Great Britain's curling teams take gold and silver

Great Britain, at the final time of asking, secured the first Team GB gold medal of the Winter Olympics early Sunday 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.

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.

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.