Winter Olympics 2022 Team GB defeated Sweden and goes on to the curling final for women
Britain’s women’s curling team is guaranteed at least one silver at the Winter Games in Beijing 2022 after beating defending Olympic champions Sweden 12-11 in the semifinals on Friday.
The team, with the inspired Eve Muirhead as skipper, meets Japan for gold on Sunday after beating Sweden barely in a match that went to an extra end.
Muirhead’s team with Jennifer Dodds, Hailey Duff, Vicky Wright and reserve Mili Smith got off to a difficult start when they went down 4-0 in the first end but fought back with three in the second. Sweden extended the lead to 5-3 in the third, only for Great Britain to strike back with one in the fourth.
Britain then took an extra stone in the next finish to make it all even at the break.
Sweden restarted brilliantly to take the sixth end with two, only for Muirhead’s team to strike back with two in the next. None of the teams could pull away, and they were all square with three ends left. Great Britain held Sweden to one in the eighth, and then came an astonishing effort from Muirhead with the last stone in the ninth when they picked up four to lead 11-8 on their way to the final. Great Britain had one foot in the final, but with the last stone, Sweden made three to push it into an extra finish.
And Britain, with the hammer, managed to get past the reigning champions to provoke celebration on the rink.
This is Muirhead’s fourth Olympics, and so far she has a bronze in her name from Sochi 2014. But she is now aiming for gold on Sunday, the day after Team GB is set against Sweden in the final of the men’s curling team.
“Third time around – I’ve lost two semifinals before, and I was desperate for that,” said Muirhead. “These moments do not come often and I am so, so proud of these girls. It is such a team match out there. What a moment and it sounds fantastic to say that we are in the Olympic final.
The women’s team secured their knockout spot by the smallest margin after winning five of their nine round-robin matches. On their way into the final round of games, Muirhead’s team had to beat the ROC and rely on results elsewhere to go their way. With the win-loss record between Great Britain, Japan and Canada, it came to the Draw Shot Challenge (which takes place before each match and rewards teams closest to the button) and Great Britain secured its place in the semifinals by less than 10 centimeters ahead of Canada.
Muirhead spoke about the heartache from PyeongChang 2018 before Friday’s semi-final when she reflected on the defeat against Sweden four years ago. Then Muirhead’s team fell 10-5 and was defeated by Japan 5-3 in the bronze match. But they have banished these memories with a commanding performance in Beijing.
“We have a day off on Saturday so we take tonight to celebrate ourselves,” Muirhead added. “We will be here and support the men and after the match tomorrow we have to knuckle down and get back to a flat ground and we have one match left. When you are in the final no one wants to take the silver medal so believe me, we are fighting hard for the gold. “