32 Teams in 32 Days

We’re profiling 32 teams — one per day — as we get ready for the start of the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season at the Masters.

Day 28: Team Yoshimura

Lineup: Sayaka Yoshimura (skip), Kaho Onodera (third), Anna Ohmiya (second), Yumie Funayama (lead)

Hometown: Sapporo, Japan

The four have played together since 2014 with Ayumi Ogasawara as their skip. Ogasawara stepped back after the 2017-18 season and Yoshimura, who was the alternate, took the reins.

Yoshimura’s first Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling event as a skip came at the 2018 Tour Challenge Tier 2 in Thunder Bay, Ontario. They lost just once during the week falling to Team Stern in the final 6-5. Regardless, a strong tour season helped them reach the top flight and compete in the 2018 BOOST National and 2019 Players’ Championship.

Team Yoshimura became the first Asian women’s club to play in a Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling major final at the 2019 Masters in North Bay, Ontario. A 3-1 record in pool play helped them qualify for the playoffs and wins over Team Jones in the quarterfinals and top-seed Team Tirinzoni in the semifinals put them into the championship game against Team Fleury. Although Yoshimura won their earlier encounter in pool play, Fleury took the rematch for the title.

They represented Japan at the world championship in the Calgary bubble and finished in 11th place, missing the playoffs with a 5-8 round-robin record. Team Yoshimura finished runner-up to Satsuki Fujisawa’s team in the Japan women’s curling Olympic trials in September. Yoshimura won the first two games in the best-of-five series but Fujisawa rallied to take three straight.

The Masters kicks off the 2021-22 Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season and runs Tuesday through to the following Sunday at Sixteen Mile Sports Complex in Oakville, Ontario. Full event and weekend passes plus single draw tickets are now available, CLICK HERE to purchase yours today.

Can’t make it to Oakville? Tune to Sportsnet and Sportsnet NOW (Canada) or Yare (international) for live broadcast coverage beginning Thursday at 11 a.m. ET.

Missed a day in our 32 teams in 32 days profile series? Get all caught up below.

Day 1: Team Hasselborg

Day 2: Team Jacobs

Day 3: Team Einarson

Day 4: Team Epping

Day 5: Team Fleury

Day 6: Team Mouat

Day 7: Team Tirinzoni

Day 8: Team Gushue

Day 9: Team Jones

Day 10: Team McEwen

Day 11: Team Homan