Winter Olympics live: Team GB scrape into men’s curling semi-finals after Italy loss
Italy lost to Switzerland ensuring Bruce Mouat’s British rink have reached this evening’s semi-finals and Team GB’s women will try to follow suit
Great Britain endured a nervy wait but eventually found out that they have reached the semi-finals of the men’s curling tournament at the Winter Olympics, after results on Thursday morning went their way.
Team GB kept their hopes of a top-four spot alive with a dominant 9-2 victory over Team USA on Wednesday afternoon, with Bruce Mouat’s rink delivering a scintillating display to remind everybody of the quality that helped make them world champions.
That was their final match of the round robin stage and they were forced to helplessly watch on to see if a top-four spot would be sealed for them – needing either Norway or Italy to lose their final match. Italy duly did that as Switzerland completed a 100 per cent record in the group stage with a 9-5 win, sending Team GB into a semi-final on Thursday evening, against the table-topping Swiss, knowing a win would guarantee them a medal.
The British women also face an uphill battle to finish inside the top four, but they snatched the most remarkable of 8-7 victories against the USA on Wednesday morning before thrashing Japan 9-3 in the evening to keep their hopes alive heading into the final set of round robin matches this afternoon, where they need to win and hope other results go their way.
Follow all the action with The Independent’s live blog below:
British winter sport funding set for radical overhaul after Milano-Cortina Olympics
Great Britain’s winter sports governing bodies could be asked to work more closely together in a bid to make limited funding stretch further.
More than £25m was invested across seven different national associations, covering 11 sports, to prepare Team GB for these Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina.
A medal range of four to eight was set by UK Sport, with Team GB’s three golds leaving them just short of the lower end target, with four days of competition and three live medal chances remaining.
By comparison, Australia invested £18m in their winter sports programme and sit just above Team GB in the medal table with six medals, including three golds.
There is a growing belief from several long-standing senior members of Britain’s high-performance sector that winter sports must collaborate more closely.
British winter sport funding set for radical overhaul after Milano-Cortina Olympics
WATCH: Australian presenter breaks silence on slurred Olympics report
An Australian presenter has apologised after going viral for her slurred speech during a Winter Olympics report.
Channel Nine journalist Danika Mason stumbled over her words during a broadcast on Wednesday, discussing iguanas and the price of coffee during a sports update.
The next morning, Mason apologised for her previous segment and said she takes “full responsibility.”
“I shouldn’t have had a drink, and especially in these conditions, it’s cold, we’ve got altitude, and not having had dinner probably didn’t help as well. It’s not the standard that I set for myself… I’m really sorry.”
Team GB to face Switzerland in men's curling semi-finals
The Canada vs Norway match has now finished as well and the Norwegians held on to secure an 8-6 victory that sends them through to the semi-finals. It also confirms the semi-final match-ups...
Great Britain will play table-topping, unbeaten Switzerland in their semi-final, knowing a win would guarantee a medal. When the teams faced off in the round robin stage, it went to an extra end and the Swiss prevailed, triumphing 6-5. Will it be that close again?
The other semi-final sees a rematch of this morning’s clash between Canada and Norway.
Both those semi-finals will take place at 6.05pm GMT this evening, so Bruce Mouat’s rink have just over seven hours to prepare.
GB men’s curlers scrape into semi-finals to keep hopes of glory alive
Team GB’s men’s curling team kept their hopes of defending or improving their silver medal from Beijing alive as they scraped into the semi-finals - but only because other results went their way.
Bruce Mouat’s rink looked on the verge of defeat on Wednesday but thrashed the USA 9-2 to underline their status as one of the best teams in the world, despite their relative underperformance in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
That result was not enough to book their place in the last four, as they required either Italy or Norway to lose both of their final two round-robin games in order to progress.
Both lost on Wednesday but Team GB endured a nervous wait on Thursday as Norway stormed to a 7-2 lead over already-qualified Canada before being pegged back, while Italy kept unbeaten Switzerland honest in a tense encounter.
However, Italy lost 9-5 after skip Joel Retornaz missed a chance to score three in the eighth end with a poor penultimate stone which put paid to their chances.
GB men’s curlers scrape into semi-finals to keep hopes of glory alive
Team GB's men through to curling semi-finals
And there it is! Switzerland take two in the ninth end to beat Italy 9-5 and that means Bruce Mouat’s British rink will qualify for the semi-finals!
It was nervy at points during the round robin stage but they’ve made it through and they’ll play that semi-final this evening
Snowstorm plays havoc with Winter Olympics schedule as multiple events postponed
Heavy snowfall in Livigno on Thursday morning forced the postponement of Olympic men's ski halfpipe qualifying and men's aerials, further disrupting the competition schedule.
More than half a foot of snow blanketed the mountain town, delaying the men's halfpipe event. A new start time is yet to be decided, while men's aerials has been moved to Friday.
Women's halfpipe qualifying, featuring defending champion Eileen Gu, remains on schedule for Thursday evening.
Weather conditions are expected to improve for Friday and Saturday, the final two days of action.
Snowstorm plays havoc with Winter Olympics schedule as multiple events are postponed
Men's curling: Italy score two but still in trouble
Italy scramble two in the eighth end to close the deficit to 7-5 against Switzerland after eighth ends but the Swiss will have the hammer. It’s looking grim for the Italians but great for GB.
Italy actually had a chance to score three in that end but skip Joel Retornaz played a poor penultimate stone to squander that opportunity
Men's curling: GB on the brink of semi-finals
That is huge for GB. A lovely final-stone takeout from Switzerland skip Benoit Schwarz-van Berkel in the seventh earns his side three and they now lead Italy 7-3!
Remember, if Italy lose, then GB will go into the semi-finals. The Italians have a huge mountain ahead now.
Canada have also hit back against Norway and now only trail 7-6 after seven ends. Could that provide an insurance policy for Bruce Mouat and co?
Men's curling: Italy surge back
Hmmmm. That’s not great for GB. Italy work hard to earn two in the sixth end and they’ve closed the gap against Switzerland to 4-3. That game is going to go to the wire.
Men's curling: Switzerland extend their lead
GB edging closer to the semi-finals as Switzerland take one in the fifth end to extend their lead to Italy over 4-1. Norway are demolishing Canada 7-2, so GB will be praying Switzerland can hold on against the Italians.
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