"Gutting" loss for Kiwi pair at World Qualifier

9 Dec 2022 – They couldn't have come any closer, but ultimately Courtney Smith and Anton Hood just missed out on qualifying New Zealand for the 2023 World Mixed Doubles Championship 2023 in this week's Qualifying Event.

Needing to steal the extra end of their final sudden-death qualifier against the Netherlands, their attempt to bury a second shot stone behind guards slipped just a little too far on the two-paced ice.

That left the Dutch pair a slightly easier come-around tap of the one NZ shot stone, which they achieved for an 8-7 win and a ticket to the Worlds.