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Olympic curling: Mixed doubles round robin #1 results and highlights

By Connor Muldowney

USA's Matt Hamilton pushes the stone during a curling training session at Gangneung Curling Center in Gangneung prior to the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Gangneung on February 7, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / WANG Zhao (Photo credit should read WANG ZHAO/AFP/Getty Images)
USA's Matt Hamilton pushes the stone during a curling training session at Gangneung Curling Center in Gangneung prior to the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Gangneung on February 7, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / WANG Zhao (Photo credit should read WANG ZHAO/AFP/Getty Images) /
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The first ever Olympic curling mixed doubles event took place on Wednesday evening with session 1 of the round robin tournament.

Wednesday night marked the first-ever mixed doubles matchup in Olympic curling. The first round robin session took place in Pyeongchang as the Winter Olympics kicked off even before the opening ceremony.

The first matchups were between the United States and Olympic Athletes of Russia (OAR), Canada and Norway, China and Switzerland and Finland and Korea.

Let’s take a look at the results from the first round robin matchups.

USA def. OAR, 9-3

The United States got off to a red-hot start in the first end against the Olympic Athletes from Russia, taking an early 3-0 lead in the first mixed doubles match ever. That big lead didn’t last long as OAR got two points back in the second end to pull within one, 3-2.

The match was essentially put away after four straight points scored by the United States and was answered by one in the sixth end by Russia. The door was closed with two points in the final end by the United States to win, 9-3.

USA will take on Canada in session 2 and OAR will face Norway.

Norway def. Canada, 9-6

Canada is known as a curling powerhouse, but Norway was able to notch the win in the session 1 matchup. Canada struck first but Norway bounced back to take a 3-1 lead in the second end. The Canadians would regain the lead two more times before Norway scored the final five points to win the match in surprising fashion.

Norway will take on OAR in the second session and Canada will get the United States.

Korea def. Finland, 9-4

https://twitter.com/7olympics/status/961413711251591168

The Korean team got off to a strong start as well, racing out to a 5-0 lead and that’s all they would need against Finland, winning the match 9-4. Finland made things interesting, though, pulling within one after scoring four straight points, but the seventh end for Korea was its best, scoring four points to put the match away.

Korea will take on China in the second session and Finland will see Switzerland.

Switzerland def. China, 7-5

China struck first, but Switzerland got the last laugh in this matchup. The Chinese team secured their first-ever point in mixed doubles curling in the first end, but Switzerland scored two straight to wipe away the lead. China tied up the game heading at the end of the eighth and final frame, pushing the match to overtime, in which Switzerland scored two to walk off with the slim victory.

China will face Korea next and Switzerland will take on Finland.

Next: Winter Olympics 2018: When can you watch curling?

Keep it posted here as the Olympic curling events continue. The second session of the mixed doubles round robin matchups will start 5:05 a.m. ET stateside.

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