womens curling results: U.S. misses clinch as Great Britain steals 10th-end thriller
The U. S. women's rink suffered a gutting 8-7 defeat Wednesday night, surrendering a steal of two in the 10th that pushed their semifinal hopes to the edge. The loss leaves America 4-3 in round-robin play and forces a must-win finale against Switzerland on Thursday at 8: 05 a. m. ET. Elsewhere, men's matches continued to shape the playoff bracket with decisive victories and a nervy semi-final finish.
One shot decides it: steal of two in the 10th swings standings
The game boiled down to a single, spectacular shot. With the U. S. up by two and sitting a rock on the button in the final end, Great Britain's Rebecca Morrison executed a near-impossible play: her final stone traveled down the sheet, struck a U. S. corner guard well outside the house, spun into the scoring area and removed the American counter to sit shot. That sequence produced a steal of two and an 8-7 loss for the Americans.
The defeat had immediate consequence. The U. S. roster, once poised to clinch a semifinal spot for the first time since 2002, now control their destiny but must deliver against Switzerland on Thursday morning. A victory in that 8: 05 a. m. ET matchup would lock in a playoff berth; a loss would open the door to complex tie permutations where other results determine which teams advance. Great Britain, meanwhile, kept its tournament alive with the win and moved to 3-4, prolonging their chances.
Statistically the Americans outshot their opponents across the contest, but curling’s margins are small and the final-end swing was enormous. U. S. skip Tabitha Peterson acknowledged the tactical and execution errors that led to the opening for the decisive shot, and stressed a short debrief and immediate focus on the Switzerland matchup. The team will have the afternoon session off before the must-win game on Thursday.
Men’s bracket tightens as Britain and Canada produce statement finishes
The men’s tournament continued to produce emphatic results that reshuffle the play-off picture. Great Britain delivered a dominant 9-2 victory over the United States, closing the match in six ends after a game-changing four-point steal that put the contest out of reach. The British skip’s skillful play and tactical control underlined their credentials as the round-robin reached a crescendo.
Canada also solidified its place in the next round, posting an 8-3 win over Italy in a seven-end match to confirm the No. 2 seed in the play-off bracket. Those results leave other nations watching multiple sheets closely, with teams often no longer in complete control of their fate and forced to rely on late outcomes elsewhere to secure places.
Adding to the tension, one semi-final encounter produced a 6-5 finish in the 10th end, illustrating how thin the line is between advancement and elimination. With the men’s draw set to move into play-offs, every shot and every end in the remaining round-robin games will be decisive.
Players and coaches have described the final days as a strange mix of rooting interest and self-preservation: teams want results that help them, but many find themselves watching rival sheets to learn whether their path to the podium remains open. For the U. S. women, the path is straightforward but unforgiving: win on Thursday morning and the semifinals await; anything less invites permutations and pressure.
The tournament now moves into its final day of round-robin drama, with medals and semifinal berths hanging on single shots and small tactical choices. For teams on the bubble, the next 24 hours are all that stand between Olympic dreams and early exit.
