MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines’ Marc Pfister and Kathleen Dubberstein smashed Kazakhstan’s Amina Seitzhanova and Azizbek Nadirbayev, 11-2, yesterday to move a step closer to the semifinals in curling’s mixed doubles of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, China.
The Filipinos finished second in Group B with a 4-1 record, with their lone defeat coming at the hands of China’s Whang Zhiyu and Han Yu, 9-6, Wednesday.
For the Phl duo to advance, it would need to hurdle Taiwan, which finished third in Group A, in today’s deciding qualification match.
China and Japan seized the first semis berths after sweeping their respective brackets.
Fighting for the last semis seat are Hong Kong and South Korea.
In the semis, Pfister and Dubberstein will have two chances of delivering the country’s breakthrough medal in the quadrennial event – the first if they make the finals and the other if they win the battle for third place also set today.
Meanwhile, Dubberstein, along with speed skater Peter Groseclose, were named as flag-bearers of the 20-strong national team in the official opening ceremony set today at the Harbin International Convention and Sports Center.
“I’m ready and excited. Practices have been going well and I think I’ll be able to give a performance I can be proud of,’’ said Groseclose, who finished fifth overall in the 500m event during the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics in Gangwon, South Korea.
Also in Team Phl roster are figure skaters Paolo Borromeo, Cathryn Limketkai, Sofia Frank and the pair of Isabella Gamez and Alexander Korovin, slalom alpine skiers Francis Ceccarelli and Tallulah Proulx and snowboarder Laetaz Amihan Rabe, curlers Benjo Delarmente, Alan Frei, Christian Haller, Anne Bonache, Leilani Dubberstein, Sheila Mariano and Jessica Pfister