Winter Olympics 2022 - GB sneak into curling mixed doubles semi-finals despite Norway loss
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Updated 06/02/2022 at 15:59 GMT
Team GB’s superior head-to-head record means that Bruce Mouat and Jennifer Dodds are guaranteed a semi-final spot despite another mixed day on the ice. Mouat and Dodds have five wins and three defeats so far and were no match for Norway's aggression, with Dodds a little light on her throwing as GB failed to capitalise on any of their opponents' mistakes.
Britain's Jennifer Dodds curls the stone during the mixed doubles round robin session 12 game of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games
Image credit: Getty Images
Team GB scraped into the mixed doubles curling semi-finals with a match to spare despite a crushing 6-2 defeat by Norway.
Bruce Mouat and Jen Dodds will find out their opponents after their final round-robin match against USA on Monday morning.
Defeat to the Norwegians was Mouat and Dodds’ third loss of the opening phase and their most underwhelming display yet of the Games.
Magnus Nedregotten and Kristin Skaslien kept them off the scoreboard in the first two ends as they took a 2-0 lead against the hammer.
And it was Skaslien who produced the best throw of the opening end, guiding the stone past the guard to push Team GB off the button to edge ahead.
Team GB finally scored in the third end with Mouat smashing through the stones to reduce the deficit.
But two more dominant ends from Norway saw them open up a 4-1 lead, with Dodds a little off colour and far from the brilliant form she showed in Team GB's defeat to Italy on Saturday.
And it was Dodds who missed a glorious chance in the sixth end to pull two points back as her effort was far too light, with Team GB earning just one point instead.
Norway's power play in the seventh end all but put an end to the contest, capitalising after the Brits let one too many chances go begging.
And after Dodds threw wide, short and light again, Norway made it virtually impossible for Team GB to grab the win with Skaslien swerving round the guard stone to score two points and make it 6-2.
Skaslien found the button once again in the eighth end with Team GB's guard stone little use all evening. And Dodds and Mouat were forced to concede as Norway took control of the eighth end and put a four-point finish beyond their opponents.
But regardless of their performance today, Mouat was thrilled to have a shot at a medal in the semis and hopes they can kick start a rush for Team GB.
"We hope so," he said. "Obviously we were the first to start from GB and we started with a win and to be able to get a medal would be a great achievement."
"Hopefully Team GB can get inspired by it and have a good run.
"We are obviously very excited. We've still got a job to do tomorrow and we want to finish the round robin with a win; that'll set us up well for the semi-finals."
And Dodds echoed that the pair were focused on their next match, while admitting they were yet to hit their best.
"We know it's going to be tough whoever we play in the semis," she said. "We just want to go out tomorrow and string out eight ends like we know we can."
"I think we have still got a wee bit to go until we hit our best. We have not yet strung eight ends together.
"We are pretty confident we will do that. We have had a couple of good ends here and there or poor ends.
"Tomorrow is a new day and the knockouts are a new competition. I'm confident we can do that."
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