Bold statement: Britain’s curlers just guaranteed a medal and delivered a comeback that will be talked about for Olympic cycles to come. But here’s where it gets controversial: did the Swiss stumble by misreading the late-game momentum, or did Britain simply torch the ring with precision when it counted most?
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Britain’s men’s curling team pulled off a dramatic late-night turnaround to reach the Olympic final, while their women’s team fell short of a spot in the medal games. At 9 a.m. on Thursday, the men didn’t know if they would advance to the semi-finals. By 9 p.m. that same day, they had defeated the previously undefeated Swiss team 8–5, earning a place in Saturday’s final against Canada. The dramatic result came after a round-robin phase that hung by a thread, with Britain advancing only because the Italian team lost to Switzerland on Thursday morning. The team had promised they would be a markedly tougher opponent in the knockout rounds, and they delivered on that vow.
Emotional is the understatement Hammy McMillan used to describe the week. “An emotional rollercoaster is probably the way to describe this whole week, never mind just that game,” he said. He admitted to being surprised by how hard Britain fought in the match, noting that they started slowly and gave the Swiss an early edge before rallying.
The match was intense and noisy, played in front of a lively crowd. Among them were enthusiastic Scottish curling fans with songs tailored for the four British players, a lone bagpiper, and even a kazoo player adding to the atmosphere. McMillan credited the fans for their energy, saying, “If they can bring that exact same energy on Saturday, it’ll spur us on.” He added that the bagpipes gave him goosebumps, a vivid reminder of the electric home support.
The turning point came in the sixth end when Britain stole a point after the Swiss vice-skip failed a tricky hammer shot. But the real highlight followed in the seventh end with a spectacular shot by Bruce Mouat. The so-called “run back triple takeout” looked almost like geometry in motion: Mouat struck one Swiss stone into another, sending the second into a third. The Swiss had expected to score at least three and take a 7–4 lead, but instead faced a desperate draw to score just one.
Mouat called it one of his best shots in competition, and his celebration included a decisive fist pump. McMillan praised Mouat, saying he’s arguably the best shotmaker in the world and that Britain’s confidence in him is unwavering as long as the team does its job. Britain went on to score two in the next end, taking a 6–5 lead into the 10th end.
The Mouat–Schwaller rivalry goes back to their World Junior days, with Schwaller initially ahead but Mouat winning more often as time has passed. Heading into this semi-final, Mouat held a 22–10 head-to-head advantage and had won their last four meetings. In April, Britain defeated Switzerland 5–4 in the World Championship final.
An important strategic moment came when the Swiss coach, the legendary Canadian curler Glenn Howard, joined the timeout huddle. Howard, a four-time world champion, helped guide Switzerland through the closing shots. Yet Mouat’s team held their nerve, and Switzerland missed their final stone, triggering wild celebrations on the British bench—so wild that Bobby Lammie nearly knocked the referee over with his raised broom.
With the win, Mouat has two more challenges to face: one final against a formidable Canada squad and, in the broader picture, a week of nonstop curling (16 days straight for Mouat at these Games). McMillan warned that the Canadian match would be tough. “We know Canada is capable of great things; we’ve played them a lot,” he said. “We beat them in the World Championship semi-final last year, and we know Saturday will be a battle. On paper, Canada has been one of the strongest teams this week, second only to Switzerland. We must bring the level we showed in the last four or five ends today for all 10 ends.” He also admitted Britain hasn’t yet produced a flawless 10-end performance this tournament, so they’ll need to elevate even further for the final.
Meanwhile, Britain’s women’s team secured a 7–4 victory over Italy, improving to 5–4 overall. They needed Switzerland to beat the United States to reach the medal contention, but Switzerland fell just short in a dramatic late finish. The US won in extra ends after a Swiss shot nearly forced an equalizing moment in regulation.
In short, Britain’s curlers fenced off a nail-biting path to a shot at Olympic glory, driven by a combination of clutch shotmaking, national pride, and a chorus of home-support energy that could power them through the final. What do you think: should Mouat and his team be favorites going into the final, or does the pressure of the moment level the playing field against Canada? Share your take in the comments.
