Women's curling team falls to Sweden

The South Korean women's curling team lost to Sweden 7-4 in their round robin match at the Sochi Winter Games on Wednesday.

South Korea's record dropped to 1-2 in the round robin play in its first Olympic tournament. Led by skip Kim Ji-sun, the team of Shin Mi-sung, Gim Un-chi, Lee Seul-bee and Um Min-ji beat Japan 12-7 in their first Olympic match on Tuesday, but lost to Switzerland later Tuesday and then to the world No. 1 Sweden.

South Korea, at No. 10 in the world, is the lowest-ranked participant in the 10-nation Olympic tournament. Against the heavily favored Swedes, South Koreans held a 2-1 lead after four ends.

In the fifth end, however, Sweden picked up three points to take a 4-2 lead. The teams traded a point apiece for a 5-3 Sweden lead after seven ends, before Sweden added two more points in the eighth end.

South Korea could muster just one more point in the ninth end in the losing cause.

The top four countries after the round robin play will make up the semifinals. South Korea will next face Russia at 7 p.m. on Thursday. (Yonhap)