adminThe Gangwon Provincial Office men’s curling team, Korea’s first professional curling club, won the gold medal at the National Winter Sports Festival. It is the first time in 12 years since 2011 that the Gangwon Provincial Office won the Winter Games. In particular, this victory is more meaningful because it was recorded while the main players were blank.
Gangwon Provincial Office (Skip Jung Young-seok, Lead Seong Ji-hoon, Second Oh Seung-hoon, Third Park Jong-deok) defeated Kyungil University (Skip Kim Eun-bin) in the final of the 104th National Winter Sports Festival held on the evening of the 12th to win the championship. In particular, Kyungil University participated in the Junior Championships and the Universiade, and was considered the ‘strongest junior team’.
There were players who experienced their first victory on the adult 4-member stage, and there were veteran players who looked extremely happy at the slant of winning a domestic competition after a long time. Coach Lee Ye-joon, who received a medal as a candidate member for the championship 12 years ago, received a medal as a leader this time. Coach Lee announced the revival of Gangwon Provincial Office with a brighter expression than anyone else.
Gangwon Provincial Office’s preliminaries
were easy. Gangwon Provincial Office, who met the Gwangju Curling Federation in the first game and won with an overwhelming score of 36-2, defeated the Incheon Curling Federation in the quarterfinals with a score of 14-3 and easily advanced to the semifinals. However, the fourth round was not an easy opponent. The current national representative, Seoul City Hall (Skip Jeong Byeong-jin), was confronted.
However, the Gangwon Provincial Office’s strategy shone. Gangwon Province, which scored the first goal in the second end, succeeded in winning steals in the third and fourth ends, ending the first half with a score of 4-1. Gangwon Provincial Office did not narrow the already wide lead, and finished the game automatically confirming victory with a final score of 7-3 in the middle of the 10th end.
Gangwon Provincial Office’s opponent in the final was Kyungil University (skip Kim Eun-bin). Kyungil University has been dubbed the ‘strongest junior male team’ this season. In particular, it was a team that radiated more destructive power than any other team by defeating Gyeongbuk Sports Association, an unemployed team, in the regional preliminary round of the Winter Sports Festival held at the end of last year and reaching the final round.
The final against Kyungil University went on to be an exploration match that did not easily attack each other until the middle. As blank ends were made throughout the game, the march of ‘0’ continued. In the 3rd end, Gangwon-do Provincial Office won a point first, slightly breaking the balance, but Kyungil University also countered this, aiming for a large number of points and making a blank end, and the close balance continued.
Gyeongildae won a point in the 7th end, and the game went 1-1 only in the 7th end. Then, the offensive of the Gangwon Provincial Office continued. Gangwon Provincial Office took the lead in the last minute of the game by scoring two points in the 8th end. Kyungil University followed with a point in the 9th end, but it was not easy as the Gangwon Provincial Office had the right to go after the 10th end.
In the end, Kyungil University placed two stones close to each other in the house to induce an overtime fight, but Gangwon Provincial Office Jeong Yeong-seok skip took both stones out on the last shot and confirmed the championship. It was the moment when the Gangwon Provincial Office reached the top of the Winter Sports Festival for the first time in 12 years.
“I hope both the return to the Grand Slam and return to the national team can be achieved.”
It was the Gangwon Provincial Office that had been defending the national team for a long time, but recently it was the Gangwon Provincial Office that sometimes failed to reach the finals of domestic competitions. That’s why this win had a special meaning for the players. Perhaps that is why, at the moment of victory, the players embraced each other and shared the joy, regardless of who came first.
In particular, coach Lee Ye-joon achieved the last championship he recorded when he was a substitute player, so the first championship in 12 years must have been more realistic. Perhaps because of this, I could see a scene where many coaches and curling people around me congratulated the coach from the stands.
It also meant a lot to the players. Park Jong-deok, the ‘eldest brother’, won the first national championship after a long time since the Shinsegae and E-Mart competitions in 2016 after the team was reorganized, and Jung Young-seok won the first national championship as a member of the unemployment team. For Seong Ji-hun, who has been playing mixed doubles for a long time, this is also the first win achieved in a 4-member adult competition.
Seong Ji-hun said, “It’s our first win since we started with a group of four adults, and it’s been a long time since we’ve won as a team, so I’m very happy.” There was a lot of stress for Hani, but I felt like I was blown away by winning this time.”
Jung Young-seok also said, “Being an unemployed team, it seems that I had better results because I definitely had a goal.” I want to.” He laughed. 안전놀이터
Seong Ji-hoon also said, “I want to win first place at the Korean Championships. It’s been too long since I haven’t been able to win the national team title.” , We want to win the world championship again.”
Jung Young-seok hopes for his first Grand Slam invitation. Jung Young-seok said, “I think the tour will be held in April and at the end of the year, but the goal is to raise the team ranking. Only then can I be invited to the Canard Inn or the Grand Slam.”
Meanwhile, in the high school division of the National Winter Sports Festival, Songhyeon High School (Skip Kang Bo-bae) won the championship by defeating Uiseong Girls’ High School in the final. In the men’s division, Chuncheon Mechanical Technical High School (Skip Kim Hak-jun) defeated Cheongju Bongmyeong High School and won the championship. In addition, the middle school finals will be held at 10 am on the 16th, and the elementary finals will be held on the 17th.