Olympic curling champion Eve Muirhead retires
Skip of Team Muirhead announced her retirement from the sport after leading her women's team to Great Britain’s sole gold medal at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.
Curling
Beijing 2022 champion Eve Muirhead announced her retirement from the sport of curling on Thursday (11 August)
The Scot was skip of the Great Britain women's team who claimed Team GB's only gold medal in China in February.
Muirhead is reigning Winter Olympic, world, and European champion, and revealed her decision on social media.
"I have made the hardest decision of my life to hang up my curling shoes and retire," the 32-year-old posted on Twitter.
Muirhead competed in four Winter Olympic competitions, and also won bronze at the Sochi 2014 Games.
She won her first world title in 2013, is a three-time European women's team champion, claimed European mixed team gold too, and "completed the set" with her fourth major title by winning gold in the World Mixed Doubles Curling championships alongside Scottish teammate Bobby Lammie in April.
"Retiring from curling as a current European, World, and Olympic champion is something I've always dreamed of, and I am signing off with a huge smile on my face," she added in a press release.
“I always dreamed of winning all three and to do it all in one season was amazing. To bow out at this stage is definitely the right time."
"With regards to what's next... I'm looking forward to exploring more opportunities and getting my golf clubs out... but watch this space!"
Muirhead's vice-skip Vicky Wright retired from Curling in May aged 28, to return to her role as a nurse in the NHS.
They won Beijing 2022 gold alongside teammates Jennifer Dodds, Hailey Duff, and alternate Mili Smith.
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There was an expectation that Beijing 2022 might be a golden one for Britain’s female curlers after they clinched the European Championship title last December representing Scotland.
However, a topsy-turvy round-robin showing in China by Team Muirhead duly reminded them, and hopeful British fans, that when it comes to Olympic curling, nothing is promised to anyone.
On the final day of the Games, just a few hours after Team GB’s men’s rink won silver in their final against Sweden, Muirhead and team stepped up to bring home gold, defeating Japan 10-3 in the final.