On Thursday, December 11, 2025, in Kelowna, Canada, China’s men’s curling team clinched the final slot for Milano Cortina 2026 with a decisive 9-4 victory over Japan in the winner-takes-all qualifier.
The field felt like a bruising mini-league: the Chinese rinkXu Xiaoming, Xu Jingtao, Li Zhichao, Fei Xueqing and Wang Zhenhaovied with the USA, Japan, the Philippines and others for two Olympic berths. China opened with an 8-5 win over the Netherlands, edged the USA 9-8, and eased past the Philippines 5-2 in round three.
Building momentum, they notched wins over New Zealand, the Republic of Korea and Poland to reel off six straight victories before tasting their first defeat: a 9-6 loss to Japan in the final round-robin game.
Under the tournament rules, the top two teams advanced: China topped the standings but fell 9-4 to the USA in the first playoff, sending them into a rematch against Japan for the last spot. Holding the hammer in the ninth end, the Chinese rink delivered four points to seal their 9-4 triumph and secure Olympic qualification.
This result means both China’s men’s and women’s curling rinks have punched their tickets to the 2026 Winter Games, underscoring the nation’s growing presence in a sport that’s capturing global attention.
With the Winter Olympics set for February 2026, all eyes will turn to Milano Cortina as these teams sharpen their strategy and skills on the ice.
Reference(s):
China beat Japan to claim men's curling berth for 2026 Winter Olympics
cgtn.com
