In a dramatic turnaround at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, Team GB's women's curling team delivered a stunning upset by defeating world champions and gold medal favourites Canada. This victory marks Britain's first win in the competition, revitalising their campaign after initial setbacks.
Historic Win Against the Odds
Team GB entered the women's curling event without a victory, having suffered defeats to China and South Korea in their opening matches. However, they stamped their authority on Saturday morning with a resilient performance against Canada, who are two-time world champions and widely tipped for Olympic gold. The British squad, defending champions from Beijing, showcased exceptional skill and determination to secure this crucial win.
Team Dynamics and Strategy
Sophie Jackson, a key player for Team GB, highlighted the team's improved performance in the second half of the game. "We just turned our second half into what the first half has been for all of the games, really," she said. "All four of us shot really well and they had an absolutely amazing game. More of the same, please. We'll go and debrief, talk about what was different in that game and make sure we carry that forward into the rest of the tournament."
The team features Jennifer Dodds, the sole remaining member from the gold-winning lineup in Beijing, following the retirement of previous skip Eve Muirhead. Dodds is aiming to bounce back after missing out on a medal in the mixed curling competition alongside Bruce Mouat earlier in the Games.
Canada's Olympic Struggles
Despite their formidable reputation, Canada's skip Rachel Homan has faced challenges at the Olympics. Homan participated in the past two Games, with her women's team winning only four of nine matches in 2018, failing to qualify for the semi-finals. In 2022, she competed in mixed doubles with John Morris but also missed the cut. Canada last won a women's team gold in 2014 under skip Jennifer Jones and recently suffered a loss to the United States on Friday, their first Olympic defeat to their neighbours.
Other Tournament Highlights
In other matches, Silvana Tirinzoni's Switzerland, who had won their first two games, fell 7-5 to Sayaka Yoshimura's Japan. Hosts Italy endured their third consecutive defeat, losing 8-7 to China. The round-robin stage consists of nine matches per team, with the top four advancing to the semi-finals next week.
Additional reporting from Reuters.
