Pressure is mounting for South Korea’s women’s curling squad as they prepare for a do-or-die showdown against world champion Canada in their last round-robin contest at the Winter Olympics, with team captain Gim Eun-ji vowing to maintain her positive attitude despite the high stakes.
The Korean team currently holds third place in round-robin play with a 5-3 record, setting up a critical Thursday matchup against Canada, the two-time world champions who entered the tournament as heavy favorites.
Canada, led by Rachel Homan, struggled early in the competition but has gained momentum recently and sits one spot below South Korea in the standings, making their head-to-head battle essential for both squads’ semifinal aspirations.
“It’s a game that we must win, but I feel if I smile and enjoy the game, rather than feeling pressure that I have to win, I’ll be able to feel less burdened and make good shots,” Gim explained following her team’s victory over defending Olympic champion Sweden on Wednesday.
“If I play the game that way, I’ll be able to win. They’re ranked at number one in the world, so they are a tough team, but ranking isn’t important at the Olympics. How much you enjoy the game is important. I’ll play the game with that mindset…”
“I definitely want to win a gold medal because South Korea doesn’t have a gold medal (in curling), so that’s what I want to realise.”
While the previous South Korean women’s curling team captured hearts and silver medals at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, earning the nickname “Garlic Girls,” Gim’s current squad has adopted the moniker “5G.”
“Four people on our team have names that are spelt with a ‘ji’ but (Seol) Ye-eun doesn’t. But she has a nickname with a spelling that includes a ‘ji’,” Gim revealed.
“Her nickname is dwaeji, which means pig, because she eats a lot. So that’s why we came up with the nickname 5G.”
