21 April 2025
Korea women win first World Junior title
On Monday 21 April, four women’s teams competed for medals at the World Junior Curling Championships 2025 at the Cortina Olympic Ice Stadium in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.
Korea, who were relegated in last year’s championship and won their spot at this year’s event through the B-Division, secured the gold medal with a score of 8-2 against Germany.
Canada won their first medal since 2020 when they were named bronze medallists with a 7-4 score against Sweden.
This is the first time Korea women have won gold at the World Junior Curling Championships, and the first time Germany women have ever medalled.
Gold medal game
Germany were first to score when fourth player Kim Sutor attempted a blank but ended up staying in the rings.
Korea had their first chance to score, and skip Kang Bobae played a takeout to score one.
An attempt to takeout a stone close to the button by Sutor was interrupted by a guard, and Korea stole a single point in the third end.
In the fourth end, both Korea’s and Germany’s final stones didn’t go to plan but Germany had a previous stone in the right spot and they scored one, levelling the score to 2-2.
The fifth end was blanked and by the sixth end, Korea started to grow their lead when they were first to score two with a draw.
Germany had hammer in the seventh end, but after a missed takeout, Korea stole one.
Korea grew their lead to 6-2 in the eighth end when they stole another point after Sutor’s attempt at another double didn’t go to plan this time.
It was all over in the ninth end, when Germany’s Sutor’s final attempt generate a score was unsuccessful and Korea stole two more points. Germany shook hands, conceding the game, and Korea became 8-2 winners and World Junior champions.
After winning their World Junior title, Korean skip Kang Bobae said, “We lost in the round robin against Germany, but this didn’t affect us in this game as we stayed focused on our performance today rather than dwelling on the past. We’re happy that this strategy paid off, allowing us to win the gold medal.”
Bronze medal game
After a blanked first end, Sweden were first to put a point on the board when skip Moa Dryburgh played a soft raise to nudge their counter into the centre.
Canada responded with a point of their own in the second end. The button was open to allow skip Allyson MacNutt to play a hit-and-roll off a back stone and lay in the centre for one.
The third end saw Sweden score another one. Canada’s MacNutt’s final stone was good, a tricky draw behind guard stone, helped by sweepers, but Sweden’s Dryburgh played the same shot, and her stone was just an inch closer to the button.
The first two-point score of the game came for Canada in the fifth end. With her first stone, MacNutt had played a draw to the centre, in which Dryburgh repeated, to lay her stone next door. However, this let MacNutt play a takeout and score two, bringing Canada into the lead.
Sweden immediately fought back, levelling the score to 3-3 with a draw in the sixth end.
In the seventh, an open house let MacNutt draw for one, and in the eighth, Dryburgh played a takeout to respond with their own single point.
Things started to heat up in the ninth end when an attempt at a multiple stone takeout by Sweden didn’t go to plan, only removing a single stone. Canada still had two remaining, and a draw let their score jump to a 7-4 lead.
In the tenth end, MacNutt played her final takeout and, knowing they wouldn’t be able to catch up, Sweden conceded, confirming Canada’s 7-4 win and the bronze medals.
Canada skip Allyson MacNutt said, “I’m feeling so happy and so proud of my team. We’ve worked to hard for this all year around and it was definitely tough coming off of a semi-final loss but I’m so glad we bounce back today and got the bronze medal!”
The gold medallist Korean team are: skip Kang Bobae, third Kim Jisoo, second Shim Yujeong, lead Kim Minseo, supported by alternate Lee Boyoung and coach Kwon Young Il.
The silver medallist German team are: fourth Kim Sutor, third and skip Sara Messenzehl, second Joy Sutor, lead Annelie Abdel Halim, supported by alternate Emma Waltenberger and coach Daniel Charette.
The bronze medallist Canadian team are: skip Allyson MacNutt, third Maria Fitzgerald, second Alison Umlah, lead Grace McCusker, supported by alternate Cailey Locke and coach Theresa Breen.
Click here for all the results, standings and the playing schedule.
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In the men’s competition, Norway will face Italy for the gold medal in a rematch of last year’s final at 15:00. Scotland will play Korea for the bronze medal at the same time.
All times are Central European Summer Time which is UTC (+2)
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