Winter Olympics 2022 - GB keep women’s curling semi-final hopes alive by thrashing Japan

Team GB’s women have kept alive their hopes of reaching the curling semi-finals at the Winter Olympics in Beijing, after thrashing Japan 10-4 with an end to spare. Eve Muirhead’s rink will need to beat hosts China on Wednesday and follow that up with victory over the Russian Olympic Committee to have a realistic chance of making the last four. Ad/> Both teams went into the game in a similar situation, in what was a re-match of the bronze medal tie from Pyeongchang, which Japan won.

Beijing 2022Team GB’s semi-final hopes in the balance after Canada defeat in women's curling18 HOURS AGO Beginning the match with the hammer, GB got off to a rapid start. Vicky Wright landed a throw on top of another red stone but Japan’s response was to lay up a second guard. Muirhead took one of those out, and after Satsuki Fujisawa failed with an attempt to land her final shot on the button, the British skip was able to land a take-out to put her team 3-0 up after one end.

Japan were immediately on the back foot but they were able to get on the scoreboard in the second. Some wayward shots meant there were barely any stones in the centre of the house by the closing stages of the end, but Fujisawa threw a relatively easy shot to get one back. Muirhead’s brilliant start with the hammer continued in the third, though.

With one British stone already well placed, Wright put another awkward stone to defend at the back of the house — meaning Japan had something to think about. Muirhead was able to knock her stone into a better position in her penultimate shot and she delivered another on the button to earn another three, meaning they were suddenly 6-1 up after three ends. GB’s hopes of achieving a steal in the fourth were over quite early, and