Winter Olympics 2014: Great Britain's men's curling team see off Norway in nail-biting tie-break to reach semi-finals | The Independent Winter Olympics 2014: Great Britain's men's curling team see off Norway in nail-biting tie-break to reach semi-finals David Murdoch's team took the match 6-5 thanks to the skipper's two-point haul in the final end Tuesday 18 February 2014 08:05 BST Click to follow The Independent Online Team GB men's curling captain celebrates his two-point haul in the final end of their tie-break 6-5 victory over Norway GETTY IMAGES Great Britain's men's curling team won through to the Winter Olympics semi-finals in nail-biting fashion with a last-end 6-5 tie-break win over Norway at the Ice Cube Curling Center in Sochi. David Murdoch's all-Scottish rink, one of the main British hopes for a medal in Russia, had been beaten by the Norwegians in their round-robin fixture and played catch-up for most of the game, until his brilliant final stone in the 10th end secured two game-winning points.

GB will now play Sweden on Wednesday night, with the winners taking on either China or Canada in the final on Friday. Winter Olympics 2014: The best images from Sochi Winter Olympics 2014: The best images from Sochi 1/78 24 February 2014 Russia's President Vladimir Putin (C) poses for a photo with Russian athletes, winners of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, in Sochi GETTY IMAGES 2/78 23 February 2014 Hundreds of dancers join together to form the Olympics logo, with the fifth ring purposefully representing the malfunction in the opening ceremony.

Reuters 3/78 23 February 2014 Fireworks explode around the Fisht Olympic Stadium at the end of the Closing Ceremony of the Sochi Winter Olympics at the Olympic Park in Sochi 4/78 23 February 2014 Alexander Zubkov’s four-man bobsleigh team celebrate gold for Russia reuters 5/78 23 February 2014 Pilot John James Jackson, Stuart Benson, Bruce Tasker and Joel Fearon of Great Britain team 1 make a run during the Men's Four Man Bobsleigh GETTY IMAGES Silver medalist David Murdoch of Great Britain celebrates during the medal ceremony for Men's Curling Getty Images 7/78 21 February 2014 Jianrou Li of China slides into the way of Elise Christie of Great Britain while competing in the Short Track Women's 1000m Semifinals GETTY IMAGES 8/78 21 February 2014 Elise Christie of Great Britain, Seung-Hi Park of South Korea, Marie-Eve Drolet of Canada and Veronique Pierron of France compete in the Short Track speed skating quarter-finals GETTY IMAGES 9/

78 21 February 2014 Despite still winning a silver medal, David Murdoch reflects on what could have been after his Team GB curling rink lose 9-3 to Canada in the gold medal match GETTY IMAGES 10/78 21 February 2014 Ukraine win their first gold medal of the Games with Vita Semerenko shooting at the range to help secure the Women's Biathlon 4x6 km Relay title GETTY IMAGES 11/78 21 February 2014 Sweden’s Fredrik Lindberg shouts out orders to his teammates as Sweden go on to claim bronze in the curling, beating China 6-4 GETTY IMAGES 12/78 21 February 2014 Franziska Preuss of Germany competes during the Women's 4 x 6 km Relay in a Sochi sunset behind her GETTY IMAGES David Murdoch pictured during the curling final which Team GB lost 9-3 to Canada GETTY IMAGES Eve Muirhead in action in the bronze medal match, which Team GB won, beating Switzerland GETTY IMAGES 15/78 20 February 2014 Great Britain's Anna Sloan,

 Eve Muirhead, Vicki Adams and Claire Hamilton celebrate after winning the Women's Curling Bronze Medal Game at the Ice Cube Curling Center GETTY IMAGES 16/78 20 February 2014 Great Britain's Anna Sloan, Eve Muirhead, Vicki Adams and Claire Hamilton celebrate after winning the Women's Curling Bronze Medal Game at the Ice Cube Curling Center GETTY IMAGES 17/78 20 February 2014 Great Britain's Anna Sloan, Eve Muirhead, Vicki Adams and Claire Hamilton celebrate after winning the Women's Curling Bronze Medal Game at the Ice Cube Curling Center GETTY IMAGES 18/78 19 February 2014 Finland's goalkeeper Tuukka Rask (L) celebrates with a team-mate at the end of the Men's Ice Hockey play-off quarter-final against Russia, which they won 3-1 GETTY IMAGES 19/78 19 February 2014 Canada's Skip Jennifer Jones celebrates after throwing the last stone to win the game against Team GB GETTY IMAGES 20/78 19 February 2014 Eve Muirhead, Anna Sloan, Vick

i Adams, and Claire Hamilton of Great Britain console each other after losing to Canada in the curling semi-final GETTY IMAGES 21/78 19 February 2014 Norway's Marit Bjoergen crosses the finish line to win in the Women's Cross-Country Skiing Team Sprint Classic Final at the Laura Cross-Country Ski and Biathlon Center GETTY IMAGES 22/78 19 February 2014 Gold medalists Finland's Sami Jauhojaervi (bacK L) and Finland's Iivo Niskanen (16 R) react at the finish line of the Men's Cross-Country Skiing Team Sprint Classic Final GETTY IMAGES A fan takes a snap at the Sochi games GETTY IMAGES Violinist Vanessa Mae pictured competing in Sochi GETTY IMAGES 25/78 18 February 2014 Cameron Bolton of Australia (yellow bib) leads the field in the Men's Snowboard Cross 1/8 Finals GETTY IMAGES Vanessa-Mae competes before finishing 74th after her first run in the women's giant slalom GETTY IMAGES 27/78 18 February 2014

 Scott Andrews of Great Britain throws the rock while playing Norway during the Curling at Ice Cube Curling Center on day 11 GETTY IMAGES 28/78 18 February 2014 Team GB men's curling captain celebrates his two-point haul in the final end of their tie-break 6-5 victory over Norway GETTY IMAGES 29/78 17 February 2014 Rowan Cheshire posted this picture on Twitter showing the extent of her injuries from a skiing accident in training Twitter/@Rowan_C_ 30/78 17 February 2014 Rui Liu of China competes against Great Britian during the Men's Curling Round Robin on day ten of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics GETTY IMAGES 31/78 17 February 2014 Great Britain skipper Eve Muirfield guided her team to a 9-6 victory over Russia to qualify for at least a tie-breaker for the semi-finals GETTY IMAGES 32/78 16 February 2014 Alisa Agafonova and Alper Ucar of Turkey compete during the Figure Skating Ice Dance Short Dance

 GETTY IMAGES A view of the Ice Hockey in Sochi GETTY IMAGES 34/78 16 February 2014 Ilya Nikulin #5 of Russia talks with Zdeno Chara #33 of Slovakia after defeating Slovakia in a shoot out during the Men's Ice Hockey Preliminary Round Group A game Getty Images 35/78 16 February 2014 David Murdoch of Great Britain looks on during the Curling Men's Round Robin match between Great Britain and Norway GETTY IMAGES Lizzy Yarnold celebrates her victory for Great Britain in the skeleton in Sochi GETTY IMAGES Lizzy Yarnold looks delighted after her first two runs in the skeleton GETTY IMAGES Lizzy Yarnold goes on her first run in the skeleton GETTY IMAGES Elise Christie crashes out in the 500m speed skating final GETTY IMAGES Great Britain's James Woods competes in the Men's Freestyle Skiing Slopestyle GETTY IMAGES Great Britain's James Woods competes in the Men's Freestyle Skiing Slopestyle GETTY IMAGES Eve Muirhead in action against China GETTY IMAGES Lizzy Yarnold pictured practicing at the Games GETTY IMAGES Eve Muirfield guides a stone across

 the ice during Great Britain's 9-6 defeat to Canada GETTY IMAGES Chemmy Alcott finished in 19th place in the women's downhill skiing GETTY IMAGES Shaun White of the United States congratulates gold medalist Iouri Podladtchikov of Switzerland Getty Images Seamus O'Connor progressed to the men's snowboard halfpipe semi-final GETTY IMAGES Andrew Musgrave qualified for the cross-country men's sprint quarter-finals GETTY IMAGES 49/78 11 February 2014 Dara Howell celebrates her gold medal in the ski slopestyle final with Devin Logan (L) finishing second and Kim Lamarre (R) taking bronze GETTY IMAGES 50/78 11 February 2014 Katie Summerhayes qualified for the ski slopestyle final with two solid runs but could only manage seventh GETTY IMAGES Lizzy Arnold topped the timesheets once again during the skeleton training heats GETTY IMAGES British medal hope Jack Whelbourne crashes out of the 1500m speed skating final GETTY IMAGES 53/78 10 February 2014 Eve Muirhead of Great Britain watches Margaretha Sigfridsson of Sweden during the round robin match

 against Sweden GETTY IMAGES 54/78 10 February 2014 Lizzy Yarnold tops the timesheets on the opening day of training in the skeleton competition in Sochi GETTY IMAGES 55/78 10 February 2014 Team GB men's curling captain David Merdoch had a perfect record in his side's 7-4 victory over Russia GETTY IMAGES 56/78 9 February 2014 Ireen Wust of the Netherlands becomes the first openly gay athlete to win gold in Sochi GETTY IMAGES Jenny Jones with her Bronze medal PA 58/78 9 February 2014 Great Britain's Jenny Jones celebrates after finding out she won Bronze in the Women's Snowboard Slopestyle Final PA 59/78 9 February 2014 Jenny Jones of Great Britain celebrates an historic bronze on the snow after the flower ceremony of the Women's Snowboard Slopestyle final at Rosa Khutor Extreme Park EPA The remains of a door kicked in in the athletes village 61/78 8 February 2014 Sage Kotsenburg of the USA took gold in the snowboard slopestyle GET

TY IMAGES Jamie Nicholls finished sixth in the snowboard slopestyle final GETTY IMAGES Marit Bjoergen took gold for Norway in the cross country skiing GETTY IMAGES 64/78 7 February 2014 Fireworks go off over the Olympic Park at the end of the Opening Ceremony of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Games at the Fisht Olympic Stadium EPA 65/78 7 February 2014 The Olympic Rings as presented by Sochi 2014, where the fifth metal ring failed to illuminate Twitter A general view of the ice in the Ice Cube Curling Center GETTY IMAGES Short track speed skater Richard Shoebridge of Great Britain practices at the Iceberg Skating Palace GETTY IMAGES Severin Freund of Germany jumps during the Men's Normal Hill Individual Ski Jumping training GETTY IMAGES A ski jumper (R) is seen during practice at the RusSki Gorki Jumping Center GETTY IMAGES 70/78 6 February 2014 Austria's Miriam Kastlunger races during a women's Luge training session at the Sanki Sliding Centre in Rosa Khutor GETTY IMAGES Marika Pertakhiya of Russia

 competes in the Ladies' Moguls Qualification GETTY IMAGES Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan competes in the Figure Skating Men's Short Program GETTY IMAGES 73/78 6 February 2014 Volunteers skiers take part in the cross-country training session at the Laura Cross Country Skiing and Biathlon Centre in Rosa Khuto GETTY IMAGES Germany's Biathlete Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle prepares to shoot near the Olympic rings GETTY IMAGES An Alpine Skiier in practice 76/78 6 February 2014 Winston Watts of Jamaica pilots a bobsleigh practice run ahead of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics GETTY IMAGES Jamie Nicholls has qualified for Saturday's Snowboard style finals on the opening day of competition GETTY IMAGES Great Britain v Sweden, men's curling semi-final - Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics: live - Telegraph Winter Olympics Great Britain v Sweden, men's curling semi-final - Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics: live Follow live commentary from the men's curling semi-final between Great Britain and Sweden at the Winter Olympics in Sochi on Wednesday, February 19 2014 The eyes have

 it: David Murdoch concentrates on getting his line right Photo: PA • Sochi 2014: Curling - an idiot's guide GREAT BRITAIN BEAT SWEDEN 6-5 17.54 Great Britain are in the final, where they will face Canada on Friday.

Britain are in with a great chance, should be a tight game. We will be here to blog the final, so please join us for that should you wish. A highly enjoyable afternoon's curling has ended with a superb, tense finish, and Great Britain are going to get, at the very least, a silver. Hope you enjoyed it. Cheers. 17.51 I think nerves maybe just got the better of the Swedes there - but Britain's curlers were ice cool as they nicked in to take those two shots at the end. 17.47 GB have done it - incredible scenes. A lovely, delicate, perfectly weighted shot nestles into the button and GB have somehow managed to pull out two shots in that tenth end. That is a superb effort from David Murdoch and his boys, they kept their nerve and were able to cash in on a rare error from the excellent Swedish skipper. 17.46 He's missed it! The Swedish skip has missed it! GB will have a delicate draw shot to win! After close to three hours, GB are one shot away from the final. 17.45 Fine shot from David! He's put that yellow right in prime real estate.

Over to the Swedes to knock that out..... 17.44 GB have their backs to the wall here, they just have to get a stone in there and hope that Sweden make a blunder. 17.43 Drummond recovers though, with a good shot that sends one of the two Swedish stones out. Britain can probalby get one here, but it's hard to see how they can get two.... 17.41 Scott Andrews was responsible for that last one, and now Drummond has also got one not quite right. He's sent a shot rather wild down the right, and GB are in a bit of a pickle. Sweden furiously sweep a stone right into the centre, and they are sitting pretty. 17.37 Oh dear. GB have dropped a bit of a ricket. We've sent a stone miles out of the back, that's a shocker I am afraid. Sweden, who call a time out, are lying two shots. 17.35 This vital end starts in quiet, familiar fashion. The Brits have got a corner guard in, the Swedes have a couple down the middle.

Sweden take the guard out with a shot that, according to the telly, is called "a peel". Curling really does have a delightful lexicon. 17.33 In the other semi, Canada are leading China 10-6 as they go into the final end. So, barring miracles, it will be Canada in the final. 17.32 So going into the final end, GB have the hammer, Sweden lead by one point. 17.29 Huge moment for Nik Edin. He needs to take those two British stones out.. And he's done it. Straight as you like, under huge pressure, and he has whacked those two British ones into next week - and Sweden get two shots. Wow. Big play from the Swedish skip. 17.27 Oooh! Shot from the Swedish skip. It's all gotten very tactical and delicate again - I can hear the GB team saying "we need to do the flop in case they go for the slash". Sure. I was just going to say that. By the way, the GB shotclock is ticking a bit. They've got seven minutes or so left on their timer...Sweden have snuck one in there and lie two.

But Murdoch comes back with an equally fine effort, through a very narrow channel, nudges a yellow and, GB lie two. 17.24 So in the ninth, there are two shots left each, GB to play and Sweden are sitting shot. Oh and a belter from Cap'n Dave! It comes down the right as we look at this picture, in between that red on the edge of the largest ring and the line of yellows down the centre, eventually coming to a rest just at the back of the blue circle. 17.20 But GB with an equally excellent bit of work, through the narrow channel and finishing spot on the button. This game could hardly be tighter. I still just fancy GB, but you would be a brave person to bet on it... 17.18 These Swedish dudes must have the cleanest houses you have ever seen. A wonderful bit of sweeping again, and they have somehow threaded their fourth stone through a forest of GB stones, if you can imagine such a thing, and they miss by a whisker to get a marker at the back of the house. 17.16 All aboard for end 9, then.

Will GB come to regret that decision to play it conservatively in the eighth? 17.13 Canada are leading China 7-6. 17.12 Murdoch and his men make sure of the one, knocking the last Swedish red out, and GB have to settle for one point, and hand the hammerback to Sweden. END 8: GB 4 SWEDEN 3 17.07 We're really getting down to the nitty gritty now. Both teams having lengthy discussions about every shot. WIth two stones left each, and Sweden to play, it looks like this. The Swedes hit the red one there right on the nose, pushing the yellow out the back. But GB clean house with the powershot and, as Sweden play their last, they're able to just swoop in to sit shot. What will Britain do? Do they take the one? Or try something more ambitious and somehow get two? 17.03 Greg Drummond brings it with a superb shot. Bang-bang-bang, he cannons his stone into the Swedish markers and he has scattered them. Greg, Britain's third, has a 90% accuracy rate today; his Swedish counterpart Kraupp is under 70...

17.00 Top sweeping by the Swedes on their fourth shot, these lads are brushing like an OCD sufferer on an amphetamine jag, and they've made a so-so shot into a good one as they drop one right into the blue circle, nustling shyly up to GB's own stone. 16.52 Sweden have two to play, GB one. AS it stands, there are two GB stones in the house. What can the Sweden skip do? This shot is gun-barrel straight and it just takes out one of the UK stones, leaving one in place. Poor shot, I guess. GB with a solid reply. Sweden have a chance to draw for one... ... and Eden takes it. Sweden get one point and level it up, but GB will have the hammer in the eighth end and, quite probably, in the 10th as well. END 7: GB 3 SWEDEN 3 It feels like GB are playing better here, and that they are on top. But how quickly it can all change... 16.50 Excellent! More terminology.

GB are going to try a "flop", which I think is when you try to kiss off a stone at the front of the house. GB are looking really handy in this one. 16.42 A more robust end, again, as Fredrik Lindberg boshes GB's stones out of the way in no uncertain terms. Five stones to go each in this end. One senses that the Brits got out of jail in that last end - could that swing this tight contest their way? 16.34 NIk Edin with a chance to draw one in, not a bad effort but maybe another couple of feet would have been perfect. BIg moment now as Sweden take their final shot... This is a big moment. If he can knock that yellow one out the back, Sweden could get three here... Or do they play safe and get one? No, Niklas Edin is taking it on. It's a tough shot.... He's hit that yellow lying just outside the blue ring, but his red has slid on just futher than the British stone and Britain have pinched one here. Huge moment, a three-pointer there would have been a major body blow.

As it is, GB take one point and they move into the lead. END 6: GB 3 SWEDEN 2 16.30 Hmm. This sixth end is looking dicey for GB. They've got two left, the Swedes have three... but this is a blunder! The Swedes have hit the guard stone high up the ice and GB can maybe slide one around the back door here. Slightly overdone, but GB are lying shot.. 16.25 Again, a different tactical battle. Get down, curling, you brilliantly confusing bar steward. Sweden have played a nice one, threading the eye of the needle between two stones high up the ice, but that's actually run on a little further than they would have liked. Here's our boy Greg Drummond to see if he can cash in... sadly, he doesn't quite get the kiss he would have wanted. 16.21 So eyes down for end six. Michael Goodfellow to get things underway for GB. Swedes have the hammer. 16.16 So at the halfway stage, it's even-steven at 2-2. It's all VERY tense.

Bit of a breather for the teams, and a word from the coach. The curlers are taking a break. 16.15 Here's David now, with the last stone of the end. He cannot quite knock the Swedish red stone away, and Britain have to settle for one point. END 5: GB 2 SWEDEN 2 16.10 Ooh yeah! Big shot from Sweden, it was all looking very tidy for Britain but Sweden have taken a lot of our lads out of the game with a powerful drive. WIth one stone left to play, Sweden are nearest, but Britain are lying second and third. That shot will give Sweden's Niklas Edin a confidence boost. Over in the other semi, it's another tight one, Canada 3 China 2 in the fifth. 16.05 Sebastian Kraupp with a bit of a blunder, he's sent that stone wild and GB could be in for a score in this end. But, being as we have the Hammer, we'll be wanting to manufacture more than one point. As far as I understand it, once you get a point, you relinquish the hammer, so really you want to be scoring at least two.

16.03 Bit of a crowd scene in there with four stones played each. One of the things I like about curling is that the tactics in each individual end seem very different each time. Like, the first few rounds of this match, it was all about slamming the oppo out of the way with powerbombs, but this fifth end is a much more delicate, cagey affair with loads of stones crowded around the button. Why? 16.01 A magnificent three-man brushing effort from the Swedes here as they look to drop stone three right on top of the UK rock in this, the fifth end. 15.50 A nice clean-up shot from Sweden with their fourth, scattering GB's lads hither and yon, leaving just one Swedish stone on the red ring. GB shift that in their turn, and with two shots left each, there's just a lone GB stone in the house. Niklas Edin makes a small error, but is able to rectify on the next shot, and this end finsihes as a stalemate.

END 4: GB 1 SWEDEN 2 15.48 End four, then, and GB will be looking to bounce back from that (relatively - this is the Olympic semi final, with all the attendant pressure) unforced error. 15.45 Here's an email from curling fan Hugh Craig True, it does not have the gravitas of Torquay United vs Northampton Town (tongue planted firmly in cheek and picking bottom two teams in League Two). The GB - Canada women's game was quite good and we Canadians truly hope Murdoch wins. Sweden is quite good at this. In other news, Finland 3 - Russia 1 is very, very big hockey news. Putin shouldn't be too grumpy. After all, Japan and Italy (oh, and the U.S.) didn't win Gold in hockey on home ice either during the professional era. This loss is going sting in Siberia. If Canada loses to Lativa today by some epic tragedy, the nation will be in mourning. It would be like England losing to the US in the 50s in the World Cup...oh, wait.

15.41 Here's The GB skip Murdoch now with a simple draw shot to win two points, but he's given it too much, and knocked our own stone out of the way. It all turns around very quickly in the curling, and now Sweden have a chance to swoop in for a two-pointer. The skipper will be annoyed with that, a bit of a turnover there. END 3: GB 1 SWEDEN 2 15.37 Now an excellent powershot from Britain, clearing the decks and getting a nice break. Sweden try a powerful effort of their own but don't quite get the right kiss off the stone. With two each to play in the third end, it looks like this... 15.34 Drummond with a very fine shot for GB, watchmaker's precision as he drops the fourth stone of the end right on top of Sweden's on the blue ring. 15.30 So a small error there from the Swedes. Britain have an early lead. ZOMG have we all see then curling charity calendar? Ladies, control yourselves: they've all got very cold hands. Here's GB's own David Murdoch. No bad, eh?

But what about Norway's Thomas Ulsrud? I say! All that brushing clearly does a fellow good. 15.25 The Swedish coach is a woman, Eva Lund. That's quite cool, isn't it? You don't see many men's team sports where the coach is female. Murdoch now plays GB's last stone. A touch too much on it, maybe, But no disaster. Can't see how Sweden can get more than one here, whatever happens. But a blunder from Sweden! They put too much welly into their last stone and it has knocked into that British pair and slid on away to the right. GB steal a point! END 2: GB 1 SWEDEN 0 15.19 Delicate shot from Britain to nestle just on top of the Swedish one, this second end shaping up into a nice tactical battle. The British four looking focused, somewhat earnest as they try to size up how to play the rest of this one. The Swedes, on the other hand, are merely looking handsome. 15.16 Nice shot from Britain, they're looking good in this second end.

They've a handy guard in place, and now Scott Andrews has curled one around that and is sitting nicely.. but a beefy effort from the Swedes clears both of them in a one-r. 15.12 And with the last shot of the end, Sweden bang Britain's last one out of the way, leaving the house empty and ensuring that we go into end two at 0-0. "WHAT A SPORT THIS IS!" says my colleague Jonathan Liew. END 1: GB 0 SWEDEN 0 15.10 A cautious first end for both sides. With two stones left each, there's only one stone in play, a Swedish one thus. 15.08 If you want the lowdown on curling , check out this superb guide from Thom Gibbs. 15.06 Solid first stone from GB but Sweden clear it out of the way, Sweden with the hammer. Another decent stone, again cleared away. 15.05 We're underway. GB playing yellow. 15.02 By the way, China and Canada are going in the other semi at the same time.

15.00 David Murdoch, Tom Brewster, Scott Andrews and Greg Drummond are introduced to the crowd. Some friendly handshakes for their Swedish opponents. 14.55 Inspirational montage on the BBC! And now some bagpipers. That should put the fear of God up the Swedes. The feeling is that the British women were a little risk-averse in their match, maybe should have been a bit more aggressive. 14.49 The teams are out on the ice, warming up, as it were. Here's the BBC's Jonathan Edwards looking on from the gallery. 14.40 Elsewhere, quite a story as Russia are knocked out of the men's ice hockey by Finland. 14.35 And now it is over to the men. They take on the Swedes after beating Norway in a cracker thanks to a brilliant final stone from David Murdoch. Here's, er, the Telegraph's Scottish Correspondent on that . 14.30 Hello there, Alan Tyers here, welcome to our live blog of the men's curling semi. Hard lines to the British women earlier, they put up a decent show but, to this observer at least, that Canadian lady looked a cut above.

Jennifer Jones will lead her team into the final on Thursday against Sweden. Eve Muirhead and her team will take a tilt at the bronze medal match with this Swiss at 8.30am on the same day. *** Twelve years have passed since Rhona Martin slid her final hunk of Ailsa Craig granite down the Ogden Ice Sheet and into the pages of Olympic history, but the story of the Stone of Destiny has often seemed to bear a heavy burden upon those seeking to emulate British curling's most famous triumph. Martin's hand-picked 'super-team' ailed and failed in their quest to retain the Olympic title four years later in Turin, while David Murdoch's men's rink, despite a slew of world title triumphs, disappointingly missed out on medals in both 2006 and 2010. Yet something seems to be stirring in Sochi. The memory of Martin's final shot, and the way in which it gripped a nation, four million of whom stayed up long past midnight to watch on television, remains the defining image of British curling history.

Murdoch came close with his extraordinary final stone double take-out to steal victory over Norway in Tuesday's play-off decider which served up another shot at an Olympic medal. If it did refocus minds on the Stone of Destiny comparison, perhaps it is no bad thing. Such destinies are determined by a matter of inches. Today, it is time for Murdoch to measure up and Alan Tyers will bring you all the action from 2.30pm GMT. Curling final: GB v Canada go for gold at Sochi 2014, live - Telegraph Winter Olympics Curling final: GB v Canada go for gold at Sochi 2014, live Follow live coverage of the men's curling final between Great Britain and Canada at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at 13.30 GMT on Friday 21st February 2014. Dave Murdoch gets down to business in the Winter Olympics curling final Photo: GETTY IMAGES Email ben.bloom@telegraph.co.uk or tweet @benbloomsport with all your curling thoughts and feelings.

Latest CANADA 9-3 GREAT BRITAIN Canada win gold and GB take silver 15.44 That's all from me then and that's also the end of curling at the 2014 Winter Olympics. It's been brilliant and GB skips Eve Muirhead and Dave Murdoch can go home chuffed with their respective bits of metal. Thanks for the person who provided me with the link to buy a curling hat. I'll be wearing one with pride soon. All the best everyone. Cheerio. 15.39 Well that wasn't the final that anyone from Britain wanted but Canada fully deserve their victory today. The guys in black were the favourites coming into the match and did not falter one little bit. It's such a shame that GB couldn't reproduce their form of earlier this week today. Pah! Who cares. Britain have won a silver medal!!!! 15.36 Murdoch clears the Canadian red out but Jacobs replaces it with what should be the final stone of the match... and that is it. GB concede and Canada win 9-3. 15.35 Kablam!!!

"When you're good, you're very good," says Crammy as Canada skip Jacobs blitzes the GB stones out of the house to put Canada one up with one stone left apiece. &amp;lt;noframe&amp;gt;Twitter: Lee Jones - This will be the first time Canada has won gold in both men's and women curling at the Olympic Games&amp;lt;/noframe&amp;gt; 15.31 Two stones each in the house and two stones each remaining. And GB call a time out! Really??? We don't have all day gentlemen. 15.30 Goodfellow and Drummon have a shot accuracy of 92 and 88 per cent respectively in this final. Which is pretty darned good (I'll leave out the percentages for the other two Brits who haven't had their finest games today I'm afraid...). 15.27 "This could be you at the Olympic Games representing Great Britain," says Steve Cram as he talks about the legacy of GB's two curling medals at this Games. You can't ask too much more than a silver and a bronze can you? Ok I suppose you can. But let's be happy for what we have.

15.24 "One more end," says skip Murdoch as Canada now have the hammer. So this should be it before GB concede. 15.22 Murdoch will ping his final stone down, clear Canada out and hopefully pick up two for GB. Can he deliver? Oh dear. He knocks the red stone out but can't hold his own in the house and only manages to pick up one for GB. That was a shot that Murdoch would usually nail in his sleep but when things aren't going your way... 15.19 Let us turn our attention to what is a brilliant achievement for GB winning silver here. Today has not gone to plan for the Brits but I can guarantee Murdoch and his team would have bitten your hand off it you'd offered them a silver medal before these Games. And they deserve plenty of plaudits for their achievements. Just forget that today ever happened... 15.17 Canada have the hammer and the chances are they are just going to clear the GB guards out of the way and leave the house relatively clear. Steve Cram is wondering when GB may honourably concede. 15.15 I'm a rather big fan of these novelty curling hats.

Anyone who knows me and is wondering what to get for my birthday... 15.10 So it's Canada two-up with Murdoch to deliver his final stone. Here it comes... he takes one out but his own stone slides past the second Canadian stone and Jacobs has the simplest of draws to give Canada two. Which he does. You know that comeback I mentioned? It's not going to happen I'm afraid. 15.07 The brilliantly named Stephen Downer has dropped me a line: Dear Mr Bloom: Are you always as gloomy as this? Please chirp up and put a little optimism into your reporting. Thank you and regards. Have you seen the score Mr Downer???? 15.05 Boy, do the GB discussions sounds defeatist. Two stones remaining apiece and the Canadians are one to the good. 15.02 These pesky "evil" Canadians don't relent do they? On they charge to slot three stones into the house to GB's two. It's starting to get a bit embarrassing for Murdoch's team. 14.59 Gasps in the Ice Cube as Scott Andrews continues his terrible game by thudding his stone into a GB guard.

Poor Scott only looks about 15 years old and he's having a nightmare out there. 14.56 We are back. Ready for a comeback of epic proportions? Think Miracle at Medinah. Think Ben Ainslie and the Oracle Team in the America's Cup. Think Headingley 1981... &amp;lt;noframe&amp;gt;Twitter: Richard Conway - Scottish fans told to take down Saltire flag in curling arena by Sochi official. Union flag allowed, Saltire not apparently under IOC rules.&amp;lt;/noframe&amp;gt; 14.52 Time for a brief midway break. GB women's skip Eve Muirhead is on the telly and says it's hard to know what Murdoch can do to inspire his team at this point. Her advice: "Try and get a wee steal." Which sounded lovely in her Scottish accent. 14.50 Steve Cram is getting increasingly bored with the Canadians taking their time despite having victory almost assured. Skip Jacobs can't hear the BBC commentator though and delays the final stone before finally dropping it in as a guard to protect what is now a one-stone Canada advantage. Here comes Murdoch with the final stone...

it curls nicely round the guard and GB HAVE ONE!!!!!! 14.44 I should probably update you with this fifth end. Canada have three stones nicely positioned in the house with Murdoch ready to play his final two. Same old story then I'm afraid. &amp;lt;noframe&amp;gt;Twitter: Georgina Turner - Today, Brit waste paper bins will mostly be full of unfinished letters to local ice rinks, demanding curling facilities. Damned Canadians.&amp;lt;/noframe&amp;gt; 14.42 Gary Naylor has been in touch: I'm not completely au fait with the rules of curling, but I take it that bashing your opponent over the head with a stone attracts a penalty of some kind - if not, it's our only chance. 14.41 This photo sums it all up: 14.38 Britain have the hammer again! Wahey! 14.35 I can't believe this. Murdoch's final stone fails to curl enough, barely clips the red Canadian stone and it will need measuring to see who has the one... it's Canada! The Canadians have the steal. Shall we call it a day?

&amp;lt;noframe&amp;gt;Twitter: Thom Gibbs - In curling, 5-1 is a dangerous lead&amp;lt;/noframe&amp;gt; 14.32 "I'm not sure what else can go wrong here," says Steve Cram as the GB skip sends his stone sailing into the house, through the house and straight past the house. Things are going from bad to worse. 14.31 Two stones left for Murdoch in this fourth end and, barring something going wrong, GB should be able to bag two stones here. 14.29 Right. It's time to be positive. GB came back from 5-1 down to beat Denmark in the round robin stage of this Winter Olympics. Why can't they do it again?? They can. And they will. Maybe. Possibly. 14.26 GB have the hammer again. We've got two more hours of this now inevitable GB defeat... 14.22 "Great Britain are in a dire situation already," says Steve Cram. "If Canada lose from this point they might as well not get on the plane to go home." 14.20 No, no, no.

Murdoch fails to get past GB's own guard and only manages in knocking out one Canadian stone. More importantly it means Murdoch's stone cannons out of play and Jacobs has a clear shot to give Canada a three-stone advantage. 14.17 I digress. Things aren't going well for GB. Canada have three red stones spread across the house, which leaves Murdoch, who has one final stone to go, quite a task to remove two of them and leave his in there. 14.15 "Gotta curl", shouts one of the Canadians. "State the obvious", no one screams back. But they should have done. 14.13 Canada are red. Erm... 14.10 So Canada have the hammer again. Oh dear Scott Andrews is all over the place. This time he puts his effort crashing straight into the GB guard and succeeds in clearing both of them out. 14.04 ...Jacobs does his job. Now Murdoch just needs to knock out the Canadian stone and it will be two for GB (who have a second stone nicely nestled in). Here we go...

Murdoch's is drawing in, it smacks into the red Canadian stone, but then slides an inch further away than their rivals' stone. So GB miss out on two stones and secure the one to reduce the Canadians' lead to 2-1. 14.01 Jacobs knocks one out... Murdoch does the same. So there is one stone left from each skip and GB should come away with two here... 13.59 Right then, Drummond has recovered well for GB and they currently have two stones in place, one of which is nicely tucked in. 13.56 SHIRT VIOLATION!!!!!!! Goodfellow has delivered his two stones and then been ordered off the ice because he is wearing a shirt without his name on the back. How very dare he??? A quick shirt change and he's back in time to see his team-mate Scott Andrews launch his first stone straight through the house and off the back. That's very poor.

13.52 As Pitbull and Ke$ha blasts out around the Ice Cube, here is a little known "fact" about the GB curlers: &amp;lt;noframe&amp;gt;Twitter: Sixth Form Poet - People often forget this, but the GB Curling team first met during that bring-a-broom clean-up campaign after the 2011 riots.&amp;lt;/noframe&amp;gt; 13.50 The Canadians are certainly rather loud aren't they? I don't like them. There you go, I've said it. Canadians in general: lovely. Canadian curlers: brash. Right then Murdoch, it's final stone time and you've got to do something huge to get rid of Canada's three-stone advantage. Here we go... he's launched it strong and it's a great effort blitzing two of them out of the house. That leaves Jacobs free to swing in a simple draw and make it 2-0 to Canada. Not the start that GB were hoping for,but it could have been far worse for the Brits. 13.45 GB in bit of early trouble here.

Greg Drummond's draw fails to make its way past the guard and Canada suddenly have three stones in house. Time for something big from skip Dave Murdoch. 13.41 Goodfellow's stone sits in the button, about an inch more central than Canada's... Scrap that. The GB yellow stone has just been nudged out and EJ Harnden (who is the brother of Canadian lead Ryan) puts Canada in the plum spot. 13.36 Here we go. Canada start with the hammer and therefore the last stone because they are the highest ranked team in this match. Michael Goodfellow gets things underway for GB and Ryan Harnden follows for the Buff Boys. 13.34 Yes Steve Cram. Yes. The BBC athletics-turned-curling guru says Canada are the favourites on paper before adding: "But this is not played on paper, it's played on ice". Boooooooom. 13.32 The bagpipers are piping in Sochi (that's not a metaphor - there are bagpipers) and the teams are about to come out. Brooms at the ready.

&amp;lt;noframe&amp;gt;Twitter: Surrey Cricket - Good luck &amp;lt;a href="" target="_blank"&amp;gt;@TeamGB&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; ...bat well &amp;lt;a href="" target="_blank"&amp;gt;#lovecurling&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; &amp;lt;a href="" target="_blank"&amp;gt;#curling&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; &amp;lt;a href="" target="_blank"&amp;gt;#Sochi2014&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/noframe&amp;gt; 13.26 It's almost kick-off time so, with the clock ticking, I strongly urge you to read this brilliant preview courtesy of Simon Hart. If you like a good v evil storyline, the preview will ensure you have just that for this final. Go on, read it now and come back here after. 13.18 In case you weren't already aware, these two teams (GB and Canada) played each other in the round robin stage six days ago and... the Canadians emerged victorious.

With the score tied at 5-5 with two ends to play, Canada stuck their noses in front and went on to win 7-5. Let's not dwell on that defeat though... 13.05 While we wait for the final to get underway, I bring you news that one men's curling medal has already been decided today and it was a cracker. Sweden, who topped the round robin standings but lost out to GB in the semi-final, defeated China 6-4 in an epic bronze-medal match that went to an extra end. There was plenty of drama as China had not one but two technical violations which saw their stones taken off the ice - the first by skip Liu Rui in the ninth end with vice-skip Xu Xiaoming also penalised in the extra end. Yet the Chinese should still have won. With the game tied at 4-4, Liu had what looked like an easy last throw to knock the Swedish stone out of the centre and win his country's first Olympic medal in the sport. But he made a hash of it, missed the target and the Swedes were able to laugh their way to the podium.

12.52 Quiz question: When did GB men last win Olympic curling gold? Quiz answer: 1924. Although their competition consisted of France, Sweden and, er, Sweden II. Here is a quite brilliant photo of the victorious GB team complete with superb flat caps. However, the headwear pales into insignificance compared to the fact that they are using what appear to be standard household brooms. Marvellous. 12.41 Remember when you used to be interested in sports that didn't take place on ice or snow? There was that tennis dude Andy Murray who did some decent stuff. Now he's jumping on the bandwagon: &amp;lt;noframe&amp;gt;Twitter: Andy Murray - &amp;lt;a href="" target="_blank"&amp;gt;@DMurdoch17&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; all the best to you and the whole team for final! Good luck&amp;lt;/noframe&amp;gt; &amp;lt;noframe&amp;gt;Twitter: David Murdoch - &amp;lt;a href="" target="_blank"&amp;gt;@andy_murray&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; thanks very much!

We will give it everything we have in the Olympic final &amp;lt;a href="" target="_blank"&amp;gt;#believe&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; &amp;lt;a href="" target="_blank"&amp;gt;#lovecurling&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; &amp;lt;a href="" target="_blank"&amp;gt;#Sochi2014&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/noframe&amp;gt; 12.30 I'm here. This is it. Two weeks ago curling was but a speck on your sporting radar. Somewhere between lawn bowls and Greco-Roman wrestling. Yet last night, with curling having wormed its way deep into your subconscious, you woke your partner up with groans of "Go on Murdoch", yelps of "Sweep like you've never swept before" and shouts of "Haaaaaaaard". The big one is upon us. GB going for gold starts now... 08.30 Ben Bloom will be here from 12.30 to talk you through the legitimately exciting men's curling final at Sochi between Great Britian and Canada.

Join him then. In the meantime, the mind games have started already as Canada have been accused of not playing within the spirit of curling. Simon Hart reports: The British men’s coach, Soren Gran, has raised the temperature ahead of Friday’s gold-medal curling match by accusing opponents Canada of going against the spirit of the sport with their aggressive, supercharged playing style. The Canadian quartet, skipped by Brad Jacobs, have been labelled the ‘Buff Boys’ because of the long hours they spend pumping iron in the gym, and they proclaim on their official website that “we are no longer curlers, we are athletes”. One former member of the squad, alternate player Matt Dumontelle, took the muscle-building even further by taking an anabolic steroid, for which he tested positive after last year’s World Championships and was given a two-year ban. On the ice, the team’s brash antics have done little to endear them to the sport’s traditionalists. Shots are routinely met with either fist-pumping celebrations or, when things go wrong, brushes being slammed down onto the ice in anger. Jacobs also has raised eyebrows by running down the ice in pursuit of his stones.

Their high-octane style is in total contrast to that of the British skip, David Murdoch, who has remained the epitome of calmness while navigating his team-mates through a nerve-shredding tiebreak against Norway and an equally tense semi-final against world champions Sweden to reach today’s final. Gran, the former Swedish national coach whom Murdoch credits with turning round his playing career after he contemplated walking away from the sport three years ago, is in no doubt which kind of behaviour he prefers. “The aggressive style we have seen from the Canadians here, that’s something I don’t like about the sport,” said Gran. “I don’t think it helps anyone. It doesn’t help the player and it doesn’t help his team-mates. “I tell my guys to work a different way. If they miss a shot, they’ve got another 15 to play.

You can’t be angry with the one you miss.” Winter Olympics 2014: Team GB men's curling team still have shot at medal despite defeat to China | The Independent Olympics Winter Olympics 2014: Team GB men's curling team still have shot at medal despite defeat to China Britain and Norway will now face off in a sudden death contest on Tuesday that will complete the semi-final line up Monday 17 February 2014 14:07 BST Click to follow The Independent Online Rui Liu of China competes against Great Britian during the Men's Curling Round Robin on day ten of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics GETTY IMAGES China won a 6-5 thriller over Britain to clinch a place in the Olympic men's curling semi-finals on Monday but defeat for Norway means the Britons will get another chance to play for a medal. The final men's session of the round-robin began with world champions Sweden and Olympic champions Canada having already secured spots in the final four leaving China, Britain and Norway to scrap for the two remaining berths. The match of the day pitted China against Britain with a possible spot in the semi-final on the line.

With so much at stake the contest turned into the nail-biter you would expect, Liu Rui clinching the victory with his final rock. "Our goal was to get to the playoffs and I am really proud of the guys," said China's Canadian coach Marcel Rocque, a three-time former-world champion. "I am happy for them to have this kick at the can for a medal, you come into this thing thinking you've done everything to prepare and they have preformed exceptionally well." While Britain was falling to China, over on another sheet at the Ice Cube Curling Centre, Norway, silver medallists at the Vancouver Olympics, suffered a 5-3 loss to Denmark leaving the last semi-final berth to be decided in a tiebreak. Britain and the Norway will now faceoff in the sudden death contest on Tuesday that will complete the semi-final line up. "The Chinese guy (Liu) was on fire there, it's tough when you go up against a skip that is making everything," said Britain's David Murdoch. "But we're still in it. "Denmark has done us a favour there, it's almost like the round-robin has been extended another game and so we get another chance to get it over the line.

"We're not going to be too down beat about things. We're still in this." Winter Olympics 2014: The best images from Sochi Winter Olympics 2014: The best images from Sochi 1/78 24 February 2014 Russia's President Vladimir Putin (C) poses for a photo with Russian athletes, winners of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, in Sochi GETTY IMAGES 2/78 23 February 2014 Hundreds of dancers join together to form the Olympics logo, with the fifth ring purposefully representing the malfunction in the opening ceremony.

Reuters 3/78 23 February 2014 Fireworks explode around the Fisht Olympic Stadium at the end of the Closing Ceremony of the Sochi Winter Olympics at the Olympic Park in Sochi 4/78 23 February 2014 Alexander Zubkov’s four-man bobsleigh team celebrate gold for Russia reuters 5/78 23 February 2014 Pilot John James Jackson, Stuart Benson, Bruce Tasker and Joel Fearon of Great Britain team 1 make a run during the Men's Four Man Bobsleigh GETTY IMAGES Silver medalist David Murdoch of Great Britain celebrates during the medal ceremony for Men's Curling Getty Images 7/78 21 February 2014 Jianrou Li of China slides into the way of Elise Christie of Great Britain while competing in the Short Track Women's 1000m Semifinals GETTY IMAGES 8/78 21 February 2014 Elise Christie of Great Britain, Seung-Hi Park of South Korea, Marie-Eve Drolet of Canada and Veronique Pierron of France compete in the Short Track speed skating quarter-finals GETTY IMAGES 9/

78 21 February 2014 Despite still winning a silver medal, David Murdoch reflects on what could have been after his Team GB curling rink lose 9-3 to Canada in the gold medal match GETTY IMAGES 10/78 21 February 2014 Ukraine win their first gold medal of the Games with Vita Semerenko shooting at the range to help secure the Women's Biathlon 4x6 km Relay title GETTY IMAGES 11/78 21 February 2014 Sweden’s Fredrik Lindberg shouts out orders to his teammates as Sweden go on to claim bronze in the curling, beating China 6-4 GETTY IMAGES 12/78 21 February 2014 Franziska Preuss of Germany competes during the Women's 4 x 6 km Relay in a Sochi sunset behind her GETTY IMAGES David Murdoch pictured during the curling final which Team GB lost 9-3 to Canada GETTY IMAGES Eve Muirhead in action in the bronze medal match, which Team GB won, beating Switzerland GETTY IMAGES 15/78 20 February 2014 Great Britain's Anna Sloan,

 Eve Muirhead, Vicki Adams and Claire Hamilton celebrate after winning the Women's Curling Bronze Medal Game at the Ice Cube Curling Center GETTY IMAGES 16/78 20 February 2014 Great Britain's Anna Sloan, Eve Muirhead, Vicki Adams and Claire Hamilton celebrate after winning the Women's Curling Bronze Medal Game at the Ice Cube Curling Center GETTY IMAGES 17/78 20 February 2014 Great Britain's Anna Sloan, Eve Muirhead, Vicki Adams and Claire Hamilton celebrate after winning the Women's Curling Bronze Medal Game at the Ice Cube Curling Center GETTY IMAGES 18/78 19 February 2014 Finland's goalkeeper Tuukka Rask (L) celebrates with a team-mate at the end of the Men's Ice Hockey play-off quarter-final against Russia, which they won 3-1 GETTY IMAGES 19/78 19 February 2014 Canada's Skip Jennifer Jones celebrates after throwing the last stone to win the game against Team GB GETTY IMAGES 20/78 19 February 2014 Eve Muirhead, Anna Sloan, Vick

i Adams, and Claire Hamilton of Great Britain console each other after losing to Canada in the curling semi-final GETTY IMAGES 21/78 19 February 2014 Norway's Marit Bjoergen crosses the finish line to win in the Women's Cross-Country Skiing Team Sprint Classic Final at the Laura Cross-Country Ski and Biathlon Center GETTY IMAGES 22/78 19 February 2014 Gold medalists Finland's Sami Jauhojaervi (bacK L) and Finland's Iivo Niskanen (16 R) react at the finish line of the Men's Cross-Country Skiing Team Sprint Classic Final GETTY IMAGES A fan takes a snap at the Sochi games GETTY IMAGES Violinist Vanessa Mae pictured competing in Sochi GETTY IMAGES 25/78 18 February 2014 Cameron Bolton of Australia (yellow bib) leads the field in the Men's Snowboard Cross 1/8 Finals GETTY IMAGES Vanessa-Mae competes before finishing 74th after her first run in the women's giant slalom GETTY IMAGES 27/78 18 February 2014

 Scott Andrews of Great Britain throws the rock while playing Norway during the Curling at Ice Cube Curling Center on day 11 GETTY IMAGES 28/78 18 February 2014 Team GB men's curling captain celebrates his two-point haul in the final end of their tie-break 6-5 victory over Norway GETTY IMAGES 29/78 17 February 2014 Rowan Cheshire posted this picture on Twitter showing the extent of her injuries from a skiing accident in training Twitter/@Rowan_C_ 30/78 17 February 2014 Rui Liu of China competes against Great Britian during the Men's Curling Round Robin on day ten of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics GETTY IMAGES 31/78 17 February 2014 Great Britain skipper Eve Muirfield guided her team to a 9-6 victory over Russia to qualify for at least a tie-breaker for the semi-finals GETTY IMAGES 32/78 16 February 2014 Alisa Agafonova and Alper Ucar of Turkey compete during the Figure Skating Ice Dance Short Dance

 GETTY IMAGES A view of the Ice Hockey in Sochi GETTY IMAGES 34/78 16 February 2014 Ilya Nikulin #5 of Russia talks with Zdeno Chara #33 of Slovakia after defeating Slovakia in a shoot out during the Men's Ice Hockey Preliminary Round Group A game Getty Images 35/78 16 February 2014 David Murdoch of Great Britain looks on during the Curling Men's Round Robin match between Great Britain and Norway GETTY IMAGES Lizzy Yarnold celebrates her victory for Great Britain in the skeleton in Sochi GETTY IMAGES Lizzy Yarnold looks delighted after her first two runs in the skeleton GETTY IMAGES Lizzy Yarnold goes on her first run in the skeleton GETTY IMAGES Elise Christie crashes out in the 500m speed skating final GETTY IMAGES Great Britain's James Woods competes in the Men's Freestyle Skiing Slopestyle GETTY IMAGES Great Britain's James Woods competes in the Men's Freestyle Skiing Slopestyle GETTY IMAGES Eve Muirhead in action against China GETTY IMAGES Lizzy Yarnold pictured practicing at the Games GETTY IMAGES Eve Muirfield guides a stone across

 the ice during Great Britain's 9-6 defeat to Canada GETTY IMAGES Chemmy Alcott finished in 19th place in the women's downhill skiing GETTY IMAGES Shaun White of the United States congratulates gold medalist Iouri Podladtchikov of Switzerland Getty Images Seamus O'Connor progressed to the men's snowboard halfpipe semi-final GETTY IMAGES Andrew Musgrave qualified for the cross-country men's sprint quarter-finals GETTY IMAGES 49/78 11 February 2014 Dara Howell celebrates her gold medal in the ski slopestyle final with Devin Logan (L) finishing second and Kim Lamarre (R) taking bronze GETTY IMAGES 50/78 11 February 2014 Katie Summerhayes qualified for the ski slopestyle final with two solid runs but could only manage seventh GETTY IMAGES Lizzy Arnold topped the timesheets once again during the skeleton training heats GETTY IMAGES British medal hope Jack Whelbourne crashes out of the 1500m speed skating final GETTY IMAGES 53/78 10 February 2014 Eve Muirhead of Great Britain watches Margaretha Sigfridsson of Sweden during the round robin match

 against Sweden GETTY IMAGES 54/78 10 February 2014 Lizzy Yarnold tops the timesheets on the opening day of training in the skeleton competition in Sochi GETTY IMAGES 55/78 10 February 2014 Team GB men's curling captain David Merdoch had a perfect record in his side's 7-4 victory over Russia GETTY IMAGES 56/78 9 February 2014 Ireen Wust of the Netherlands becomes the first openly gay athlete to win gold in Sochi GETTY IMAGES Jenny Jones with her Bronze medal PA 58/78 9 February 2014 Great Britain's Jenny Jones celebrates after finding out she won Bronze in the Women's Snowboard Slopestyle Final PA 59/78 9 February 2014 Jenny Jones of Great Britain celebrates an historic bronze on the snow after the flower ceremony of the Women's Snowboard Slopestyle final at Rosa Khutor Extreme Park EPA The remains of a door kicked in in the athletes village 61/78 8 February 2014 Sage Kotsenburg of the USA took gold in the snowboard slopestyle GET

TY IMAGES Jamie Nicholls finished sixth in the snowboard slopestyle final GETTY IMAGES Marit Bjoergen took gold for Norway in the cross country skiing GETTY IMAGES 64/78 7 February 2014 Fireworks go off over the Olympic Park at the end of the Opening Ceremony of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Games at the Fisht Olympic Stadium EPA 65/78 7 February 2014 The Olympic Rings as presented by Sochi 2014, where the fifth metal ring failed to illuminate Twitter A general view of the ice in the Ice Cube Curling Center GETTY IMAGES Short track speed skater Richard Shoebridge of Great Britain practices at the Iceberg Skating Palace GETTY IMAGES Severin Freund of Germany jumps during the Men's Normal Hill Individual Ski Jumping training GETTY IMAGES A ski jumper (R) is seen during practice at the RusSki Gorki Jumping Center GETTY IMAGES 70/78 6 February 2014 Austria's Miriam Kastlunger races during a women's Luge training session at the Sanki Sliding Centre in Rosa Khutor GETTY IMAGES Marika Pertakhiya of Russia

 competes in the Ladies' Moguls Qualification GETTY IMAGES Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan competes in the Figure Skating Men's Short Program GETTY IMAGES 73/78 6 February 2014 Volunteers skiers take part in the cross-country training session at the Laura Cross Country Skiing and Biathlon Centre in Rosa Khuto GETTY IMAGES Germany's Biathlete Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle prepares to shoot near the Olympic rings GETTY IMAGES An Alpine Skiier in practice 76/78 6 February 2014 Winston Watts of Jamaica pilots a bobsleigh practice run ahead of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics GETTY IMAGES Jamie Nicholls has qualified for Saturday's Snowboard style finals on the opening day of competition GETTY IMAGES Canada’s Brad Jacobs follows Jennifer Jones into Olympic curling finals - The Globe and Mail Olympics Canada's lead Ryan Harnden (L) and Canada's vice Ryan Fry sweep ahead of a stone during their men's curling semi-final game against China at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics in the Ice Cube Curling Center in Sochi February 19, 2014.

(PHIL NOBLE/REUTERS) Canada's lead Ryan Harnden (L) and Canada's vice Ryan Fry sweep ahead of a stone during their men's curling semi-final game against China at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics in the Ice Cube Curling Center in Sochi February 19, 2014. (PHIL NOBLE/REUTERS) Sochi 2014: Team GB women win curling bronze after last-stone drama | Sport | The Guardian Sochi 2014: Team GB women win curling bronze after last-stone drama • Eve Muirhead's team beat Switzerland 6-5 in 10th end • Great Britain certain of best medal haul since 1924 Great Britain's Claire Hamilton, Vicki Adams, Eve Muirhead and Anna Sloan celebrate winning bronze against Switzerland.

Photograph: Andrew Milligan/PA Thursday 20 February 2014 06.33 EST First published on Thursday 20 February 2014 06.33 EST Close This article is 2 years old Eve Muirhead threw the stone that secured a curling bronze medal, ensuring that Britain will equal their best medal haul at a Winter Games, then hailed the play-off victory over Switzerland as "really special". Twenty-four hours after the heartache of losing the opportunity to win gold, Muirhead said the stone that guaranteed Britain would finish with at least four medals would stay with her forever. The skip, Muirhead, and the coach, Rhona Howie, who won gold in Salt Lake City 12 years ago, paid tribute to the way the rink had regrouped after losing to Canada in the semi-finals . "The Olympic medal is the one we've been missing and to win it with three or four of my best friends is really special," said Muirhead, who like her team-mates had looked crushed after losing to Canada on Wednesday.

With Lizzy Yarnold's gold in the skeleton , a bronze for Jenny Jones in the snowboard slopestyle, a bronze for Muirhead's women curlers and at least a silver for David Murdoch's men in Friday's final, Team GB have surpassed the three medals won in 1936 and equalled the best haul of four at the first Winter Games in Chamonix in 1924. "I'm glad I didn't know that before I played it," said Muirhead, who was in tears at the end of the match. "All of Team GB are really a great bunch of guys. To hear it has made Team GB the most successful Olympics ever for us, it makes that stone probably stay with me for ever." That total could be bettered if Elise Christie recovers from the heartache of double disqualification to win the 1,000m short track speed skating on Friday or the men's four-man bobsleigh win a medal. Like Murdoch, whose rink play Canada for Olympic gold, Muirhead said that they had been inspired by Britain's summer Olympians.

The rower Katherine Grainger – who understands the slings and arrows of Olympic sport as well as anyone – had emailed them on the morning of their bronze medal match to urge them on. Howie said the world champions had been "devastated" to lose to Canada – who Jennifer Jones, wearing gold eyeshadow, led to a 6-3 victory in the gold medal match, making them the first women's team to go through an Olympics unbeaten – but that defeat had made them doubly determined to salvage a bronze. "I am really proud of the girls, they came out and worked so hard. Yesterday was a devastating blow to them," she said. "They showed true character, played a great game, turned the hammer around and really fought hard. It's a well-deserved medal." Against an experienced Swiss skip, Muirhead made all the right calls. She went into the final end with the hammer knowing that a single would be enough to win and nervelessly delivered. Vice captain Anna Sloan's contribution was vital, particularly in an eighth end that yielded two points for Great Britain and set them up to win. "I never had any doubt when Eve was over that last stone," Sloan said.

"There was no way we were leaving here without a medal. We wanted the gold but it shows the spirit of our team to pick ourselves up and a bronze medal feels amazing right now." The British women were under intense pressure to deliver all week and the tears were as much of relief as of joy. An "exhausted but buzzing" Muirhead said it had been "a constant rollercoaster". "Maybe I come across as a bit stern faced, quite focused. I am. Inside, though, maybe I'm not as hard as everyone likes to think I am," said the 23-year-old, who is the only member of her team to have been to a Games before. "It's tough out there – mentally and physically – but as a team what a fantastic show we put on today." Lord Coe, who watched alongside summer medallists including Sir Steve Redgrave and David Hemery , said Muirhead and her rink would inspire others. "The whole team's fantastic and I just hope that given this is half term, a lot of kids are watching the way they have handled themselves," said Coe, the British Olympic Association chairman.

"The pressure is not just about the campaign here, it's about the weeks and months of buildup, and the level of expectation there has always been around our curling teams." Curling is unusual in that it is funded equally by the Scottish Institute of Sport and UK Sport, with both men's and women's teams representing Scotland most of the time but switching to Team GB tracksuits at the Games. Muirhead answered the inevitable question about Scottish independence with the same ice-cool aplomb with which she curls. "Whenever you've got the chance to represent Great Britain and you've got Great Britain on your back, you're super proud. You're equally as proud when you've got Scotland on your back," she said. "Nine times out of 10, we're representing Scotland at European and world championships but at the Olympic Games it's Great Britain. Each one, we're as proud." David Cameron and the Scottish first minister, Alex Salmond, were equally as quick to Tweet messages of congratulation, along with Sir Chris Hoy and a host of other Olympians.

The men's team will hope to be on the receiving end of similar messages on Friday, though they will have to overcome the favourites, Canada, who beat Murdoch's rink 7-5 in the group stages. They go into the match having proven their form, first in the tiebreaker against Norway and then again in the semi-finals against Sweden. Rush of medals for host nation helps buoy mood on shores of Black Sea after most expensive Games in history Published: 23 Feb 2014 Skipper David Murdoch on how their coach, Soren Gran, reignited his love of curling after the dark days of the last Winter Olympics Published: 20 Feb 2014 Britain vs. Canada Olympic Men's Curling Final: Live Score, Highlights, Reaction | Bleacher Report Britain vs. Canada Olympic Men's Curling Final: Live Score, Highlights, Reaction By Lee Walker , UK Managing Editor Feb 21, 2014 Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse more stories Paul Gilham/Getty Images 0 Comments The men's curling competition at the 2014 Winter Olympics came to a conclusion as Canada defeated Great Britain 9-3.

Canada won gold in Vancouver and Brad Jacobs emulated Kevin Martin by landing an Olympic title for a curling-mad nation. Jennifer Jones' rink took women's gold for the Canucks on Thursday. British skip David Murdoch’s rink of Michael Goodfellow, Scott Andrews and Greg Drummond reached this stage after two nerve-jangling games but buckled under the pressure. The Scottish quartet conceded after eight ends with the gap too large.

Question: On the 2014 Winter Olympic Games who did the British men's curling team play in the final?
Answer: Canada