Bruce Mouat denied again as Canada beat GB 9-6 to win men's Olympic curling gold
Canada defeated Great Britain 9-6 in the men's curling final in Cortina, leaving bruce mouat and his rink with a second successive Olympic silver and extending a 102-year wait for a British men's Olympic curling gold. The result closes a turbulent fortnight in Italy for the Scottish quartet, who arrived as world champions and favourites but fell short in the decisive ends.
Bruce Mouat and the final ends
The match turned in the ninth end when Canada scored three to move in front 8-6, a swing that proved decisive. Britain had held a slender 6-5 lead after the eighth end, but a series of slack stones in the ninth allowed Canada to seize the initiative. Mouat had the hammer for the final end and needed two points to force an extra end; his second-to-last delivery did remove two Canadian stones, but Canada produced the response that secured a 9-6 victory.
Brad Jacobs and Canada's ninth-end surge
Canada, whose rink includes 2014 Olympic champion Brad Jacobs, finished the round-robin ahead of GB and had the hammer in the opening end. The Canadians scratched back from early pressure to draw level at multiple stages, and it was their three in the ninth that ultimately snatched the match. The win was the second time in five days that Canada had beaten Team GB in Cortina; they had also beaten them earlier in the week, a 9-5 round-robin result that left Britain needing favours from other teams to keep medal hopes alive.
Cortina and Team GB's route to the podium
The Scottish quartet — Bruce Mouat, Grant Hardie, Hammy McMillan and Bobby Lammie, with alternate Kyle Waddell — were pushed hard over the past 10 days in Italy. They survived a near early elimination as recently as Thursday, recovering to win a dramatic semi-final against Switzerland that guaranteed them a medal. That victory sparked talk within the squad that gold was within reach, but the final did not go their way.
Team pedigree and the weight of expectation
The rink arrived in Cortina as reigning world champions and clear favourites, backed by two World Championship titles, a pair of European crowns and a record 12 Grand Slam titles amassed since the last Olympics. They have dominated much of the intervening period since narrowly losing the Beijing final to Sweden four years ago and carry an excellent head-to-head record against Canada, including a win in last year's world semi-final. What makes this notable is how those credentials translated into pressure as much as confidence in the closing stages.
Emotional aftermath and what it means for the team
bruce mouat was visibly emotional after the loss, saying: "I'm a bit in shock. I think we felt like we were the better team. I don't know what to say. " He reflected on the support the team received and the hope that, beyond the silver medal, their performances might inspire others to take up the sport. The team will leave Cortina as silver medallists for the second successive Olympics, still chasing a British men's Olympic curling gold that remains 102 years in the making.
Canada's campaign in Cortina has not been without controversy, with the team described as having endured a tumultuous time amid cheating claims. Despite that backdrop, they produced the crucial shots in the penultimate end to claim the title and deny Britain the top step once more.
