Sports

Japan Wins First-Ever Medal in Mixed Doubles Curling at the World Championship

Chiaki Matsumura and Yasumasa Tanida went 8-1 in round-robin play in South Korea and nabbed the silver with a loss to the United States in the curling final.

Published

12 months ago

April 29, 2023

Jim Armstrong

Japan mixed doubles curling players Chiaki Matsumura (center) and Yasumasa Tanida (left) along with coach Ayumu Ogasawara display their silver medals at the World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship in Gangneung, South Korea, on April 29. (WCF/Stephen Fisher/via KYODO)

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Japan claimed its first ever world mixed doubles medal in curling on Saturday, April 29, collecting the silver after an 8-2 loss to the United States in the final of the 2023 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship.

In Gangneung, South Korea, the Americans opened the final with a steal of one in the first end.

Then, in the second end, Japan missed an opportunity on a light draw and the Americans stole two points for a 3-0 lead that set the tone for the final.

The Japanese team of Chiaki Matsumura and Yasumasa Tanida opened its account with a single point in the third end after a double take-out attempt.

In the fourth end, the US pair of Korey Dropkin and Cory Thiesse took control with two points for a 5-1 advantage. Another steal in the fifth gave the Americans a commanding 6-1 lead.

Thiesse sealed the win with two more points in the seventh to give her team an 8-2 lead, which forced Japan to concede.

"Today, our performance wasn't great and they played really well," Tanida said. "We started the week with eight wins in a row, so it was a fantastic week for us."

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Author: Jim Armstrong

The author is a longtime journalist who has covered sports in Japan for over 25 years. You can find his articles on SportsLook.