Defending champ U.S. beats China in Olympic men's team curling

Xu Jingtao (1st R) of China competes during the curling men's round robin session 7 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics between China and the United States at National Aquatics Centre in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 13, 2022. (Xinhua/Li He)

BEIJING, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- China lost to PyeongChang 2018 champion the United States 8-6 in the seventh round robin session of the men's team curling at Beijing 2022 here Sunday evening.

Teaming up for less than half a year, China suffered its fourth loss in the competition against a team spearheaded by five-time Olympian John Shuster.

After China built a 1-0 lead, the Americans scored two points in the second end on their way to a 5-2 advantage with three points in the fourth.

Shuster played a splendid nose-hit, and the U.S. moved 7-3 ahead in the sixth end.

Also in this end, Shuster showed his sportsmanship, admitting that they touched China's stone unintentionally and asking for the umpire's judgment. Despite being in an inferior situation, China chose to overlook it and continue to play.

China failed to narrow the gap for two perfect double takeouts by Shuster, whose success rate reached 100 percent, in the seventh end, having no choice but to blank the end.

China capitalized on the opponents' tiny miss in ice-sweeping to score two points for the first time, reducing the deficit to 7-5 in the eighth end and stealing one in the next.

But the last stone advantage helped Shuster's team in the last end with one point to seal their third victory.

"We put some big ends together and they got a little bit behind, but they battled back and forced me to throw my last shot, which I thought was very impressive. They played well," said Shuster.

The 39-year-old also gave a thumb-up to China's sportsmanship. "I thought they did a tremendous job, and I commend them for being great sportsmen."

Earlier in the sixth round robin, Canada smashed the United States 10-5, China was edged by Britain 7-6, Sweden beat Norway 6-4, and the Russian Olympic Committee overrode Italy 10-7. 

John Shuster of the United States competes during the curling men's round robin session 7 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics between China and the United States at National Aquatics Centre in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 13, 2022. (Xinhua/Li He)

Ma Xiuyue of China competes during the curling men's round robin session 7 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics between China and the United States at National Aquatics Centre in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 13, 2022. (Xinhua/Li He)

John Landsteiner of the United States competes during the curling men's round robin session 7 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics between China and the United States at National Aquatics Centre in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 13, 2022. (Xinhua/Li He)

John Shuster (C) of the United States competes during the curling men's round robin session 7 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics between China and the United States at National Aquatics Centre in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 13, 2022. (Xinhua/Li He)

Ma Xiuyue of China competes during the curling men's round robin session 7 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics between China and the United States at National Aquatics Centre in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 13, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhou Mi)

Wang Zhiyu (L) and Zou Qiang of China compete during the curling men's round robin session 7 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics between China and the United States at National Aquatics Centre in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 13, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhou Mi)

John Landsteiner (1st L) and Matt Hamilton (C) of the United States compete during the curling men's round robin session 7 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics between China and the United States at National Aquatics Centre in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 13, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhou Mi)

Ma Xiuyue (R) of China competes during the curling men's round robin session 7 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics between China and the United States at National Aquatics Centre in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 13, 2022. (Xinhua/Li He)