Qualifiers from Pacific Championships

China and Australia have both qualified for the 2008 World Men's Curling Championship in Grand Forks, North Dakota. China beat Japan in two straight games in their best-of-three semifinals at the Pacific Championships in Beijing. Australia beat New Zealand twice in their semifinal matches. Japan and Australia have still to meet though to decide who wins the Pacific Championship Gold.

The results are all here.

The Chinese women are also through to the Ford World Women's Championship in Vernon, British Columbia. Bingyu Wang ended up being ranked in first place after the women's double round robin with a 7-1 win-loss record. That was the same record that Japan had, but China had the better Draw Shot Challenge (China - 178.40 cm and Japan - 293.40 cm). That means China wins the Gold medal and qualifies for the Worlds.

Japan will now play against the third ranked team (Korea 4-4) and the winner of that game will get the Silver medal and qualifies their Association to the Women's World Championship.

It shows you, does it not, the importance of the team draw shot distance that has been introduced recently at championship events!