The German curling duo Pia-Lisa Schöll and Klaudius Harsch lost their opening game at the Mixed World Championships in Gangneung, South Korea.
The 2022 World Cup bronze medalists lost to Japan 6-7. Schöll/Harsch had equalized in the penultimate end with four points, but the Japanese Chiaki Matsumura and Tanida Yasumasa set the decisive stone.
The Oberstdorf native Schöll (32) and the Rastatter Harsch (22) are at the start together for the third time at the Mixed World Championships, last year they won the first German World Championships medal in this discipline. The tournament has been held since 2008, and mixed doubles has been part of the Olympic program since 2018. However, Schöll/Harsch missed qualifying for the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing.
As a goal for the competition in the Gangneung Arena, where the German ice hockey professionals won Olympic silver in 2018, the duo has given at least seventh place in the preliminary round and thus a dressing place for the 2024 Mixed World Championship. Schöll/Harsch continue on Sunday against Austria (3.00) and Turkey (11.00).
