Mens Curling Final now set as GB beat Switzerland to reach Olympic gold match
Great Britain reached the mens curling final after beating unbeaten Switzerland 8-5 in Cortina, guaranteeing Team GB a medal and setting up a gold-medal game against Canada on Saturday at 18: 05 GMT (1: 05 p. m. ET).
Mens Curling Final: GB to meet Canada in Saturday's gold match
The British quartet of Bruce Mouat, Grant Hardie, Hammy McMillan and Bobby Lammie — the reigning world champions — produced the result that guarantees Team GB's fourth medal of these Games. They had scraped into the knockout rounds only after Italy lost on Thursday morning, but overturned that precarious route to the semis by seeing off Yannick Schwaller's previously unbeaten Swiss side 8-5.
How Mouat's shot swung the semi-final
The match shifted in the later ends. Switzerland took two in the second end, and Mouat drew to level in the third, but the British began to turn the game in the sixth when they stole an end after Switzerland missed a hammer shot. The defining moment came in the seventh when Mouat executed what curlers described as a "run back triple takeout, " a shot that turned a likely Swiss three into a much smaller result and left Switzerland having to draw for a single point. Britain then scored two in the next end to lead 6-5 going into the 10th.
Vice-skip Grant Hardie said, "It will be the biggest match of our lives and we're so excited to get that opportunity again. " Mouat, speaking after the win, called the team's target "our gold medal" as they moved within one game of the top prize.
Women squeezed out despite final-day win
Earlier in the day Britain's women lost the chance to reach the medal rounds. Rebecca Morrison's rink beat Italy 7-4 in their final round-robin match, but Switzerland was unable to beat the United States, even after coming from three down to force an extra end; that result rendered Britain's win over Italy moot and ended their run at a medal.
For the men, the victory over Switzerland also capped a week of swings: the British side had struggled through the round robin but lifted its form for the knockout matches. The Swiss had been unbeaten in pool play and arrived at the semi-final as favourites, but the combination of the sixth-end steal and Mouat's high-difficulty takeout proved decisive.
Hammy McMillan reflected on the semi-final's intensity, calling the week an "emotional rollercoaster" and praising the support from the crowd that backed the British team through tight moments. The head-to-head rivalry between Mouat and Schwaller has run for years, and the semi-final added another dramatic chapter, with Britain advancing to the gold-medal contest after an 8-5 win.
Saturday's final against Canada — scheduled for 18: 05 GMT (1: 05 p. m. ET) — is the next confirmed event for the British men, who will aim to improve on the silver medal they won at the last Games.
