GB curlers on brink after Canada defeat in Cortina
GB curlers on brink after Canada defeat in Cortina
GB curling faces a tough path to a medal after a 9-5 loss to Canada in Cortina, with the men and women needing big results to stay alive.
GB curling’s Olympic medal hopes were dealt a hammer blow as Mouat’s world-champion rink fell 9-5 to Canada in Cortina. The Canadians began strongly, opening a 3-1 lead after three ends, and despite GB’s fightback, the deficit proved insurmountable.
Mouat’s crew had looked the team to beat, but Canada capitalised on a momentary drop in form, seizing three in the seventh after a tense spell and swinging the momentum back in their favour. GB steadied briefly with two scores in the fourth and again in the sixth, moving into a four-point lead with two ends to play, only to be undone by the late three-spot from Canada. The final buzz of the hammer left GB with a deficit they could not overturn, leaving their hopes of upgrading their Beijing silver from 2022 in jeopardy.
The setback compounds the pressure on GB’s women, who now must beat the United States, Japan, and Italy in separate games to stand any chance of reaching the last four. The Olympic curling event remains wide open, but this result drastically narrows the path to medals for Team GB.
Beijing silver medallists have already faced a brutal schedule and high-calibre opposition in Cortina, and the team will be hoping for bounce-back performances in the days ahead as they chase a late Olympic surge.
