Winter Olympics 2022 - Flawless Italy cap unbeaten run with curling gold in mixed doubles as Norway settle for silver

Updated 08/02/2022 at 15:47 GMT

Italy have their first ever Olympic medal in curling after Stefania Constantini and Amos Mosaner kept up their undefeated run by beating Norwegian pair Kristin Skaslien and Magnus Nedregotten 8-5 in the mixed doubles. The Italian duo were almost perfect and it was one-way traffic for most of the final as they avenged their World Cup quarter-final defeat to Norway.

'Stupendi!' - Italian commentators go wild as country claim stunning curling gold

Italy's mixed doubles team remained unbeaten on their way to Olympic curling gold with a dominant performance over Norway.

Stefania Constantini and Amos Mosaner made it 11 straight wins with a 8-5 win in the final over Norwegians Kristin Skaslien and Magnus Nedregotten, who could not replicate the kind of form shown against Team GB in the semi-final.

And there were huge applause from the Italian contingent as the nation secured their first ever curling medal with gold.

Beijing 2022

Grainger vows Team GB will improve after Beijing disappointment

27/02/2022 at 16:04

Skaslien and Nedregotten scored twice in the first end and stole an end off Italy, but Constantini and Mosaner responded in kind in the second to level the score at 2-2.

In a fabulous third end, a mistake from Skaslien saw Norway catch the guard stone, with Italy bumping their own red stone backwards onto the button.

And for the first time in the match the Italians took the lead with a steal off Norway before it went from bad to worse for Nedregotten and Skaslien in the fourth end.

Constantini found the button with a perfect final stone from the Italians and Skaslien, trying to bump the guard stone into the button, missed completely to hand Italy three points and a 6-2 lead at the halfway point.

Unsurprisingly, Norway used their power play in the fifth end but the duo appeared nervous as Mosaner continued to throw perfectly and head off Norway at every angle.

But hope remained as Skaslien drew the button with the hammer and reduced the deficit to three.

In the sixth end the brilliant Constantini swerved the guard stone to land on the four foot line and Nedregotten could only bump them onto the button as the Norwegians continued to wobble.

A truly brilliant shot from Nedregotten that edged past the Italian guard stone drew loud applause, and a rare mistake from Mosaner gave the Norwegians a huge chance for a steal.

But once again the Italians came out on top, bumping Norway off the button and earning a point for a 7-3 lead.

It was much better from Norway in the seventh end as the Italians played defensively by putting a guard up with their last stone, a tactic that backfired as Skaslien and Nedregotten scored twice for 7-5. But the Italians knew, with their power play intact, that they were favourites for the gold.

Mosaner wasted two stones and Nedregotten over swept with both sides visibly nervous, but one more perfect throw from Constantini gave Italy their first ever curling medal.

- - -

Watch every moment of Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 on discovery+

Beijing 2022