Curling: Heartbreak as Team GB Lose Men’s Olympic Gold to Canada in Tense 9-6 Final

Bruce Mouat’s rink left Cortina with a silver medal after a 9-6 defeat by Canada in a tightly fought curling final, a result that again denies Britain a men’s Olympic gold and prolongs a 102-year wait. The loss matters because it repeats the narrow heartbreak of the previous Games and because this team arrived in Italy as world champions and favourites.

Team GB line-up and expectations

The Scottish quartet of Bruce Mouat, Grant Hardie, Hammy McMillan and Bobby Lammie, with alternate Kyle Waddell, arrived in Cortina as world champions and were widely fancied to take gold. They left as silver medallists for the second successive Olympics, having also been beaten in the final four years earlier in Beijing.

Curling final: how the ends unfolded

Canada finished the round-robin stage ahead of Great Britain and therefore had the hammer to open the final, but GB limited that first end to a single point and then claimed two in the second. Canada recovered to lead 3-2 after the third end before Britain levelled after four. At the halfway mark Canada had had the hammer three times but only led 4-3 after the fifth end, the scoreline shaped in part by a missed opportunity from Brad Jacobs when he failed to blank the end to retain the hammer.

Mouat produced a pivotal double takeout in the sixth to put GB ahead 5-4. Canada levelled at 5-5 after the seventh, but momentum remained with Britain until a crucial eighth end in which GB missed shots and managed only a single point. With Britain clinging to a 6-5 lead and Canada holding the hammer in the penultimate end, Canada converted a four-on offer into three points in the ninth to move 8-6 ahead. Britain had the hammer in the 10th; Mouat spun in a strong stone that removed two Canadian counters, but Canada answered and closed out a 9-6 victory on the final stone of the match.

Key sequences and turning points

• Second end: Britain took two to build an early edge.
• Sixth end: Mouat’s double takeout put GB 5-4 up.
• Eighth end: missed shots from GB reduced their margin and shifted momentum.
• Ninth end: Canada took three to establish an 8-6 lead going into the final end.
• Tenth end: Mouat’s late shot removed two opponents but Canada seized the last-moment advantage to secure gold.

Emotions, context and recent form

The defeat was emotionally raw. Two British players were left in tears after the final. Grant Hardie described himself as heartbroken and reflected on the lingering pain from the loss in the last final against Sweden, which had prompted thoughts of retirement for some. Hammy McMillan said recovering from the prior silver had taken him a long time and implied this will take longer still.

Mouat was tear-choked and said he felt in shock, believing his team had been the better side. He has now played in four Olympic medal matches across the mixed doubles and men’s events at two Games and has come away on the losing side in each. He also signalled his intention to continue to the next Olympics in France, stating he wants to carry on, while acknowledging he and his teammates have not yet had a full conversation about their collective plans.

Road here and wider narratives

The past 10 days in Italy were not straightforward for Mouat’s rink. They were on the brink of a shock early exit as recently as Thursday but recovered to guarantee a medal after an epic semi-final win over Switzerland the same day. Mouat had even referred to that semi-final victory as their gold medal in the moment. This final loss was the second time the Canadians had beaten GB in five days; the teams had met earlier in the tournament in a round-robin game that GB led after six ends before slipping to a 9-5 defeat that left them dependent on other results.

Statistical and achievement details have been framed differently in the build-up: the team’s résumé cited two World Championships and a couple of European crowns plus a reported record of 12 Grand Slam titles since the last Games in one account, while other coverage listed two world championships, two European championships and four Grand Slam events. What is clear across all accounts is that this group has dominated their sport since the last Olympics and arrived in Cortina believing it was their time.

Atmosphere and wider fallout

The Cortina Ice Arena crowd followed the drama breathlessly. Bands of Scottish fans had travelled to support the team, with chants and even bagpipes audible in the stadium as tension grew through the match. Canada’s own campaign in Cortina had been described as tumultuous at times amid claims of cheating, a subplot that shadowed their route to gold.

What happens next

Great Britain must settle for their fourth medal of these Olympics but will again wonder about the near miss in men’s curling and the continuation of a 102-year wait for Olympic gold in the event. The team have signalled varying futures: Mouat intends to continue towards France, while the long-term plans of Hardie, McMillan and Lammie remain to be decided in conversation among the four. Recent updates indicate those discussions are pending and details may evolve.