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First WCT 2018 - Stockholm.

For the first time ever we (team KUBEŠKOVÁ) went to the prestigious WCT event in Stockholm. We tried once, but we were only the first alternates, because the participants are strictly selected according to the world ranking and the organizers have only two wild cards, which they give mostly to Swedish teams. Trip ok. A direct flight is always nice, it eliminates the lengthy scrolling around the airport grounds. Only the check-in in Prague was a bit slow and a pity about the hour delay. The hotel is nice and the people around the tournament are nice and everything kind of works naturally. We went straight from the airport to the indoor (figure eight) and had an hour practice session. The conditions are fabulous. The ice runs 14.8 - 15.6 and the swing is 4.5 - 5.5 feet. And especially the trajectories! You can skate on almost anything, just offensive ice, like at Canadian tournaments or World Championships. We adapted pretty quickly, and it showed especially in the second game on Saturday against the Italians. We outplayed them mainly by understanding and respecting the quality of the ice and the stones. But we had our baptism with the Stockholm tournament in our very first game against the Swedish champions, Team Hasselborg. We were better (according to the percentages) and before the final verdict of the umpire, who measured the two best stones in the last end just near the middle of the rings, we believed we had won. But a distance of less than a millimeter decided our loss. Our decent form lasted into the third match of the day on Friday, when a five in the seventh end decided our victory over the ambitious Stern from Switzerland. Yesterday was a good day. It was challenging, and very challenging, but we felt comfortable in the company of some of the best teams in Europe and Asia and we had fun.