Winter Olympics 2022 - GB men beat ROC to secure hammer for curling semi-finals

Updated 16/02/2022 at 10:54 GMT

Great Britain will start the men’s curling semi-finals with the hammer - the last stone advantage at the beginning of the match - after beating the Russian Olympic Committee 8-6 to secure a top two finish with one round robin game to go at the Winter Olympics. Watch every moment of the Games on discovery+.

'Never stopped fighting' - GB's men overcome ROC for crucial curling victory

Great Britain will have the crucial hammer for the start of their men’s curling semi-final at the Winter Olympics after securing a top two finish in the round robin phase with one game to spare by beating the Russian Olympic Committee 8-6.

Bruce Mouat’s rink cannot drop lower than second, meaning they will have the last stone advantage at the beginning of their last four tie. GB are now top of the standings with one match remaining against Canada. First will play fourth, with second taking on third, meaning Britain are currently on course to face the USA - the only team they have lost to.

Mouat admitted that it was a struggle to bounce back from the mixed doubles, where he and Jen Dodds failed to turn a semi-final appearance into a medal earlier in the Games.

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"I'm very happy with where I am right now both physically and mentally. It was pretty rough after the mixed doubles," said Mouat.

"I was pretty happy to have the day off afterwards and I spent a fair bit of time speaking with our sports psychologist, I was pretty down and I didn't sleep much.

"They really helped me to refocus and regroup. They reminded me how much I loved curling and what it means to be playing at the Olympics and living my dream."

GB showed why having the hammer is so crucial at the start of their game with the ROC, taking three from the opening end. Grant Hardie placed a red stone right on the button with the 12th throw of the end and Mouat followed that up with a take-out of a Russian stone and a well placed draw with his last go, to help GB go 3-0 up.

ROC got on the board in the second end, as skip Sergei Glukhov drew expertly on to a red stone to secure one, but Britain restored their three-stone advantage in the third. Glukhov did well to limit the damage with a successful double take-out as he threw his last stone, but Mouat had an empty house to aim for an easy draw.

The task was to get more difficult for the Russians in the fourth. Hammy McMillan’s opening throw for GB was landed right on the centre and it was never dislodged. Anton Kalalb drew a stone on to the British rock, but it was still GB who had the advantage. That began a tactical battle of guard and counter-guard, but ROC could not get through and Britain achieved a steal to go 5-1 up.

It was an uphill battle for the Russians, who were not able to take full advantage of having the hammer, and they were again limited to one in the fifth to go into half-time 5-2 down.

GB were not in a position where they had to force the match and Mouat played a sensible sixth end, taking one with a successful one stone take out.

ROC were being frustrated by Britain but they were keeping themselves in the match and Glukhov’s patience was rewarded in the seventh, delivering two stones into the centre of the house to reduce the deficit to two.

Now the match was into the business end, GB were looking to wrap it up early and they brought head coach David Murdoch down for a time-out in the eighth, with the Sochi 2014 silver medallist urging his rink not to take any risks - rather than go for broke in an attempt to take three or four.

With four stones remaining, GB had a one stone on the button but Glukhov had two either side of it. Mouat removed a guard, but ROC responded to put another in the centre, meaning they were set for three. But Mouat was successful with a promotion take-out to secure one for a 7-4 lead.

ROC would not give up and they manoeuvred themselves into a decent position in the penultimate end and Glukhov kept the game alive with two - but GB would go into the final end with the last stone and with a one point advantage.

GB just needed to avoid conceding to win the match and it was all leading up to Mouat's final stone. The British skip delivered a perfect take-out of a Russian stone to take one and wrap up an 8-6 victory.

"I don't feel any extra pressure, we're not thinking about being medallists, we've got a couple more games to win," added Mouat.

"We'll be throwing everything at it to get Team GB that medal. We're just enjoying playing together and loving the experience."

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