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As it happenedended1519399870

Winter Olympics 2018: Team GB 5-10 Sweden - women's curling semi-final as it happened

Follow stone-by-stone coverage from this morning's semi-final

Ed Malyon
Curling Correspondent
Friday 23 February 2018 13:34 GMT
Comments
What is curling? The Winter Olympics sport explained

Eve Muirhead's trigger finger deserted her as Great Britain's curling team were beaten 10-5 by Sweden in their Olympic semi-final at the Gangneung Ice Arena.

Muirhead had deployed her 'pistol' to sink favourites Canada on Wednesday but two days later it was more a case of shooting herself in the foot as a calamitous seventh end signalled an emphatic defeat.

For the second consecutive Games the 27-year-old Muirhead will now face the tough task of raising spirits ahead of Saturday's bronze medal match against their fellow last-four losers Japan.

Here is the action, as it happened:

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A lot of heat on that from Anna Sloan and after missing a shot earlier she takes 2.5 (so close to a third) Swedish stones out and End 2 looks as if it could be when GB take the lead. 

Sweden hit back by leaving one on the tee line, left side (as the curlers view it) and that gets hit away by Muirhead but she doesn't get the angle she wanted and it slides under the last remaining Swedish stone. 

Ed Malyon23 February 2018 11:28
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So this is the situation with one stone each to go. 

The British skip takes out the red on the right of the image but it gives the Swedish skip, Hassleborg, an opportunity to bag two and she doesn't miss. 

AFTER END 2: GB 0-2 SWEDEN

Ed Malyon23 February 2018 11:32
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END 2: GB 0-2 SWEDEN

At breakneck speed we head into End 3, and while Great Britain may trail they have come back from far worse already during their Pyeongchang (or should we say Gangneung?) campaign. 

GB will have the hammer in this one.

Ed Malyon23 February 2018 11:34
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End 3 sees a bad miss from GB and nearly halfway through the end the Swedes look to be in a strong position. 

Double clearout from Vicki Adams, who audibly says "if you change the shot and make it, you're alright." 

No kidding!

Sweden dump a guard just below the tee line.

Ed Malyon23 February 2018 11:38
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With two stones each to go, End 3 looks like this:

You would expect - as indicated by the broom! - the Swedes to clear out the outlier stone...

...and they do just that. Eve Muirhead then.... looking for a draw but it's way too heavy. Some key mistakes from the British women early today and as that sails out the house it is a big opportunity missed. 

Ed Malyon23 February 2018 11:44
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END OF END 3: GB 1-2 SWEDEN

Hasselborg takes out the top yellow (on the image below) and Eve is left with the opportunity for a 1. She takes a lot of weight off this one and it's not going the same way as her last stone...

...lots of sweeping from Gray and Adams and it's going to nestle in nicely for a first British point of the day. 

Ed Malyon23 February 2018 11:46
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On we surge then, dear patriots, to End 4.

Lauren Gray looked to have started quite nicely - guard then draw - but the Swedes thread the needle and clear out. 

Jiggery-pokery in the middle of the end as we have a largely empty house, one red stone in there but Anna Sloan looking to smite that from the ice and she.... doesn't get enough on it. Clips the Swedish stone but it retains some bite. Disappointing again from GB.

Up to Anna to make amends next by playing a bump-and-run from the inside of the Swedish stone which will take them perfectly to a spot behind their guard stone. She does it! 

Two each to go. Advantage GB in this end.

Ed Malyon23 February 2018 11:54
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END OF END 4: GB 1-3 SWEDEN

Can't help feeling Anna Sloan needed that shot. She didn't have it quite lined up behind the guard and the effortless manner in which Sweden just removed that from the house reiterates just how well they are playing right now. 

Hasselborg then, the clutch performer of this semi-final so far, and she knocks that last Muirhead stone on the nose. Eve, from Perth, now makes virtually the same play. 

Sara McManus and Sweden are looking now to see if an earlier stone is in the scoring zone but it appears to just be out so instead they're going to aim for Muirhead's last effort and pick up a 1. 

This should be easy enough. Bit of extra on that(!) but it slows just in time to secure a single for the Swedes. 

Ed Malyon23 February 2018 12:01
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Welcome to End 5, where the first few stones have us looking a little bit (well, precisely) like this:

Ed Malyon23 February 2018 12:09
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It's been a bit of tit-for-tat clearing out in this end. Not much in the house as Hasselborg saddles up for her next shot at glory - which she deposits close to the button.

Muirhead smites it from the universe and as things stand GB have two. Eve surely odds-on to level up this match with the hammer. 

Hasselborg takes her shot anyway, looking to eliminate a yellow stone below the tee line on the left and she's played a blinder (again!). Nice line that she's tucked in behind the GB stone that's no longer even the winning stone.

Eve will have to settle for either: a) a draw for one on the button or, b) a shot to clear the red for 2....

....WHICH SHE DOES. GB 3-3 SWEDEN

Ed Malyon23 February 2018 12:14

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