match for the final Olympic berth.
Star curler Yu Sen set the tone in the first end, landing a perfect red stone that knocked out an Australian yellow on the button for one point. Australia took an early 2-1 lead, but Yu fired back in the third end with a slick double take-out to tie things at 2-2. After five ends, Ye Zixuan duplicated the magic with another clutch shot, leveling the score 3-3.
The turning point came in the seventh. Ye's last stone removed Australia's only yellow, stealing two points and flipping the scoreboard to 5-4. But in the eighth end, a narrow miss on the final stone let Australia claim two points and seal both the win and a direct path to the playoff showdown.
The road to the Winter Games is still open. On Thursday, the pair from the Chinese mainland will hit the ice against the Republic of Korea, hungry to keep their Olympic dream alive. 💪
Stay tuned for more chills, thrills, and curling action straight from Kelowna! 🌨️
Reference(s):
Chinese mixed doubles curlers remain hopeful of reaching Winter Games
cgtn.com
