Germany men qualify for Sochi 2014

There were two places at next year's Olympics available from the competition with the winner between the first and second-placed teams sealing automatic progression with the loser left to play the tie-breaker between the third and fourth-placed sides.

And the tension between Germany and Czech Republic appeared to show with the teams drawing 1-1 after four ends before Felix Schulze secured three points in the fifth to hand Germany a 4-1 lead.

The Czechs gradually hit back, tying the game in the tenth to force the extra end but it was Schulze who again maintained his composure with his final stone to take the 7-4 win.

German skip John Jahr said: "That was really exciting. It looked easy after five or six ends but then we made mistakes and we rolled too far in the tenth, so it was an extra end, last shot. But it's really good now.

"We lost two games at the start and we were at the bottom, but we got it together in the next games. "For the German Curling Federation, it's really important. They said we had to be at the Olympics to be recognised here in Germany."

Czech Republic will face the USA for the final Olympics spot after the Americans defeated Korea 7-5 in the tie-breaker to take third place.

Meanwhile in the women's event, Norway kept their qualification hopes alive when they came from behind to seal a 5-4 win over Germany in the 3v4 tie-breaker game.

The Norwegians will face the loser of either China or Japan, who compete in the 1v2 game, for the second women's spot.