Winter Olympics 2022 women's curling final result: Team GB win gold medal as Eve Muirhead skips rink to glory

Team GB’s women curlers have won the gold medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing with a comprehensive 10-3 victory over Japan.

Skippered by Eve Muirhead, the all-Scottish rink of the 31-year-old from Perth, Vicky Wright, Jen Dodds and Hailey Duff were far too strong for their Japanese counterparts, with all four Brits playing at a high standard.

It is the first time the women’s curlers have taken gold since 2002, when Rhona Howie guided her rink to glory in Salt Lake City.

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Japan had been expected to put up stern resistance, but their quartet of skipper Satsuki Fujisawa, Chinami Yoshida, Yurika Yoshida and Yumi Suzuki made too many mistakes and buckled under intense pressure from the Brits. This was the joint-biggest winning margin in a final since the sport was reintroduced to the Olympics in 1998.

Winter Olympic curling gold medallists Britains Mili Smith, Hailey Duff, Jennifer Dodds, Vicky Wright and Eve Muirhead pose on the podium after their victory over Japan.Winter Olympic curling gold medallists Britains Mili Smith, Hailey Duff, Jennifer Dodds, Vicky Wright and Eve Muirhead pose on the podium after their victory over Japan.
Winter Olympic curling gold medallists Britains Mili Smith, Hailey Duff, Jennifer Dodds, Vicky Wright and Eve Muirhead pose on the podium after their victory over Japan.

Beijing 2022 is Muirhead’s fourth Olympics and while she claimed bronze in 2014 in Sochi, she finally got her hands on a gold medal with a captain’s display full of leadership and purpose. She has had to battle back from hip surgery and previous heartbreaks to get to this moment.

The achievement for this group of women is made all the more impressive given that the rink was only recently assembled and Wright, Dodds and Duff were making their debuts at the Olympics. Their qualification for the Games was not straightforward, but they hit top gear when it really mattered in Beijing, with Muirhead’s three team-mates supporting her with strong displays in the final.

The victory caps off a successful curling campaign for Team GB, with the men taking the silver medal 24 hours earlier after defeat by Sweden in their final.

What they had to say?

From left, Britain's Jennifer Dodds, Britain's Eve Muirhead, Britain's Hailey Duff and Britain's Vicky Wright celebrate after winning the women's gold medal game of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games.From left, Britain's Jennifer Dodds, Britain's Eve Muirhead, Britain's Hailey Duff and Britain's Vicky Wright celebrate after winning the women's gold medal game of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games.
From left, Britain's Jennifer Dodds, Britain's Eve Muirhead, Britain's Hailey Duff and Britain's Vicky Wright celebrate after winning the women's gold medal game of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games.

Dodds said in the immediate aftermath of the final: "I don't think it is going to sink in for a while. I am so proud of the way these girls played in the final.

"We grew in confidence with every game. Thanks to our family and friends. They know how much this means to us."

Team-mate Duff added: "We just focused on what we needed to do."

How it all unfolded

From left, Jennifer Dodds, Eve Muirhead, Vicky Wright and Hailey Duff of Team Great Britain talk through a shot during the final.From left, Jennifer Dodds, Eve Muirhead, Vicky Wright and Hailey Duff of Team Great Britain talk through a shot during the final.
From left, Jennifer Dodds, Eve Muirhead, Vicky Wright and Hailey Duff of Team Great Britain talk through a shot during the final.

The teams were welcomed on to the ice at the National Aquatics Centre by a Chinese pipe band as the pre-match formalities were concluded ahead of the first stone.

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Great Britain started with the hammer, so the Japanese began the first end on Sheet B.

Understandably, both teams looked a little nervous, but it was the Brits who got on the scoreboard first, claiming two shots as Wright and Muirhead both delivered excellent stones.

Japan pinched the second end 1-0, while there was no score in the third end as Muirhead’s team took the hammer into the fourth.

Japan's Yumi Suzuki, Satsuki Fujisawa, Yurika Yoshida and Chinami Yoshida were overpowered by the Brits.Japan's Yumi Suzuki, Satsuki Fujisawa, Yurika Yoshida and Chinami Yoshida were overpowered by the Brits.
Japan's Yumi Suzuki, Satsuki Fujisawa, Yurika Yoshida and Chinami Yoshida were overpowered by the Brits.

Muirhead had the chance to take two shots in the fourth end, but her final effort – not an easy stone – had too much weight and GB had to settle for one and a 3-1 lead going into the fifth end.

A tense fifth end went right to the wire, with Fujisawa spurning the opportunity for two as team GB stole a point and have a 4-1 advantage at the halfway stage.

Both teams made mistakes in the sixth end. Britain had the initiative, only for Muirhead’s last stone going too deep, but Japan only managed to take one when two were on offer as the Brits held a 4-2 lead.

Japan were now coughing up errors, with Chinami Yoshida not getting her throws right, and Muirhead called the first time-out of the final towards the end of the seventh end as she sensed victory. Her instinct proved correct as another mistake from Fujisawa opened the door for Muirhead to remove one red stone and leave four yellows in the house. She took full advantage and Team GB had an 8-2 lead with three ends remaining.

Japan were well and truly on the ropes and while Fujisawa and Co tried to rally, they could only take one shot in the eighth end and needing a miracle to peg back the Brits.

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Team GB did not let any complacency creep into the ninth end and fired the final nail in Japan’s coffin with two stones to take an unassailable 10-3 lead.

The handshakes came and the British team embraced on the ice as they etched their names into curling history.

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