Winter Olympics closing ceremony LIVE: Team GB women win first gold medal in curling as Beijing Games end
Follow latest updates from Beijing Winter Olympics 2022 as Team GB chase their first medal of the Games
Great Britain’s women, led by Eve Muirhead, went one better than the men in their gold medal match against Japan at the Winter Olympics in Beijing.
The men’s team fell short yesterday when Sweden claimed gold to deny Bruce Mouat and his team. Swedish skip Niklas Edin proved too good and repeated their victory over Great Britain in a 2014 semi-final. Muirhead overcame almost impossible odds to steer her women’s curling team into the Olympic final where she completed an incredible journey to finally fulfil an ambition that appeared beyond her after a decade at the top of her sport. Team coach Murdoch put her chances of salvaging victory at “less than 10 per cent” after shipping four shots in a disastrous opening end to defending Olympic champions Sweden, but they clawed back to clinch a thrilling 12-11 victory in an extra end.
In the final, Muirhead guided Great Britain to their first and only gold of the Games, beating Japan 10-3 to claim the joint-biggest margin of victory in a final since the sport was reintroduced in ‘98. With all events now closed and the medals handed out, it only remains for the closing ceremony to take place and the baton to be passed on to Italy.
Follow live coverage from the Winter Olympics below:
Winter Olympics curling final: Team GB 8-2 Japan - 8th end
Great Britain’s accuracy is up at 90 percent for the game, while Japan’s is down at 82 percent.
Eve Muirhead, Vicky Wright, Jennifer Dodds and Hailey Duff are closing in on victory.
Winter Olympics curling final: Team GB 8-2 Japan - 8th end
What an error for Japan, they leave just one in the house.
Muirhead can snatch four... she does!
It’s FOUR! The cheers are wild, that might just do it.
Winter Olympics curling final: Team GB 4-2 Japan - 7th end
Winter Olympics curling final: Team GB 4-2 Japan - 7th end
A composed stone from Great Britain to send their yellow into Japan’s red, which rolls out of the house.
The double is available to Japan with that final stone. A crucial moment in the match here.
Winter Olympics curling final: Team GB 4-2 Japan - after 6th end
Japan oversweep, GB let off again.
The mistake is not punished. They only concede one back.
Winter Olympics curling final: Team GB 4-1 Japan - 6th end
GB land another blow, taking out a Japanese red stone, leaving four yellow stones in the house.
Just two stones left for Japan, can they take out two here?
Japan instead move onto the back yellow. Can Muirhead move it?
Why take the risk? Just rest on top of the red and move on. A test for GB here.
Winter Olympics curling final: Team GB 4-1 Japan - 6th end
A relaxed half-time team talk for GB. It’s all going to plan.
Japan with a bit of misfortune, a red cannons into another and both sail away.
GB take out the first of Japan’s corner guards. Smart.
Winter Olympics curling final: Team GB 4-1 Japan - end of 5th end
Still a chance for Yoshida to get two here.
All in the balance with Japan’s final stone.
That’s unlucky! Japan just miss out and they gift GB another point.
It’s 4-1 at the half-way point.
Winter Olympics curling final: Team GB 3-1 Japan - 5th end
Japan have overswept here, with three stones left.
GB with an opening, Japan have the hammer.
Winter Olympics curling final: Team GB 3-1 Japan - after 4th end
Muirhead trying to set up a two-point play, but the yellow blocks Japan’s way into the button.
It’s clustered in and around the button right now with three GB stones and two Japan stones.
GB nudge one more ahead after four ends.
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