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A match that had just about everything.

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The duel of two "Annas", i.e. Kubeskova and Haaselborg in the skip positions of their teams, was shown by the cameras to the Czech TV audience. And there was a lot to watch. The training itself and its culmination in measured throws for positioning was a show of precision and accuracy. But even the 4.7 cm distance of the centre of the stone from the centre of the rings (Aneta Műllernová) was not enough to beat the Swedish women, who were overall several tens of millimetres more accurate. First, let's mention the difficulties and problems. These were again related to the timing system and this time to the ice and stones. There was a flat unevenness (sounds like an oxymoron, but it is not in curling) in the middle of the course which the teams pointed out, but the ice makers and umpires decided that it would take too long to fix and would not ensure an improvement. Several times the electronic system for controlling the drop on the hog-line did not work, and when it did, it sadly affected the Czech team. The dirt on the ice affected one Swedish and one Czech stone fairly. But first and foremost, it was an even fight between two well playing teams. The decision came down to the last stone, when Anna Hasselborg cold-bloodedly hit one of the three Czech stones and secured a one-point win for her team. Both teams are full of mothers, so we can look forward to the next generation of quality players. While the Swedes have a number of their kids with them and live outside the Kisakallio grounds, where they only eat and play curling, the Czechs have left their kids at home and are keeping in touch with them via online video communication. The issue of involving women with young children in active elite sport is not yet addressed in a very systematic way in our latitudes, and despite a promising hint in the form of the NSA's programme to support women's teams with Olympic ambitions, in the prenatal stage. The match itself produced some extraordinary moments that immediately made their way into the World Curling Federation's "highlights"

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In the afternoon, the men played the Germans (Muskatewitz). The Germans' win was decided by two matched threes in the fifth and seventh end. The tenth end turned into a German exhibition of a flawless combination of defensive and offensive skills. The Czechs played solidly and put in a performance that would probably have been enough for any other opponent.

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Technical problems are multiplying. The technicians changed several electronic handles and unfortunately it affected the Czech team in the evening game against the Scots. At two important moments the game had to be stopped for technical reasons, which was very unpleasant for the player who was throwing the ball away. In addition, there are different instructions regarding the activation of the whole system, so the uncertainty is growing. We played on lane "E" where it was extremely cold behind the scoreboard due to the overhead dehumidification system. Just sitting on uncomfortable high bar stools at unstable bar tables is discomfort personified, but also the lack of drinks or small snacks is a lowering of the standard of international sporting competition. The match between the Czechs and the Scots was interesting and quite good. The win was enjoyed by the Scots, who managed to get a deuce in the first leg against the plan with the advantage of their opponent, and that steered them to victory.