Team GB Curlers Beat Sweden in Olympic Comeback Win

The Scottish curlers who left Beijing with silver medals just proved they're coming back for gold.

Bruce Mouat and his Team GB quartet dominated Sweden 6-3 in Cortina, beating the same rink that denied them Olympic glory four years ago. The victory was decisive, controlled, and two years in the making.

The matchup had all the makings of a grudge match. Swedish skip Niklas Edin is considered one of curling's all-time greats, especially in Olympic competition. But Mouat has now beaten him in eight of their last 10 meetings, and the Scot wasn't about to break that streak in the Italian Dolomites.

From the first end, Team GB seized control. Mouat won the hammer (the right to throw last), and when Edin missed a difficult double takeout, the British skip capitalized with two points. That lead never wavered.

By halfway through the match, Team GB led 4-1. Mouat, along with teammates Hammy McMillan, Bobby Lammie, and Grant Hardie, kept applying pressure, forcing Sweden into uncomfortable shots they couldn't execute. The lead stretched to 6-2 with three ends remaining, and Edin conceded defeat with two ends still on the clock.

Why This Inspires

This wasn't just another round-robin victory. It was redemption wrapped in precision and teamwork. After Mouat's disappointing mixed doubles performance earlier in these Games, this win showcases the mental toughness required to reset and refocus under Olympic pressure.

"Everyone keeps reminding us they beat us in Beijing so we had that motivation," Hardie told BBC Sport after the match. "We were quite relentless."

What makes the victory even more impressive is that the four teammates hadn't trained together for a month before the Olympics. Yet they returned to the ice with their flow and communication intact, a testament to years of partnership and trust.

Team GB needs seven wins from nine round-robin matches to guarantee a spot in the semifinals. With two wins already secured and their confidence soaring, they're well positioned to chase the gold that narrowly escaped them in 2022.

The British rink faces Italy next in another high-stakes matchup on Friday morning. If they keep playing like they did against Sweden, that gold medal dream is looking more like a promise.