Winter Olympics live: Curling updates as Team GB women snatch incredible victory before men face USA in must-win match
Team GB’s men have just one curling match left to remain alive in the hunt for a semi-final berth and to retain hopes of a medal
The Winter Olympics curling tournament is reaching its business end as world champions Great Britain face an early exit from the competition.
After a battling clash with Canada saw Bruce Mouat’s rink continue to underperform, falling to a 9-5 loss, this afternoon’s USA clash is the final chance to remain in the hunt for a medal and play-off spot.
After a shock loss to Norway on Monday, Team GB must win their final round robin game and also hope for a favour from other teams, with Norway and Italy occupying the final two places, with Switzerland and Canada already qualified.
Team GB’s women are also in action and face an uphill battle to finish inside the top four, but they snatched the most remarkable of 8-7 victories in their seventh round robin game against the USA on Wednesday morning to keep their hopes alive. Rebecca Morrison pulled off an incredible double takeout with her final stone to set GB up for a steal of two in the 10th and final end to grab an unlikely win.
Follow all the action with The Independent’s live blog below:
Women's curling: How it stands and what GB need
So, what does that victory mean for Team GB? Essentially, it keeps their hopes alive but there is still plenty of work to do.
GB have three wins and four losses and are still seventh in the standings with two matches remaining.
Sophie Jackson’s rink need to win both games (against Japan this evening and Italy tomorrow afternoon) and get help from elsewhere to sneak into the top four with a 5-4 record.
The good news is that Japan and Italy are currently 10th and joint eighth in the standings respectively.
Round robin fixtures
All times GMT
18 February: Great Britain v Japan, 18:05
19 February: Great Britain v Italy, 13:05
WATCH: Rebecca Morrison's remarkable final stone to snatch victory
Here’s that moment we’ve been talking about. An incredible double takeout by GB fourth Rebecca Morrison which piles the pressure on US skip Tabitha Peterson, who can’t deliver.
GB steal two and snatch an 8-7 triumph
How did Rebecca Morrison pull that off ?? #WinterOlympicGames #curling pic.twitter.com/oQvUbn4OS9
— the original Grumpy Git (@GitGrumpygit) February 18, 2026
Rebecca Morrison: 'We're here to fight'
Team GB’s hero Rebecca Morrison and skip Sophie Jackson have been speaking to the BBC after that incredible 8-7 curling win over the USA thanks to Morrison’s remarkable final stone.
Morrison said: “There was a lot at stake here but we had to keep believing. We were up against it towards the end but we’re here to fight and that’s what we did.
“When I’m delivering, I’m ok. It’s the line call that will make it or break it but between me and Soph [Jackson], we absolutely nailed it. I’m super proud of that.”
Meanwhile, Jackson added: “When it’s in the moment, it doesn’t feel too nerve-wrecking. Once it came out of Becca’s hand, I knew it was close, so just try to not mess up the line call. It feels absolutely amazing to make those shots at a team.
“You can see the thrill it gave us at the end, that’s what we’re here for. It’s the Olympics, we put her (US skip) under pressure and there we go - we came away with the win.”
Jackson on how they will prepare for this evening: “It was a game we’d have liked to be a bit better in. Our performance throughout the game was a bit up and down. We’ll go away and figure out how to place the draws a little bit better tonight.”
GB produce stunning steal of two to snatch victory
WHAT A SHOT! THAT IS INCREDIBLE!
It’s backs to the wall for Team GB, they look dead and buried but Rebecca Morrison comes up with the shot of her life.
With her final stone, Morrison flicks off the US stone wide on the right and cannons into another US stone in the centre of the house, clearing it out. Huge roars from the crowd.
That leaves GB sitting two and US skip Tabitha Peterson now has a tricky run-through to try and remove them. She gets her line wrong, flicks the guard and can’t get it done, so GB steal two in the 10th end and nick a remarkable 8-7 win!
Where did that come from?! Rebecca Morrison, take a bow.
Women's curling: GB 6-7 USA
Team GB on the brink now. They take two in the ninth end but still trail 7-6 heading into the final end, where the US have the hammer.
They need to hope for a mistake from the Americans to steal at least one and keep their Olympic campaign alive
Women's curling: GB 4-7 USA
USA haven’t played particularly well today but GB simply haven’t been able to capitalise as they would have liked. And now it’s starting to look like game over.
USA steal one in the eighth end to lead 7-4 and Team GB have all but lost this one. They’ll be crashing out of the Olympics
Women's curling: GB 4-6 USA
Ooof, that is a blow for GB... USA take three in the seventh end to leap out into a 6-4 lead. The good news for the Brits is that they should have the hammer in the eighth and 10th ends (barring a blank end or steal) but they’ll need at least two in one of those.
This eighth end, where GB have the hammer, is now huge
Women's curling: GB 4-3 USA
That is a gutsy final stone by British fourth Rebecca Morrison in the sixth. A slight mistake from the US, leaves her a draw into the centre of the house for two.
The stone is slid down the ice and it looks a bit pacy but just holds up in time. A crucial two to give GB a 4-3 lead. The Americans will have the hammer in the seventh of course but this match is getting tight.
Shiffrin flying in slalom
Skiing superstar Mikaela Shiffrin is in action this morning, hunting a third Olympic gold medal, although a first since 2018.
She’s competing in the women’s slalom – an event in which she has won 71 World Cup races throughout her storied career and the American is flying this.
She lays down a brilliant first run, with a time of 47.13s, which is a mammoth 0.82s faster than Lena Duerr in second spot and more than a second quicker than Camille Rast in third.
Clenched fist from Shiffrin, she’s rightly delighted. Barring disaster in the second run later this morning, she’s surely a lock for gold...
GB women trailing USA
Team GB’s male curlers are in must-win mode for their final round robin match against USA this afternoon but things are arguably even bleaker for the women’s rink.
Sophie Jackson’s quartet have two wins and four losses from their six matches so far, to lie eighth in the table, and will need to win each of their final three games – plus get ample help from elsewhere.
It’s an unlikely scenario but all they can do is try and take care of their own business. They’re facing second-placed USA this morning and the Americans have just stolen one in the fifth end to lead 3-2. Can GB respond?
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