In a thrilling display of skill and strategy, China clinched its first medal at the 9th Asian Winter Games held in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province. The duo of Han Yu and Wang Zhiyu emerged victorious in the curling mixed doubles bronze medal match, defeating the Philippines' Marc Pfister and Kathleen Dubberstein with a final score of 6-5 on Saturday.
Han and Wang showcased remarkable consistency throughout the tournament, winning all five of their round-robin games. Their impressive run, however, was halted in the semifinals where they faced a strong South Korean team, losing 8-4.
The bronze medal match was a nail-biter from the start. Pfister and Dubberstein took an early lead, scoring one point in the first end and three in the second, bringing the score to 4-0. Demonstrating resilience, Han and Wang reduced the deficit by one point in the third end and added two more in the fourth, narrowing the gap to just one point at halftime.
As the game progressed, the Chinese pair tied the score at 4-4 in the fifth end. Seizing the momentum, Han and Wang surged ahead, leading 6-4 after the sixth and seventh ends. Although Pfister and Dubberstein managed to score one point in the final end, it wasn't enough to overturn the deficit.
Meanwhile, in other competitions on the same day, Japan's Tori Koana and Go Aoki triumphed over South Korea's Kim Kyeong-ae and Seong Ji-hoon with a close score of 7-6, securing the gold medal in mixed doubles curling.
Reference(s):
China wins first medal at Asian Winter Games in curling mixed doubles
cgtn.com
