Team GB finally secure first medal of Winter Olympics as men’s curlers make final

Great Britain have finally secured their first medal of the Winter Olympics after the men’s curling team beat USA to reach the final.

Team GB’s team of Bruce Mouat, Hammy McMillan, Bobby Lammie and Grant Hardie clinched a 8-4 win over the Americans to advance to the final and guarantee at least a silver medal.

Mouat’s charge impressed in the round-robin standings – winning eight of their nine matches – and are now one win away from striking gold in Beijing.

Great Britain will face world champions Sweden in Saturday’s Olympic final, while USA drop into a bronze-medal play-off against Canada.

Team GB, who finished top of the round-robin standings with an 8-1 record, made a poor start to today’s semi-final, with USA stealing two in the second end to take an early lead.

But a sloppy third end from the Americans allowed Great Britain to bounce back immediately and score three.

Both teams took two from the next two ends, with Mouat’s team managing the fifth well to lead 5-4 at the halfway stage.

USA, who won this competition in South Korea four years ago, were unable to reduce the deficit in the next three ends, throwing in blanks as they continued to be thwarted by the Brits.

The American team decided to give away one point in the ninth end to have the hammer in the final end, but were unable to overturn their two-point deficit as Team GB advanced to the final.

Great Britain lost to their next opponents Sweden in last year’s World Championship final but beat Niklas Edin’s side in the round-robin stage in Beijing.

More to follow…

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