Team GB women’s curlers reach final to set up shot at golden Olympic weekend

Great Britain have set up the chance of a golden weekend at the Beijing Winter Olympics after the women’s curling team joined the men’s quartet in sealing passage to the final of their competition with a dramatic 12-11 extra-end win over Sweden.

Eve Muirhead’s team fell 4-0 down to the reigning champions in the opening end but bounced back with three points of their own in the second. That wild opening presaged a cagey contest which saw Sweden lead 8-7 going into the ninth end.

A superb final stone from Muirhead in that end produced four points for Great Britain and an 11-8 lead. Sweden, though, remarkably found the three points they needed in the 10th and final leg to take the tie into an extra end with the scores at 11-11.

But in that end Muirhead and her team shook off the disappointment and held their nerve, denying Sweden opportunities and sealing the win without having to throw the final stone.

“Third time lucky. I’ve lost two semi-finals before and I really was desperate for it,” Muirhead said afterwards. “All week we’ve dug deep ... I’m pretty speechless right now, but what a moment. It sounds amazing to say we are in an Olympic final.”

The GB men’s team take on their Swedish counterparts in the gold medal match at 6.50am GMT on Saturday, while Muirhead and co will face Japan at 1.05am on Sunday morning.

Sean Ingle’s report from Beijing will follow