China clinched its first medal at the 9th Asian Winter Games held in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, with a thrilling victory in the curling mixed doubles bronze medal match. Han Yu and Wang Zhiyu emerged victorious against the Philippine pair, Marc Pfister and Kathleen Dubberstein, winning the match 6-5 on Saturday.
Throughout the round-robin stage, the Chinese duo showcased their prowess by winning all five of their games. Despite their impressive performance, they faced a setback in the semifinals, losing 8-4 to their South Korean counterparts. Meanwhile, the Philippines were unable to secure a spot in the final after a 10-4 defeat to Japan.
In the bronze medal match, the Philippines got off to a strong start, scoring four points in the first two ends. However, Han and Wang quickly made a comeback, reducing the deficit in the third and fourth ends. By the fifth end, the Chinese pair had tied the score at 4-4, and continued to build their lead in the sixth and seventh ends to finish at 6-4. Although the Philippines scored one point in the final end, it wasn't enough to overturn the result.
In another exciting contest on the same day, Japan's Tori Koana and Go Aoki beat South Korea's Kim Kyeong-ae and Seong Ji-hoon 7-6 to claim the gold medal.
This achievement marks a significant milestone for China in the realm of winter sports, highlighting the country's growing capabilities and competitive spirit in the Asian Winter Games.
Reference(s):
China wins first medal at Asian Winter Games in curling mixed doubles
cgtn.com
