South Korea’s women’s curling team suffered a narrow 5-7 defeat to world-ranked No. 1 Sweden in the seventh round-robin match of the women’s four-player event at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic qualifying tournament in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, on Feb. 17 local time. The loss drops their record to 4 wins and 3 losses.
Prior to this matchup, South Korea had secured victories over Italy (7-2), England (9-3), Japan (7-5), and China (10-9), while falling to the United States (4-8) and Denmark (3-6).
Match Overview
The 10-end contest showcased intense competition, with Sweden pulling ahead in the later stages despite South Korea’s early momentum. Both teams vie for top positions, as Sweden and the United States hold second place alongside strong performances.
Curling expert Yun Ye-jun noted, “While all teams merit attention, capturing wins against rivals Canada and Sweden beyond expectations could secure playoff success. Even a few more victories leave no opponents, and we aim to create iconic scenes by clinching gold somehow.”
End-by-End Breakdown
Early Ends: Korea Takes Lead
South Korea, with captain Kim Soo-jin observing from the bench, seized the advantage in the first end as the away team, stealing one point to lead 1-0. Sweden responded forcefully in the second end, swapping the stone for a 1-1 tie.
In the third end, Korea tied three points during Sweden’s hammer, forging a 3-1 lead. Sweden narrowed the gap in the fourth end’s final stone during away play, making it 3-3. Korea failed to steal in the fifth despite heavy pressure.
Mid-Game Shift
Sweden marked the sixth end as a “blank end” but stole the hammer from Korea, taking one point to lead 4-3. Korea’s second stone rich line ace in the seventh end allowed a steal, but the check result tied it at one point, ending 4-4.
Sweden extended the lead in the eighth end’s hammer, scoring two for a 6-4 advantage. Korea mounted a comeback in the ninth, blanking Sweden’s hammer and stealing two with the final stone, closing to 6-5.
Clutch Finish
In the decisive 10th end, Korea executed a triple out (removing three stones) on delivery for eight points. Sweden countered with a double out (two stones) on the final stone, securing the 7-5 victory and final score of 7-5.
South Korea displayed resilience throughout, mounting comebacks and strategic plays, but Sweden’s precision proved decisive in the world No. 1 clash.
