Down the final stones, then.

"Line's good!" shouts British skip Eve Muirhead. She draws her throw around the guard and into a packed house.

Two yellow British stones are flanking a Swedish red in the central ring.

The Swedes look to be in a bit of a hole here.

Jackie Lockhart
Four-time Olympic curler on BBC TV

This is pulling, big-time. That is a huge pull across if you dont catch the line right. I thought she threw that ok but that took an almighty curl. Even Eve's confused by that one!

Eve Muirhead tells her team what she plans to do with the penultimate British stone of this third end.

The skip has a look up at the big screen too, working out the physics in her mind.

Weight is the key here. But the stone pulls round too much and potentially opens the door for the Swedes.

An overthrow from Sweden goes right into the middle of the house and gives Britain a chance to grab hold of this end.

Vicki Wright curls her lip as she puts down a high guard, replacing the one which the Swedes skittled in the throw before.

Steve Cram
Curling commentator on BBC TV

There's a mistake... and in fact it is a steal for GB. Even though it did get past the guard it still turned and a mistake from the Swedish skip.

The British team will be pretty pleased with that result.

Thomas Duncan
BBC Scotland in Beijing

Swedish skip Anna Hasselborg just smashed her broom off the floor after that. She doesn't usually make those kinds of errors.

GB need to make it count with the hammer in this end.

Error from Hasselborg! The final Swedish stone quickly comes round from right to left, too early and too sharply for their liking.

While it skirts past the guard it continues to curl round and allows Britain to steal.

Eve Muirhead follows the same line, but seems a bit disappointed with her sweepers.

It leaves the door ajar for Sweden and Anna Hasselborg, who are eyeing up the two points...

Image source, Getty Images

That is the standard to beat.

Russian Natalia Voronina lays down a time of 6:56.99 to slot into gold-medal position at the half-way stage. The Netherlands Sanne In'T Hof is in silver.

But there is some serious pace in the second half of the competition. Women who go sub-seven for breakfast.

Next up is one of them. Vancouver 2010 champion and PyeongChang 2018 silver medallist Martina Sabilkova of the Czech Republic.

Steve Cram
Curling commentator on BBC TV

Sweden are going to try and top this and they squeeze past the guard.

Judged perfectly well by the team and thrown well by Hasselborg.

So where does Eve Muirhead want to try and get to?

Down to the final two stones of the end.

"Easy, easy, Hailey. HAILEY!" Skip Eve Muirhead makes herself heard as she guides down the penultimate British throw. That ends up in the house.

Anna Hasselborg takes the tight line around the guard and down the centre line... eeek! It's very tight. But pretty much perfect.

Image source, Getty Images

What a finale.

Justin Schoenefeld rocks a 114.48 for the USA. What can Qi Guangpu do for China in his fourth Olympics?

This will have to be near perfect to snatch gold? It's good but that score of 122.17 will not be enough.

The USA take top spot on the podium with a collective score of 338.34, China get the silver medal with 324.22 and Canada end up with the bronze after scoring 290.98.

Inch-perfect. Sarah McManus responds with a precise throw, skirting around the guard and into the British stone loitering in the house.

Jackie Lockhart
Four-time Olympic curler on BBC TV

Sweden have hit and rolled out so GB has got the opportunity to pull one right around the guard and into the top four foot.

An arm wrestle begins the second end. A metaphorical one, of course. Britain try to edge close to the centre of the house, stone by stone.

Jen Dodds puts a bit more pace on the next stone, a wide grin telling us she is happy with that throw.

Image source, Getty

We have had four of the 12 competitiors complete their runs so far. Top of the timing sheet so far is Belarus' Maryna Zuyeva with a time of seven minutes 2.91 seconds.

But the 29-year-old has never won a major individual medal and probably won't here.

In the next pair is Russian world record holder Natalia Voronina and Sanne In'T Hof, a relative newcomer to the always-strong Dutch team.

Jackie Lockhart
Four-time Olympic curler on BBC TV

Sweden like that touch-curling - put one in, tap one back, so they know they can come to it when they have the hammer.

Steve Cram
Curling commentator on BBC TV

Sweden just need to catch a little bit of that yellow - but it doesn't stay, so this end is a blank.

Think both teams will be happy, just to settle down.

Swedish skip Anna Hasselborg fires down the final stone of the opening end, clipping the British one and knocking it out of the house to safety.

That's a blank to start and Sweden retain the hammer.

Reversal in fortune. Christopher Lillis puts the pressure on for the US with back double full-full-double full and it is brilliant. A score of 135.00.

China's Jia Zongyang goes conservative but then makes a huge error when landing, which sees him throw in an extra forward somersault to stay on his feet. It's only a 96.02.

The hosts drop to second prior to the final run.

Image source, BBC One