Curling: Japanese women facing uphill battle in Olympic qualification

Japan, a winner of silver and bronze medals in women's curling at the past two Winter Olympics, will take one last shot at an Olympic berth at December's final qualifying tournament.One Japanese team will go to the final qualifying event in Canada after Sapporo-based Fortius was unable to secure the berth for the country, finishing ninth at the recently concluded 13-team world championship in South Korea.Competing at the Milan-Cortina Olympics in February 2026 is essential for Japan in terms of the sport's domestic popularity and the development of curlers.Host Italy and nine teams will com…READ FULL ARTICLE