Great Britain's Eve Muirhead hails "strength and determination" to win Olympic women's curling gold at Beijing 2022

Team GB dominated the gold medal match against Japan in Beijing to top the podium for the first time at these Olympic Winter Games.

3 minBy James Pratt
GettyImages-1371644280 (1)

(2022 Getty Images)

Great Britain won the gold medal in women’s curling event at Beijing 2022, with a dominant performance against Japan in the final.

Eve Muirhead's GB team led from the first end of the gold medal match, and continued that form throughout to win by a score of 10-3 and top the podium.

It ends a long campaign for the British team, who came through the qualifying event to book their spot at these Winter Olympics, and made it all the way to the final, more than 30 hours in total.

"It’s 30 hours of curling that have been definitely worth it," Muirhead told Olympics.com following the final.

"Of course during the week there is times when you think you’re not going to make it, but as a team we’ve showed so much strength and determination and here we are, on the podium with our gold medals."

It's a second Winter Games medal for Scottish skip Muirhead, who also won Sochi 2014 bronze.

Japan's Team Fujisawa Satsuki - known fondly as ‘Loco Solare’ after their home curling club - take the silver, after beating GB to bronze at PyeongChang 2018.

"It was not our day today," skip Fukisawa shared.

"But I'm so proud of our team. I had a great time this week. And I am happy to have the medal."

The Curling title is the first gold medal of Beijing 2022 for Great Britain.

The British male team led by Bruce Mouat fell short against Sweden in Saturday's men’s final and finished with silver. Muirhead had words of encouragement for her male colleagues: “The boys did phenomenal.

"I want those guys to be very proud of getting that silver medal. They’re a young team. They’re a fantastic team. They got beaten by who I think is the greatest curler in the world – with five world titles, and I think seven Europeans and now an Olympic Gold medal.

"Niklas Eden [the Sweden skip] is incredible. But those boys will be back, they’ve got so much strength. They’re so good. And I hope they’re very proud of getting that silver around their neck – it was a great honor watching them."

It's also a first gold medal in the sport for Britain since Rhona Howie, then known as Rhona Martin, who won Britain’s last curling gold at Salt Lake City 2002 as recalled in the Olympic Channel documentary film 'A Brilliant Curling Story'.

More from