womens curling heartbreak: GB win but exit as USA stuns Switzerland in extra end; men's semi looms
Great Britain’s women delivered a gutsy 7-4 victory over Italy, but Japan in the figure rink and a dramatic late result elsewhere combined to deny the British a place in the knockout rounds. The morning’s shock — the United States edging Switzerland 7-6 in an extra end — left GB agonisingly eliminated. Later today Bruce Mouat’s men take the ice in the semi-finals, and a busy Day 13 schedule includes freestyle halfpipe qualifying and the women’s figure skating free skate.
Womens curling: win not enough after dramatic extra end
The GB women produced a polished performance against Italy, closing out a 7-4 victory that showcased tactical shot-making and clinical finishing. The win, however, was rendered futile by an extra-end thriller elsewhere: the United States overcame Switzerland 7-6, knocking Britain out on tiebreaking permutations and leaving players and supporters to process an immediate mix of pride and disappointment.
Emotion was raw in the aftermath. The British rink had done everything required on their sheet, but the nature of round-robin qualification — where other results can decide destiny — meant their fate hinged on a contest they could not influence. For athletes and fans who travelled despite the weather, the result was a bitter reminder of curling’s unforgiving margins.
Men’s semi-final set: Mouat’s rink to face Switzerland at 1: 35 PM ET
Bruce Mouat’s quartet have a date with Switzerland in the men’s semi-final at 1: 35 PM ET. The two teams go into the clash with a recent history of narrow, high-stakes encounters: they traded an epic extra-end battle in the round robin and met in a World Championship final last April that finished 5-4 in Britain’s favour. All of that experience will feed into tonight’s tactical chess match.
There are a couple of situational edges for the Swiss. They played earlier on the same sheet and will start with the hammer as the higher-seeded side, giving them scoreboard and ice familiarity advantages. Still, the Scottish quartet has been given a second chance and will be determined to seize it; their capacity to control the inner game and convert late ends into points will decide whether they advance to the gold-medal match.
What else matters today: halfpipe, figure skating and the medal picture
Beyond curling, Day 13 remains busy. British medal hopeful Zoe Atkin goes into the freestyle skiing women’s freeski halfpipe qualifiers at 1: 30 PM ET, with athletes contending not only with each other but with the elements: light snow returned to the site, the crowd was thinner than at peak sessions, and crews were seen clearing loose snow and repainting blue sight lines just before competition.
On the ice, the women’s figure skating free skate is underway with Japan chasing a possible clean sweep of the event. Four gold medals have already been decided on this Thursday, with two more set to be claimed before the program closes. Ice hockey also continues to command attention, with a tightly contested women’s gold-medal game between the US and Canada remaining scoreless deep into the opening period as teams trade momentum and power-play chances.
For Team GB supporters the day will be an emotional mix: celebration for performances delivered, frustration at the margins of elimination, and renewed focus on the men’s draw where a pathway to the podium remains very much open. Curling’s blend of precision, strategy and tension means fortunes can flip quickly; the semi-final at 1: 35 PM ET promises more of the tight, tactical drama that has defined this tournament.
