Japan’s women’s curling team got their Olympic Qualification Event 2025 campaign off to a winning start after seeing off the United States 8-4 in an intriguing round-robin opener on Friday (5 December).
The meeting of the two rinks was highly anticipated, with the reigning Olympic silver medallists Japan on one side, and two-time Olympian Tabitha Peterson and her team on the other.
In the end, however, it was skip Yoshimura Sayaka who prevailed, conducting the game with her superior shot-making.
When her opposing number, Peterson, delivered a double takeout with her last throw in the sixth to force Yoshimura for one point and a 5-3 lead in the sixth end, the Japanese then responded in kind with a superb double takeout of her own in the seventh, compelling the U.S. side to blank the end.
From there, Japan continued to mount pressure on the scoreboard, with Yoshimura again using a takeout to force the U.S. to draw for one in the eighth.
Sitting 5-4 up, the Japanese team then delivered a crucial blow with a two-point ninth end to go 7-4 up, leaving the U.S. plenty to do in the tenth just to stay in the fight.
And still Yoshimura and her quartet did not relent. Despite being without the hammer, Japan controlled the final end to steal a point and land their 8-4 victory.
“We were able to string together solid shots and control the game while keeping the lead throughout,” Yoshimura told Olympics.com after explaining her team’s route to victory.
“It was the first game for both teams, but in terms of precision, we were ahead. I think we got off to a very good start.
“Keeping the lead throughout and not letting the momentum shift to them was crucial,” she continued.
“After scoring two, we were also able to hold them to just a single point, which was big. Overall, not giving them the momentum made a huge difference.”
AloJapan.com