Dumfries and Galloway curlers taste medal glory at Beijing Winter Olympics

Vicky Wright is one of Team GB’s golden girls after a scintillating Winter Olympics.

The Dumfries-born curler, who works as a nurse when she isn’t on the ice, was part of Eve Muirhead’s victorious Great Britain women’s team which won gold in Beijing.

They were able to sweep aside Japan 10-3 in the early hours of Sunday morning to win Team GB’s first gold medal of the games and their first in curling for 20 years.

Wright told Eurosport after the final: “We were really confident going into that game and prepared the exact same way we’ve prepared for every game. We just went out and gave it our best go and here we are.”

The women’s journey to the final had been intense.

They were able to qualify for the Games at the final hurdle last year and had an up and down round robin stage in Beijing. They kept their hopes alive by beating the Russian Olympic Committee 9-4 in their final round robin game and results elsewhere went their way to set up a dramatic semi-final with Sweden.

Team GB won an incredible extra end thriller 12-11 to set up Sunday’s final with Japan which Eve Muirhead’s rink dominated.

Great Britain were victorious in the women’s final a day after Bruce Mouat’s men’s team, with Kirkgunzeon’s Grant Hardie, Stranraer duo Hammy McMillan and Bobby Lammie and Ross Whyte of Dumfries, won silver in their final against Sweden. In a tight and tense game they came up just short of Sweden who won 5-4.

Ross is in action in Dumfries this week at the Scottish Championships.