The Olympic Mixed Doubles are coming to an end.
The Mixed Doubles competition, which is part of the Olympic program in Cortina d'Ampezzo, is entering its final phase. The Czech pair Julie Zelingrová and Vít Chabičovský are facing their final duel against the Estonian pair Kaldvee and Lill. So far, the Czech side has two wins and six losses. The victory over Korea was rather expected, given that the two teams had already met in the Olympic qualifiers, with the Czechs winning that match. The second scalp is Norwegian, which was less expected. The Norwegian matadors have more experience and even two Olympic medals. According to official statistics, the Czech pair is ranked last, with Vít in tenth place compared to the other men participating in the tournament. Julie is currently ninth. However, the discipline in which the Czechs absolutely dominate is the Draw Shot Challenge. First place with an amazing 12.3 centimeters after eight matches is quite extraordinary, and we can only hope that this criterion will decide the final ranking of our pair in the event of a tie in wins and losses.
Before the last Round Robin Mixed Doubles match, it is possible to take stock of the situation. The youngest participants in the curling competition, Julie and Vít, impressed with some bold moves and also with their ability to learn from the difficult start of the competition and correct some mistakes on the spot. In particular, time management, the failure of which may have contributed to the loss to Great Britain. Communication with the coaching bench was also well organized, and it was clear that Julie and Vít were gradually adapting to the option of ongoing communication with the coaches. The emotions and joy expressed after victories are a pleasant illustration of the Czech curlers' performance. The fact that the players at the top of the current table are those who are originally important members of their traditional teams suggests that narrow specialization in the Mixed Doubles category is not enough to achieve great success in the form of an Olympic medal. The playing, tactical, and technical skills of individuals are developed while playing standard curling, i.e., in teams of four.