Disappointment for Team GB curlers

Feb 26 2010 by Gordon Bannerman, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

THE post-mortem is under way after Britain’s curlers failed to deliver medal success in Vancouver, writes Gordon Bannerman.

Three times world junior champion Eve Muirhead and reigning world champion David Murdoch were under intense pressure to impress at the Winter Olympics after a four-year countdown to the Canadian competition.

But, with the British Olympic Association and the Scottish Institute of Sport bankrolling the medal bids to the tune of £1.2 million over the last four years, the Scots skips and their support teams are now facing an inquest after failing to reach the play-offs.

Perth’s Russell Keiller, who coached Rhona Martin to her famous gold medal win in Salt Lake City, admitted it was a disappointing campaign for both teams.

He said: “Obviously David went in with great expectations and it is a huge blow not reaching the semi-finals. At times I didn’t think he was the usual David Murdoch. But the Olympic Games brings unique pressure. He was let down by key shots. Ironically, I thought they were at their best in losing out to the Canadians. They were very unfortunate with that one.

“Eve got off to a great start in beating China but defeats to Japan and America were very costly. You have to remember she is only 19 and while the Olympics is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most people, she has plenty years ahead of her at the top level. She will have a chance to reflect after the Scottish championships in Perth but Eve should start preparing now for the next Games in Russia four years down the line.”

Murdoch and his rink, coached by Perth’s David Hay and including Pete Smith and fifth man Graeme Connal, threatened to mirror previous championships by squeezing into the final four and going for gold. But they lost to Norway and their dream died with a painful 7-6 extra-end tie-breaker defeat to Sweden, who had beaten Team GB in the opening match.

They were left in fifth place, having finished in fourth spot in Turin in 2006.

Murdoch was devastated, admitting: “It’s heart-breaking. That’s the worst thing possible as far as this team’s concerned. We just put ourselves in the position that every game mattered.

“In the game against Switzerland, our shot curls another inch and we’re in the semi-final. From that point on, we were pretty much backs to the wall.

“For the last two years we’ve trained six days a week and practised as much as we can. We came into this event as world champions – a great position. Sometimes weeks just don’t go for you and this week just didn’t go for us at all”.

Sweden joined Canada, Norway and Switzerland in competing for the medals.

Blair Atholl’s Muirhead (19) – pictured – was also left counting the cost of crucial errors at key stages of high-pressure matches. Her team finished with three wins and six defeats, well short of the results anticipated. Struggling with her draw weight again, Eve signed off with a 6-5 defeat to the Canadians, who advanced with Switzerland, Sweden and China.After five dispiriting defeats on the spin, having seen off the Chinese on day one, Muirhead was brutally honest in her assessment, stating: “I feel bad. I feel I’ve let me team down and I feel I’ve let a lot of people at home down too. I’m a perfectionist and I get annoyed when shots don’t come off.“At the end of the day it’s only another Championships, and hopefully I’ll have many more to come, but I’ve had the experience of a lifetime.”– pictured – was also left counting the cost of crucial errors at key stages of high-pressure matches. Her team finished with three wins and six defeats, well short of the results anticipated.

Struggling with her draw weight again, Eve signed off with a 6-5 defeat to the Canadians, who advanced with Switzerland, Sweden and China.

After five dispiriting defeats on the spin, having seen off the Chinese on day one, Muirhead was brutally honest in her assessment, stating: “I feel bad. I feel I’ve let me team down and I feel I’ve let a lot of people at home down too. I’m a perfectionist and I get annoyed when shots don’t come off.

“At the end of the day it’s only another Championships, and hopefully I’ll have many more to come, but I’ve had the experience of a lifetime.”