Curling, women’s Italy is out amid applause

Curling, results

Historic day in Sandviken, Sweden, where Italy women’s curling made its outright debut in the knockout phase of a World Cup.

After finishing the round robin in fourth place, the team made up of Stefania Constantini (Fiamme Oro), Marta Lo Deserto (Fiamme Gialle), Angela Romei (Fiamme Gialle) and Giulia Zardini Lacedelli (Curling Club Dolomiti), competed in the so-called “qualification game.”

A de facto quarterfinal, as the match guaranteed access to the semifinal against Switzerland, the reigning world champions. Curiously, today’s opponent for the Azzurri was Sweden, already faced (and beaten) Friday afternoon in the last game of the round.

Unfortunately, the outcome of the qualification game was the opposite. The hosts took revenge, imposing themselves with a score of 4-3.

The Scandinavians started very focused, conceding nothing. In fact, after nothing in the opening, they managed to steal the hand in both the second and third end, hoisting themselves to 2-0.

Sweden, at this point, set the game on defending the advantage gained, aiming as much as possible to thwart the last stone, held by the tricolor team since the beginning. In fact, the Nordic women were able to impose the null hand in the fourth and fifth parts.

Italy managed to break the stalemate in the sixth end, tying the score. The Swedes did not flinch and then played flawlessly. They cancelled the seventh hand, bringing on their side “the hammer” in the even ends. Then they regained the lead in the eighth partial, took care to minimize the damage in the ninth end, finally closing the accounts with the last stone.

The balance of the 2023 World Cup turns out to be beyond positive. The team led by technical director Claudio Pescia and coach Violetta Caldart forfeited the best rainbow event ever. Beyond the final placement (5th place), never had a women’s team advanced to the knockout stage. Never had 7 matches been won in the same edition. Never had 4 consecutive wins come.

All achievements made in the last few days and all the more remarkable in light of the average age of the quartet, composed of girls born between 1997 and 2003, whose margins for improvement have yet to be explored.