Curling: Heartbreak for Team GB as Canada Seal Men’s Olympic Gold on Last Stone

Bruce Mouat's men’s curling rink finished as silver medallists after a 9-6 defeat to Canada in the Olympic gold-medal match, a result that denied Team GB a first men's Olympic gold in more than a century and left the squad bereft after another agonising final. The loss continued a recent pattern of narrow Olympic disappointment for the Scottish quartet.

Curling final: how the match unfolded

Canada overtook Great Britain in the ninth end to build the margin that proved decisive, taking the match 9-6. Canada had the hammer for the first end because they finished the round-robin ahead of GB; GB limited that opening end to one, then calmly took two in the second. Canada moved ahead 3-2 after the third before Britain clawed back to level after four ends.

By the halfway mark Canada had had the hammer three times but led only 4-3 after a missed opportunity from Brad Jacobs to blank the fifth end and retain the hammer. Mouat then produced a double takeout in the sixth to pick up two and put GB 5-4 ahead. Canada levelled at 5-5 after seven, and a crucial eighth end yielded just one for GB, leaving them 6-5 with Canada holding the hammer in the penultimate end.

Canada, with a four on offer, took three in the ninth to go into the final end 8-6. Britain held the hammer in the 10th; Mouat spun in an excellent stone with his second-to-last throw, knocking away two, but Canada responded strongly to seize back ascendancy and finish 9-6.

Team GB line-up, form and tournament path

The GB rink comprised Bruce Mouat, Grant Hardie, Hammy McMillan and Bobby Lammie, with Kyle Waddell listed as alternate. They arrived in Cortina as world champions and pre-match favourites, having won two World Championships and a variety of European and Grand Slam honours during the intervening years. The team left the Games as silver medallists for the second successive Olympics, unable to end a 102-year wait for a men’s Olympic curling gold.

The run to the final was not straightforward: the squad was on the brink of a shock early exit as recently as Thursday but recovered to guarantee at least a medal after an epic semi-final win over Switzerland. Earlier in the tournament they had also lost a round-robin meeting to Canada, slipping from a lead after six ends to a 9-5 reverse that left them dependent on other results.

Key moments and tactical turning points

• Second end: GB’s two points established an early platform.
• Fifth end: Brad Jacobs missed a blank attempt that would have retained the hammer for Canada; the miss left Canada leading only 4-3 at the halfway mark.
• Sixth end: Mouat’s double takeout produced an unlikely two and put GB ahead 5-4.
• Eighth end: GB’s single point left the door open for Canada.
• Ninth end: Canada capitalised on slack stones to score three and move 8-6 clear going into the 10th.
• Tenth end: Mouat’s excellent spin knocked away two, but Canada’s response clinched the gold and the 9-6 final score.

Reactions, emotions and future plans

Emotion was raw in Cortina. Two of the British players were left in tears after the final. Grant Hardie described himself as heartbroken and referenced the pain of losing that same match four years earlier; Hammy McMillan said it would likely take longer to get over this second silver. Mouat was tear-choked and said he felt in shock, that he and his teammates felt they had been the better team, and that he was trying to keep perspective on being an Olympian.

Mouat indicated he intends to continue to the next Olympics in France and answered affirmatively when asked if he would carry on, but he said the group had not yet had a full conversation about whether the same four would return, and he was unsure whether his three teammates would join him. Grant Hardie has spoken in the past about contemplating retirement after the previous Olympic final loss to Sweden; the pain from four years ago was cited by players as part of the motivation to return and try again.

Wider context: rivalries, records and off-ice stories

The Scottish quartet have dominated much of the sport since the last Games, with multiple world and European crowns. Different accounts in the tournament commentary note two World Championships, a pair of European titles, and both a run of Grand Slam success described alternatively as four grand slam events and as a record 12 Grand Slam titles since the last Games. The team also boast a strong head-to-head record with Canada, including a win in last year’s world semi-final, though Canada’s time-served rink managed a rare round-robin win earlier in the week.

Brad Jacobs is identified as a 2014 gold-medallist and the Canadian rink has endured a tumultuous time at these Games amid cheating claims; nevertheless, Canada celebrated victory over GB in Cortina. The match, played in the Cortina Ice Arena, unfolded in front of breathless crowds, with Scottish fans who had travelled to Italy singing chants and, at times, even hearing bagpipes and a rendition of Loch Lomond from the stands.

Recent updates indicate this is the second successive Olympic silver for Mouat’s rink and that the 102-year wait for a men’s Olympic curling gold remains unbroken. Details may evolve as the team and individuals reflect on the result and their plans.