Scotland's curling team boosts playoff chances in South Korea

Scotland's women's curling team achieved a crucial win over Japan in the World Women's Curling Championship held in South Korea. This victory came after they had previously defeated the United States. The win helped the Scots rise to sixth place in the round robin standings, enhancing their chances of reaching the playoffs. The team's record is now five wins and four losses, with three games remaining in the competition. To qualify for the playoffs, they need to stay in the top six among the 13 participating teams. The top-ranked team is Switzerland, with eight consecutive wins, while South Korea and Canada follow closely with seven and six wins, respectively. In their match against Japan, Scotland initially fell behind. Japan had a strong start, leading 3-1 after the third end. However, Scotland managed to pull together and made a comeback, with Rebecca Morrison delivering a winning shot to finish the game 6-5. Sophie Jackson, the Scottish skip, expressed her relief after the match, calling the victory "absolutely massive." Scotland will next face Turkey, who are yet to win a game, on Thursday and will also compete against Denmark and China later in the week. The top eight teams in the Olympic standings at the end of the championship will secure spots for the Milan/Cortina 2026 Olympics. Great Britain is currently ranked eighth in the standings.