PYEONGCHANG, Korea, Republic Of – Rachel Homan and her Canadian rink are on the brink of missing the curling playoffs after a 7-5 loss to China on Tuesday at the Pyeongchang Olympics.
China’s Bingyu Wang stole a deuce in the second end and then added three in the fifth to deal Homan the loss.
The Canadians dropped to 3-4 and seventh in the round-robin standings.
Although not mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, Homan will need to win her two remaining games and have key opponents lose their games to make the top four and advance to the semifinals.
READ MORE: Canada’s Kevin Koe tied for 2nd in men’s curling after beating Japan 8-4
Canada plays Britain and the team from Russia on Wednesday.
On the men’s side, Kevin Koe scored a deuce in the third and sixth ends to top Japan 8-4.
Leading 6-4 after seven ends, Koe earned a single in the eighth and ninth, forcing Japan’s Yusuke Morozumi to shake hands early.
The win thrusts Koe (5-3) into a three-way tie for second with Britain and South Korea in the round-robin portion of the tournament.
Koe’s win comes a day after a 9-7 loss to the United States in extra ends.
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“We had to win,” said Canada’s Ben Hebert. “We played (with) maybe a little more intensity, a little more urgency, because our backs were against the wall.
“It feels great to get back in the winning circle.”
The top four teams in the round robin advance to the semifinals, with Sweden’s Niklas Edin already qualified for the playoffs with a 7-1 record.
Canada’s men play Denmark on Wednesday in the final round-robin match for both teams.
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