THE Philippines’ Marc Pfister and Kathleen Dubberstein ran into China’s great wall in Wang Zhiyu and Han Yu, 9-6, on Wednesday night that denied the former pair a chance at claiming an outright semis seat in curling’s mixed doubles event of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, China.
Instead, it will be the Chinese who claimed the first of the two Group B slots to semis set for Friday after claiming their fourth win in as many outings regardless of their last group stage duel with the Qataris last night.
The Philippines though could stay in the semis hunt if they could hurdle the Kazakhs — Amina Seitzhanova and Azizbek Nadirbayev — also last night.
If the unranked Filipinos win, they will clinch No. 2 and will play the No. 3 in Group A, which could possibly be one among Thailand, Hong Kong or Taiwan as Japan had already punched a semis ticket with a pristine 4-0 record.
If the Philippines (3-1) ended up losing, it would create a three-way tie for No. 3 with Kazakhstan (2-2) and South Korea (2-1).
The No. 3 team will play the No. 2 squad in Group A for the last semis seat.
Meanwhile, Ms. Dubberstein, along with speed skater Peter Groseclose, were named as flag-bearers of the 20-strong national team in the official opening ceremony set for Friday at the Harbin International Convention and Sports Center.
“I’m ready and excited. Practices have been going well and I think I’ll be able to give a performance I can be proud of,’’ said Mr. Groseclose, who finished fifth overall in the 500-meter event during the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics in Gangwon, South Korea when the Los Angeles-based short track speed skater suffered an injury cut at the right side of his foot.
Aside from Messrs. Groseclose, Pfister and Ms. Dubberstein, figure skaters Paolo Borromeo, Cathryn Limketkai, Sofia Frank and the pair of Isabella Gamez and Alexander Korovin, slalom alpine skiers Francis Ceccarelli and Tallulah Proulx and snowboarder Laetaz Amihan Rabe, curlers Benjo Delarmente, Alan Frei, Christian Haller, Anne Bonache, Leilani Dubberstein, Sheila Mariano and Jessica Pfister are also competing. — Joey Villar
