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.
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Winter Olympics closing ceremony: When is it and where can I watch?
The Beijing Games come to a close today, with all events now wrapped up, medals handed out and all the athletes having done their part to ensure a memorable occasion.
As usual, a closing ceremony will take place to officially mark the end of the Games and the handover, which will this time be from China to Italy - Milan and Cortina-D’Ampezzo will be the hosts in 2026.
The ceremony starts at around 12pm GMT today, and can be watched live on BBC One and Eurosport 1 - as well as streamed via the iPlayer and discovery+ app.
Bruce Mouat will be Team GB’s flagbearer; Zhang Yimou will be the director.
Bruce Mouat chosen to be Great Britain’s closing ceremony flagbearer
Men’s curling silver medallist Bruce Mouat has been chosen to be Great Britain’s flagbearer in the Beijing Winter Olympics closing ceremony.
Great Britain men’s team skip Mouat won silver on Saturday along with Hammy McMillan, Bobby Lammie, Grant Hardie and alternate Ross Whyte, as his rink lost 5-4 to Sweden in the men’s curling final.
“It’s a complete honour, I did not expect anything like this coming into the Games,” said Mouat, ahead of the ceremony which is scheduled to start at midday UK time.
“Yesterday when I got told, with the entire emotion of the day, it just completely overwhelmed me.
“I believe it’ll be the biggest moment of my life to carry that flag. I thought the medal yesterday was going to be the highlight of the Games, but now it will be carrying that flag tonight.
“I’m in awe of the other athletes that we’ve had here. It’s been awesome to watch them compete.”
Earlier in the Games Mouat and Jennifer Dodds missed out on a mixed curling medal, having headed to Beijing as world champions.
Edinburgh-born Mouat, 27, has also competed in three men’s World Championships, five mixed doubles World Championships and two European Championships.
Bruce Mouat chosen to be Great Britain’s closing ceremony flagbearer
The Scot won a men’s curling team silver medal on Saturday when GB lost to Sweden in the final.
Eve Muirhead had ‘dreamed of’ gold medal moment for years
Emotions run high for Eve Muirhead after taking the gold. Here’s what she had to say following that curling final:
“This is a moment I dreamed of as a young child. Having lost two semi-finals then come through that great battle against Sweden, we knew this was an opportunity we might never get again.
“It has definitely been a rollercoaster journey for the whole team. From not finishing the top six at the world championships, we had to come back and it was hard.
“There were times I wanted to throw my shoes in the cupboard and never get them out again. But we all came back and got this new team together and came through the Europeans and the qualifiers.
“There have been ups and downs, there have been a couple of positive tests, but here we are, five very healthy girls with gold medals around our necks.
“It was emotional, for sure. I managed to hold it in until the flag was getting raised – it’s a moment that I’ve been waiting for for so many years.
“I’ve been close so many times but I just haven’t been over the line. The girls have helped me become a better curler and they’ve also helped me become a better person. Without them, I wouldn’t be here and it’s such an incredible, incredible moment.”
Eve Muirhead claims Beijing gold to live Olympic dream at fourth time of asking
Appearing at four Olympic Games is some feat, one few achieve but managed this year by Eve Muirhead - and it ended in the best way possible, with her curling team claiming gold.
Here’s a look back at how Muirhead has fared across her four campaigns on Olympic ice, starting all the way back at Vancouver 2010.
Eve Muirhead claims Beijing gold to live Olympic dream at fourth time of asking
British curling captain Muirhead has finally become a Winters champion after four campaigns on the ice.
Eve Muirhead leads Great Britain to first gold medal at Winter Olympics in women’s curling
If you missed it overnight and are just waking up to the news Team GB finally claimed a gold medal, it’s all thanks to the women’s curling team:
Eve Muirhead led Great Britain to their first gold medal at the Winter Olympics after a superb 10-3 victory over Japan in the women’s curling final.
The Team GB skip, alongside Vicky Wright, Jennifer Dodds and Hailey Duff, also secured a first curling gold medal in 20 years.
Muirhead played a pivotal role after executing a fine shot in the seventh end to take out Japan’s only stone in the house to snatch four points, stretching their lead to 8-2.
And it proved too much for Fujisawa Satsuki’s team and served as redemption for Muirhead after Team GB lost against the same opposition in the bronze medal match from PyeongChang 2018.
The victory matched the joint-biggest winning margin in a final since the sport was reintroduced in 1998.
Full report from Jack Rathborn:
Great Britain win first gold medal at Winter Olympics in women’s curling
It is the first curling gold medal in 20 years with redemption for the Team GB skip after defeat to the same opposition in the bronze medal match at PyeongChang 2018
Team GB create history with gold medal in women’s curling at Winter Olympics
Four-time Olympic curler Jackie Lockhart tells the BBC: “Great Britain continued to come back when things weren’t working for them.
“It’s a fairy-tale story.”
Winter Olympics: Great Britain finish sixth as Germany win in four-man bobsleigh
Germany win gold led by pilot Francesco Friedrich in the four-man bobsleigh.
While it’s sixth for Brad Hall and Great Britain.
The Germans have been superb and land a double-double for Friedrich, securing the two-man and four-man events.
Compatriot Johannes Lochner and his team take silver, beating out Justin Kripps’ Canadian team.
Team GB react to winning gold medal in women’s curling
"It's a dream come true for myself, a journey to get here, to come out on top and fight, it shows how strong we are. It's a moment i'll never forget,” says Muirhead.
Wright: “It doesn’t feel real!”
Duff: “I have no idea what happened. It’s crazy, thank you to everybody who helped us get here.”
Muirhead: “It’s a moment I’ve dreamt of for so many years. The third semi-final, two I lost were hard.
“What a five we are. It’s such a special moment.”
GB’s chef de mission reveals ‘stress and strain’ of build-up to Games
Georgie Harland, GB’s chef de mission: “What a performance yesterday, those two teams, GB and Sweden, there was disappointment, silver is a hard place to finish.
“They’ve processed it, when the women won the gold, there were some tears.
“It’s been a long Games. There’s been added stress and strain. Trying to get here on the grounds. Every athlete has got to the start line.
“There are performances to build on.”
GB’s chef de mission reacts to curling gold
Georgie Harland, GB's chef de mission: "Coming to your fourth Games, what an incredible tournament, the round robin, the suspense. Coming back.
“Through the semi-final. Absolutely fantastic. We got gold with Eve and silver with Bruce. We're delighted to finish on a high. Celebrating that, the great performances of the future.
“There have been disappointing performance, I know there was a medal target set. We need to look at what happened here.
“The funding is for UK Sport. Every sport will go away and do a debrief. We will do our part to support these sports. I know people are gripped back home.
“There has been some disappointment. It’s the Games, I’ve had that chance, you get feelings like no other. You need to come here and perform. I don’t think it’s a transitional Games.
“I think there’s hope for the future.”
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