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Korea begins women's curling tournament with loss to the U.S.

Published: 12 Feb. 2026, 20:56

Team United States, left, celebrates after beating Korea during a women's curling round robin match at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy on Feb. 12. [AP/YONHAP]

Korea opened the women's curling tournament of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics with a loss to the United States on Thursday.

Led by skip Gim Eun-ji, Korea frittered away a 2-0 lead and fell 8-4 to Tabitha Peterson's American team at Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.

Korea will next play Italy later on Thursday.

There are 10 teams in the tournament, and the four best countries after nine round-robin matches each will advance to the semifinals.

Korea won silver in 2018 with a different team, skipped by Kim Eun-jung, flying the flag. Gim's team for this year arrived in Italy as world No. 3, behind Rachel Homan's Canada and Silvana Tirinzoni's Switzerland.

Korea led through three ends, taking advantage of Gim's successful takeout in the second end and Peterson's unsuccessful takeout in the third end.

However, the United States tied the score with two points in the fourth end as Peterson executed a decisive takeout and claimed a 3-2 lead with a point in the sixth end. The United States then jumped out to a 5-2 lead in the seventh end when Gim's draw with her last stone fell well short of the intended target with two American stones already sitting close to the button.

Gim made up for her miscue in the eighth end by giving Korea two points with a raise, but the United States responded with a point in the ninth end to take a 6-4 lead.

The United States closed out the win with two more points in the final end, after Gim failed to execute a double takeout while trying to tie the score.

Yonhap