The United States concluded round robin play with a loss to Sweden in its lone day eight game, eliminating it from playoff contention.
Full coverage of the game is below.
Sweden 9, United States 6
The United States women’s curling team will not be advancing to the semifinal round.
Team USA fell to Sweden 9-6 Wednesday morning at the Gangneung Curling Centre. The United States needed a win, combined with a Japan loss to Switzerland, to move out of round robin play and into a tiebreaker.
The United States rallied from an early deficit and had a chance to win the game in the final end after tying the score in the ninth. Sweden, however, possessed the hammer and took advantage, tallying three points to secure a win.
Sweden had jumped out to a big lead, tallying three points in the first end. The United States quickly added two of its own in the next frame before Sweden added points in the third and fifth to make the score 5-3.
U.S. & World
The United States evened the score at five with two points in the seventh end. The teams then traded scores over the next two frames before Sweden’s three points in the 10th ended the U.S.’s playoff hopes.
The United States began tournament play with losses in two of its first three games. Team USA then won three of its next four before dropping two straight to end round robin play.
Team USA finished the tournament with a 4-5 record. Japan – despite falling Monday morning to Switzerland – clinched the fourth and final playoff spot with the United States’ loss.
Sweden moved to 7-2 with the victory over Team USA and earned the second seed in the semifinal round, where it will face Great Britain.
The United States has never won an Olympic curling medal and registered back-to-back last place finishes at the 2010 and 2014 Winter Games.
Here are the results of every other matchup from day eight of the women’s tournament.
Session Two
South Korea 9, Denmark 3
Denmark held a 2-1 lead over first-place South Korea following the second end. They did not remain in front for long.
South Korea scored three points in the third end and followed with two more one frame later to make the score 6-2. The host country followed with three points in the seventh, forcing Denmark to concede.
The win moved South Korea to 8-1 in round robin play and it will carry the first seed into the playoff rounds. Denmark finishes the tournament with a 1-8 record.
Switzerland 8, Japan 4
Switzerland used a big fourth frame to take control of its match against Japan.
Already leading 2-1, Switzerland tallied four points in the fourth frame to push its advantage to 6-1. Japan responded with two points in the next end before Switzerland followed with points in the eighth and ninth. Japan conceded with one end to play.
Despite the loss, Japan received the fourth and final seed in the semifinal round following the loss by Team USA. It finished round robin play with a 5-4 record.
Switzerland improved its tournament record to 4-5 with the win.
Canada 9, Olympic Athletes from Russia 8
The Canadian team lost to Great Britain earlier in day eight, ending its playoff hopes. But, it finished round robin play on a high note.
Canada rallied from an early four point deficit to top the Olympic Athletes from Russia Wednesday morning.
The Canadian team entered the ninth end trailing 8-6. But, it tallied two points to tie the score and followed with one in the 10th to pick up the win.
Canada concluded round robin play with a 4-5 record. A women’s curling team from Canada had won a medal in every Olympic competition since 1998, including a gold at the 2014 Winter Games.
Session One
Great Britain 6, Canada 5
There will be a new women's curling gold medalist for the PyeongChang Games.
For the first time since curling came into the Olympics, a Canadian team was eliminated without reaching the medal stand. After starting the Games with three straight losses, Canada, the 2014 gold medalists and defending world champions, tried to make up room in the standings, winning three straight. But after falling to China Monday, Canada was officially eliminated from medal contention with a 6-5 loss to Great Britain.
"That game was massive. I kind of knew the outcome, win or lose, and it would have made it hard for ourselves if we had dropped that game," British skip Eve Muirhead told reporters after the game. "So as a team, we played a fantastic game, very high-class, and that was always going to be the case for Great Britain (versus) Canada. We played a perfect final end, and a perfect eighth end as well to get our deuce, and then force the ninth, and got our two in 10."
"Obviously a little bit disappointed. We wanted to try and qualify and make the playoffs for Canada. We gave it all we had. We never gave up, and that's the way it goes sometimes. That's sport," said Canadian skip Rachel Homan. "I thought we played really well. I don't know."
The two teams went back and forth, and played like two of the best teams in the world throughout. Canada lied two in the second, and had a chance for a third when skip Rachel Homan's hammer came up short, leaving points on the board but giving the Canadians a 2-1 lead.
They were able to steal another in the third.
Down 4-2, British skip Eve Muirhead purposefully blanked the seventh end to keep hammer in hopes of picking up points for a tie in the eighth. It worked perfectly. Britain lied two with each team having one stone remaining. Homan's final throw took out a British stone, but also one of her own, making for an easy two points for Britain to make up the deficit.
In the 9th, Muirhead had a perfect shot off of her own guard for a double takeout, forcing Homan to settle for just one point after what could have been the shot of the game by Muirhead.
"That was the big shot and it kind of turned the tables, a little bit," Muirhead said. "As a skip, I guess these are the shots you have to make. Really pleased it came off, and to book ourselves in the semifinal at the Olympic Games is really special. When I threw it, I was just hoping it was going to come off and the angles were going to work out."
Britain finally put the game away in the 10th, lying four inside with one stone each remaining. Homan's final throw was too soft and undercurled, giving Britain the two points they needed for the win.
Britain now improves to 6-3, and has qualified for the semifinals with no more round robin games remaining.
Canada falls to 3-5, and will finish round robin play against Team OAR Wednesday morning.
"I think that what we all need to gain perspective on is that it's so much bigger than winning a medal," said Canadian Coach Adam Kingsbury. "Of course, was that the goal to come here? No question. Does Canada have an incredible record in this game? Absolutely. But don't forget that this game is growing internationally and all of these teams here have played remarkable against us. Being an Olympian is something that no one can ever take away from them. I think that they handled themselves well all week. I just have so much pride and I'm so proud of the way that they approached that game today. They could have very easily come out dejected and not given a battle... I hope that they're tremendously proud of themselves, because they should be and the whole country should be as well."
The win also has implications for Team USA, who now sits at 4-4, fifth in the overall standings. If the U.S. defeats Sweden Wednesday morning and Switzerland defeats Japan, the U.S. and Japan will play in a tiebreak game for the final semifinal spot. The final round robin games will be played Wednesday at 6:05 a.m. EST.
CAN 0 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 - 5
GBR 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 2 - 6
Sweden 8, China 4
China was one of several teams needing wins to stay in semifinal contention. Unfortunately for Wang Bingyu's squad, they would have to face one of the best teams in the tournament to do it.
Sweden never trailed China, and led by as many as five on the way to an 8-4 victory.
Leading 5-3 in the eighth, Sweden lied three in the house. China landed on the button with their final throw, but Swedish skip Anna Hasselborg had a perfect knockout to score those three and extend their lead to five with two ends to play.
China couldn't concede though. They came into the game with a 4-4 record, tied with the U.S. for fifth, and still with a slim chance of making the top four and staying in medal contention. They helped their cause with a single in the ninth, and lied three late in the 10th with a chance to tie and and force extra ends.
But Sweden knocked out one of China's stones on the second to last throw, forcing BingYu and company to finally accept defeat.
Sweden shot 92 percent on takeout attempts, picking up 60 takeouts in all. China had just 23 takeouts, shooting 84 percent.
The win automatically puts Sweden in the semifinals. They improve to 5-2 overall, with one game against the U.S. remaining.
China falls to 4-5, and finishes their round robin slate, and likely their tournament.
SWE 0 2 1 0 2 0 0 3 0 X - 8
CHN 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 1 X - 4
Korea 11, Team OAR 2
Team OAR scored one point in the sixth end, but conceded anyway. The women conceded defeat after falling behind to Korea 11-2 in both team's penultimate round robin game.
The nine point win is tied for the largest margin of victory in the Pyeongchang women's tournament, and is just the fouth time a team has scored 11 or more points.
Korea scored three points in each of the first three ends, putting in OAR in such a big hole the rest of the ends were basically just a rush to the finish. OAR finally got on the board with a single point in the fourth, but Korea answered to extend their lead with two points in the fifth, needing just a an easy throw onto the button for another multi-point end.
Korean skip EunJung Kim was basically perfect the entire six ends, throwing a 98 percent shot success rate.Third thrower KyeongAe Kim threw 90 percent and lead YeongMi Kim threw 96.
Korean improved their team shot success rate to 78 percent in the tournament.
OAR skip Victoria Moiseeva and third Julia Portunova both shot 58 percent on the night. OAR falls to 2-6 in round robin play. They'll finish their PyeongChang games Wednesdya morning against Canada.
Korea remains at the top of the standings, now sitting at 7-1. They've already clinched the top spot in the semifinals. They'll finish round robin play Wednesday morning against Denmark.
KOR 3 3 3 0 2 0 X X X X - 11
OAR 0 0 0 1 0 1 X X X X - 2
Switzerland 6, Denmark 4
Switzerland has had a disappointing tournament in Pyeongchang, but they got a good victory to Tuesday night in their second to last game, defeating Denmark 6-4.
Denmark blanked two straight ends in the second and third, and skip Madeleine Dupont was able to float her hammer throw in the fourth right onto the button for two.
But Switzerland responded with three in the fifth, and carried that lead the rest of the way.
Both teams were eliminated from semifinal contention prior to the game. Switzerland improves to 3-5 with a game against Japan remaining. Denmark falls to 1-7, with one game against Korea.
