Eve Muirhead leads her women's curlers to Team GB's FIRST gold medal of the Winter Olympics


Golden curls! Eve Muirhead leads her women’s curlers to Team GB’s FIRST gold medal of the Winter Olympics – 20 years after Rhona Martin’s iconic victory in the same event

  • GB’s women’s curling team took the gold against Japan 10-3 50-strong Team GB faced flying home without any podium honors – until the curlers saved the day
  • Eve Muirhead, Vicky Wright, Jennifer Dodds, Hailey Duff and Mili Smith were the heroines of the hour at China’s National Aquatics Centre 
  • Men’s curling captain Bruce Mouat said even while waiting to board his flight to Beijing he was asked whether curling was a real sport 
  • The women’s team and alternate (sub) Smith were only formed in December last year


Great Britain, at the final time of asking, secured the first Team GB gold medal of the Winter Olympics early today in emphatic fashion.

The women’s curling team took the gold against Japan 10-3 to add to the silver won by the men’s team on Saturday as the games came to an end.

Eve Muirhead, Vicky Wright, Jennifer Dodds, Hailey Duff and Mili Smith were the heroines of the hour at China’s National Aquatics Centre.

The 50-strong Team GB faced flying home on Monday without any podium honors to show for their efforts, but within the space of 24 hours, the curlers showed how it is done.

Skip Eve Muirhead, Vice Vicky Wright, Jennifer Dodds, Hailey Duff and Mili Smith celebrate after winning the game.

Skip Eve Muirhead, Vice Vicky Wright, Jennifer Dodds, Hailey Duff and Mili Smith celebrate after winning the game.

Men’s captain Bruce Mouat told Mail Online that even while waiting to board his flight to Beijing, he had been asked whether curling really could be regarded as a sport.

But both curling teams are bringing home the only two gongs and interest in the sport is likely to increase massively following the two medals.

For Muirhead, 31, of Stirling, who has captained Britain at three Olympics ,the gold was a fitting prize after failing to medal before and using her experiences in leading a team of Olympic debutants at these games to a gold medal.

Wright, 28, also from Stirling, stepped away from the road to Beijing and went back to the NHS frontline to help with the battle against Covid-19 as a staff nurse in the Forth Valley.

In Beijing, Dodds became the first woman to represent Britain at two disciplines at the same Winter Olympics as she partnered Mouat in the mixed doubles event.

Vicky Wright of Team Great Britain competes during the Women's Gold Medal match with Japan in Beijing

Vicky Wright of Team Great Britain competes during the Women’s Gold Medal match with Japan in Beijing 

The team and alternate (sub) Smith were only formed in December last year. Rhona Howe, who skippered, joked: 'It took them 20 years...what took so long?'

The team and alternate (sub) Smith were only formed in December last year. Rhona Howe, who skippered, joked: ‘It took them 20 years…what took so long?’ 

Vice Vicky Wright of Britain and Hailey Duff of Britain celebrate after winning the game

Vice Vicky Wright of Britain and Hailey Duff of Britain celebrate after winning the game

She had been dreaming of competing at the Olympics since the age of eight and gave up her job as an office assistant to train full time at Gogar Park Curling Club in Edinburgh.

Duff, 25, from Forfar was born in New Zealand and was introduced to the sport by her father.

She worked as a buyer for a furniture company before enrolling on a sports and fitness degree with the Open University.

Former Olympic Curler Jackie Lockhart, who at the match, told the BBC: ‘The Japanese girls just came up against a team who were on fire today. They brought their A game.

‘Just believe, just keep trying, Eve Muirhead has never stopped.’

The team and alternate (sub) Smith were only formed in December last year.

Rhona Howe, who skippered Team GB to its last curling gold in 2002, joked: ‘It took them 20 years…what took so long?’

She added: ‘Look what this team has achieved in less than a year. It’s phenomenal.’

Dodds said: ‘ I don’t really know what’s happened. I don’t think it’s going to sink in for a while. I’m speechless.’

But she added: ‘I’m so proud of these girls and the way they played in that final and the whole week.

‘We built on every game, we got more confidence every game. Hopefully that was slightly less stressful than the semi-final for all our families.’

Advertisement

Leave a Reply