Winter Olympics live: Team GB curlers lose to Canada leaving medal hopes hanging by a thread
Team GB have two games left to stake their claim for a semi-final spot and face heavyweights Canada in a difficult encounter
The Olympic curling tournament is reaching its business end as world champions Great Britain face an early exit from the competition.
A battling clash with Canada saw Bruce Mouat’s rink continue to underperform and they slipped to a 9-5 defeat in their penultimate match of the round robin stage.
That loss follows a shock defeat to Norway on Monday leaves them in a horrendous position, with just one round robin game to play and several teams in contention for a top-four spot.
Italy’s victory over the United States puts them in a tie for third place - with Norway - and forces GB into fifth with Canada and Switzerland also currently in the top four.
All four of the top teams also have a game in hand on Great Britain though Italy and Norway are both yet to play Switzerland and Canada.
That means Team GB might yet go through but they need other results to go their way and must defeat the United States on Wednesday to have any hopes of playing for an Olympic medal.
Follow all the action with The Independent’s live blog below:
GB curlers slump to defeat against Canada to leave semi-final qualification on a knife edge
The polite and chivalrous world of curling was dragged through the mud this week, rocked by a cheating scandal and cries of foul play. Sweden’s Oskar Eriksson accused Canada’s Marc Kennedy of cheating; the latter was so incensed by the accusation that he went on an expletive-laden rant in his opponent’s face, only for videos to emerge supporting the Swede entirely.
World Curling eventually stepped in, attempting to calm the controversy with additional umpiring measures, which caught out Canada’s women’s team and Britain’s men, before backing off again, returning to the status quo of players largely self-refereeing.
GB curlers slump to Canada defeat to leave semi-final qualification on a knife edge
How can Team GB reach the semi finals?
Team GB’s hopes of making it into the top four hang by a thread and they need a lot of help.
First, they must defeat the United States in their final round robin match tomorrow. If they don’t they’re out without playing a medal match.
Then they need to hope that Switzerland and Canada each win both of their remaining two games with those two sides taking on both Italy and Norway across Wednesday and Thursday.
That would mean that Britain can jump above the Italians and the Norwegians into the top four.
It’s a lot to ask for both of their closest rivals to each lose their final two matches in the round robin stage but crazier things have happened.
Great Britain beaten 9-5 by Canada!
And that’s that!
Team GB shake hands as they trail by four points with one end to go.
It’s another defeat and their semi-final place is looking very far away now.
Great Britain 5-9 Canada
A decent effort for Mouat to freeze a yellow on top of the left sitting red.
Jacobs aims for the front red and wants to take out the middle yellow.
He releases the stone with some force and is successful in the aim.
Canada lie two and Mouat has another tasking shot to score more than one.
His only option is to try a takeout on the front red. He’s off target and ends up giving up anothe point!
Great Britain 5-8 Canada
GB are trying to protect the two yellows.
Hardie looks to sit his final stone on top of the other two but it’s slightly too hard.
The nudge opens up a chance for Canada to take out all three yellows!
‘Give it a bomb on the nose!’ is the call to Brad Jacobs.
He obliges!
One, maybe two, yellows fly out of the ring but there are too many reds for Mouat to handle.
‘We’re only getting two max’ is the assessment from Mouat.
Great Britain 5-8 Canada
Kennedy’s second stone is a takeout aimed at the front yellow. He’s hoping to displace two yellows but jams the connected one into the other two.
Two yellows remain in the house.
Britain take a timeout to discuss how to play this with the coach...
Great Britain 5-8 Canada
GB start off by putting in the guards on the centre as Canada send stones into the house.
Lammie curls his first stone onto the clustered reds and nudges them apart.
Now is the time to put stones into the house. Lammie comes again and draws in from the left. He’s a little too long but manages to leave a yellow in amongst it.
Canada try to take out the final guard and displace a second yellow as well.
No! Kennedy just takes out the guard.
Great Britain 5-8 Canada
This is grave for Team GB.
They are hanging on to their hopes of reaching the semi-finals but are facing a fourth defeat of the round robin stage here.
What can they muster of the final two ends?
Great Britain 5-8 Canada
Canada have forced Mouat’s hand and he’ll need to draw into the green area to take one.
He doesn’t do that!
He tries to play off the right side red and spin into the middle but he hits it on the nose.
Worse still, Canada are closer to the middle meaning they score one and increase their lead!
Great Britain 5-7 Canada
Great Britain need to blank or score two from this end.
It looks highly unlikely at this stage.
They’re discussing freezing on top of the right side red or possibly drawing in behind the middle red to leave a testing final shot for Jacobs.
Mouat decides with the second option and gets it all wrong. He ends up too short and Canada have the chance to lie four up with one stone left.
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