Team GB claim dramatic Olympic semi-final place in women’s curling

Great Britain’s women’s curling team squeezed through to the semi-finals at the Winter Olympics after polishing off a 9-4 win over the Russian Olympic Committee team in their final group match.

Eve Muirhead’s team needed to win and hope two other results went their way in order to secure progression to the last four. Wins for Sweden, who overcame Korea in the last match of the session to finish, and Canada took the last two places down to the draw-shot challenge – an average of the accuracy of each team’s last stone draw in every match – and saw Team GB secure third place ahead of Japan, with Canada eliminated.

It means Muirhead’s team will face second-placed Sweden in the semi-finals on Friday.

“We had to win that game today and that was the first thing we went out there to do,” Muirhead told BBC Sport. “We fought our hearts out, nothing was in our control apart from our own game. Of course, we maybe had one eye on the other games but I see we managed to get a semi-final spot from a centimetre on the draw shot.”

Muirhead reached the last four in Pyeongchang four years ago but is aiming for her team, as well as the men, to go further this time out.

“I was in this position in 2018 as well, in the semi-final, and I want to do one better,” she added. “I’m very proud of this team, we have got a great chance out there, as a team we have played well all week.

“I can’t wait to get out there tomorrow night and of course we will be supporting the boys tonight in their semi-final and lets hope we can all do Great Britain proud.”

Britain’s men’s team take on the United States in the semi-finals later on Thursday.