To reach the semi‑finals after a heavy loss to China, Great Britain now needs to overcome host Italy in their last round‑robin mixed doubles curling match.
Jo Butterfield and Jason Kean began strongly against the unbeaten duo Wang Meng and Yang Jun, holding a lead at the midway point. Unconverted chances and a swift surge from the Chinese pair turned a 5‑3 advantage into a 10‑5 loss, leaving the eighth end unplayed.
Butterfield attributed the swing to China finding the correct draw weight – the force required to place a stone in or near the scoring house. “In the second half they nailed the draw weight, they were very strong and we had trouble,” she explained.
“I felt nervous during the match. It may have been the mental aspect of facing China. Being ahead perhaps made us doubt our ability. We need to discard that doubt and trust ourselves. If we treat the first four ends as if they were eight, we can win,” she said.
Kean noted that after leading at the halfway mark they opted for a more aggressive second half, yet they could not execute the difficult angles required to remove opponent stones from the house.
“In the first half we stayed simple and had the draw weight,” he said. “In the second half we tried to be more aggressive. When we saw them use the bump, we attempted to return it, but we weren’t quite precise enough.”
Mixed doubles made its debut at this year’s Paralympics. Kean and Butterfield are scheduled to meet Italy on Monday afternoon in the final of their seven round‑robin games.
Great Britain also fell in mixed team curling, losing 5‑4 to Canada, the 2022 bronze medalists. The quartet sit sixth on the standings after three of nine round‑robin matches, with the top four advancing to the semi‑finals.
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