Canadian curling coach for Korea savors win over rival team coached by compatriot
Peter Gallant, coach of the Korean women's curling team, watches his team during practice at the National Aquatics Centre in Beijing, in preparation for the Beijing Winter Olympics, Feb. 11. Yonhap
Everywhere Peter Gallant looked, there were fellow Canadians.
Gallant, a native of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, is coaching the South Korean women's curling team in Beijing this month, for the second consecutive Winter Olympics in Beijing this month. On Monday, he went up against two teams coached by Canadians, and somehow, neither team was Canada.
In the morning session, the Laine Peters-coached United States beat South Korea 8-6. But South Korea bounced back with a 10-5 win over Japan, coached by J.D. Lind, in the nightcap.
Anytime South Korea beats Japan at any sport, it's front-page stuff back home. Perhaps the deep-running rivalry between the Asian countries doesn't quite resonate with Gallant as it would for the Korean public. But that doesn't mean the Canadian didn't enjoy the victory.
"For me, they're all friends. They're all very nice people. I know their coach very well. He's Canadian as well," Gallant said of Japan. "But the (South Korean) girls enjoy playing (Japanese skip Satsuki) Fujisawa. It's always a fun game with lots of good shot making. It's a good rivalry, I'd say."
That rivalry dates back to PyeongChang 2018, when South Korea announced its arrival in the curling world by capturing silver medal on home soil. South Korea lost to Japan in the round robin but prevailed 8-7 in a nailbiting semifinal showdown.
Asked if he had gone back to watch highlights of that victory to prepare for Monday's match, Gallant quipped, "I can't watch that anymore. I cry every time I watch it."
"Fujisawa was incredible in that game. We played so well in that semifinal and controlled the game, I felt. But Fujjisawa was relentless," Gallant said. "She just continued to make shot after shot and put pressure on us. We know how good she is. It's nice to beat her."
Japan's Chinami Yoshida, directs her teammates, during the women's curling match against Korea, at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Feb. 14, in Beijing. AP-Yonhap
More so than simply beating a rival, this was a crucial win for South Korea that kept the team alive in the 10-team tournament. South Korea improved its record to 3-3, tied for fifth best with three games left. The top four nations after nine round-robin games apiece will reach the semifinals.
South Korea would have been all but eliminated had it fallen to 2-4. Beating Japan on the heels of consecutive losses to China and the U.S. was especially gratifying, Gallant said.
So, coach, is momentum a thing at the Olympics?
"Confidence is. For sure, this team can get on a roll," he said. "(Once) they get a good feel of the ice and they get comfortable out there, missing doesn't enter their heads."
The path to the knockout round doesn't get easier for South Korea, which will have another key double header coming up Wednesday against Switzerland and Denmark. The final round-robin game will be against Sweden, Thursday. Switzerland has the best record so far at 5-1.
"There are no easy games. Every game, you just have to be prepared and ready to play your best," Gallant said. "We're in the mix. We have a chance. Four losses could still get us a playoff spot but we can't depend on that. We have three games left against good teams. It's the Olympics. You need to be ready every game." (Yonhap)