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:
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Winter Olympics: Build-up ahead of Team GB vs Sweden
After this morning’s freestyle skiing, ski cross and men’s curling bronze medal match, focus now turns to the women’s tournament as Eve Muirhead’s Team GB face Sweden for a place in the gold medal match at 12:05pm GMT.
Muirhead’s side edged through yesterday amid a confusing set of permutations., beating the ROC while Switzerland beat Japan and Sweden beat South Korea.
“This team has a lot of resilience,” Muirhead said after GB qualified for the semi-finals.
“We’ve come from a squad of nine people to a team that have won the Europeans, qualified for the Olympic Games and now have a semi-final spot.
“I don’t think you can turn your back on this team. We’ve shown a lot of character, a lot of grit and determination and we fully deserve the spot.”
Eileen Gu continues golden run at Winter Olympics but section of home fury takes shine off success
Eileen Gu soared above the halfpipe to win gold and her third Olympic medal but the Snow Princess’ political high-wire act isn’t convincing everybody.
The 18-year-old became the first freestyle skier to win medals in three different disciplines at the same Games with a dominant display in Zhangjiakou.
Gu’s sheer amplitude and height on the pipe dwarfed her competitors and a first run lacking a little in pace was still scored at 93.25.
Her second, even better at 95.25, saw her claim victory by 4.5 points from impressive Canadians Cassie Sharpe and Rachael Karker.
It was the crowning glory in a gruelling freeski treble - the only skier to make all three finals - that already makes her the joint-most successful athlete in the sport’s history.
Read the latest from Tom Harle in Zhangjiakou.
Eileen Gu continues golden run but section of home fury takes shine off success
China’s star of the Winter Olympics delivered a second gold medal of the Games amid ripples of dissent on social media
Winter Olympics: Canada defeat USA to win curling men’s bronze
It’s bronze for Canada, with the damage for the USA coming in that disastrous ninth end. It turned out to be the only end in which the points did not go with the hammer, a three-point margin heading into the tenth was too great a lead for Shuster’s team to overturn.
USA may have the vibes, but they don’t have a medal in the men’s curling. Canada take bronze and the gold will go down to either Team GB or Sweden tomorrow.
Winter Olympics: USA vs Canada in men’s curling bronze medal match
Canada have struck back, and in some style! After delivering two points with the hammer, the Canadians put up a high block on the house to immediately put the pressure on the US in the ninth.
John Shuster’s team can’t respond, and their final shot ends up in disaster as they push a red Canadian stone closer to the middle - and that’s another two points for Canada.
That sets up a 8-5 lead for Canada going into the final end - and surely the bronze medal too if they avoid a collapse here.
Winter Olympics: USA vs Canada in men’s curling bronze medal match
The USA and Canada continue to go toe-to-toe in the battle for men’s curling bronze, but we’ve just had our first scoreless end!
After the USA continued the trend of the hammer proving decisive in the sixth by picking up another two points to take a 5-4, Canada decided to take the hammer into the eighth - leaving the seventh scoreless.
Canada remain 5-4 down as we enter the crucial closing stages.
Winter Olympics: Switzerland’s Regez wins gold in men’s ski cross
It’s a one-two for Switzerland in the men’s snowboard cross final, as Ryan Regez beats compatriot and top seed Alex Fiva to the gold medal!
Regez flew out of the traps, finding stunning speed over the early bumps to lead Fiva into the first turn. The ROC’s Sergey Ridzik attacked Fiva down the second half of the race but Regez was able to hold on to seal gold!
Regez is in disbelief, but it ended up being a comfortable win for him over Fiva.
Winter Olympics: USA vs Canada in men’s curling bronze medal match
Canada skip Brad Gushue is trying to fire some energy into his team as the men’s bronze medal match reaches the halfway point.
The hammer has proved decisive so far, with both teams scoring when having the last shot of the end.
While Canada scored two points to open the match, the USA have just replied to take two points in the fourth.
It leaves USA down 3-4 but with the hammer in hand heading into the sixth.
After both teams lost in the semi-finals yesterday, it’s perhaps understandable that they’re both feeling a little flat today.
Winter Olympics: Gu wins second gold as Atkin falls short of freestyle medal
Eileen Gu sealed her second gold medal of the Beijing Winter Olympics as Zoe Atkin’s hopes of a sealing a first medal of the Games for Great Britain crashed and burned in the women’s freestyle halfpipe in Zhangjiakou.
Gu, the US-born 18-year-old who competes for China, added to her Big Air gold and slopestyle silver with a second run score of 95.25, which proved enough to shunt Canadian duo Cassie Sharpe and Rachael Karker into second and third places respectively.
“It has changed my life for ever,” said Gu. “It has been two straight weeks of the most intense highs and lows I’ve ever experienced in my life.
“I’m so honoured to be here, and I’m even more honoured by this platform that I’ve been given to be able to spread this message and inspire young girls through my own passion for the sport and to be able hopefully to spread the sport to people that might not have heard of it before.”
Eileen Gu wins second Beijing gold as Zoe Atkin falls short of freestyle medal
Gu added to her Big Air gold and slopestyle silver with a second run score of 95.25
Winter Olympics: USA vs Canada in men’s curling bronze medal match
Over at the curling rink, Team USA - and all of their vibes - and taking on Canada for the men’s bronze
Canada off to a great start, picking up two stones on their opening end, before USA pulled one back in the second.
And Canada, with hammer in hand, pick up another point in the third after the USA left the house open.
‘Cold’ Kamila Valieva treatment pushes IOC towards fresh investigation
Latest from James Toney in Beijing on this morning’s big news - as IOC president Thomas Bach slammed Kamila Valieva’s coach and entourage
“I was very disturbed when I watched the competition on TV,” Bach said. “When I saw how she was received by her entourage with what appeared to be a tremendous coldness, it was chilling to see this, rather [than] giving her comfort or help.
“You could feel the chilling atmosphere, this distance and if you were interpreting the body language it got even worse. It was dismissive. How can you be so cold to your athlete?
“This was no way to treat a 15-year-old under such mental stress. I wish she has the support of her friends and family to help her through this difficult situation.
“I saw the pressure on her, it was beyond my imagination for a girl of 15. To see her struggling, trying to compose herself, you could see the immense mental stress she was under.”
‘Cold’ Kamila Valieva treatment pushes IOC towards fresh investigation
IOC president Thomas Bach insists the ‘chilling’ atmosphere and treatment that followed the 15-year-old’s error-strewn performance needs investigating
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