Winter Olympics: Sweden outclass South Korea to win gold in women's curling

Sweden outclassed hosts South Korea to regain the women's curling Winter Olympic title in Pyeongchang.

They won 8-3 to win gold for a third time and improve on the silver medal the nation won in Sochi four years ago.

Anna Hasselborg's rink led from the third end and scored a crucial three in the seventh to move 7-2 ahead.

South Korea narrowed the gap by one in the following end but the Swedes took another stone in the ninth and the teams shook hands with one end to play.

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Sweden were competing in their fourth consecutive Olympic final, winning in 2006 and 2010.

The South Korean team's silver earned the hosts their first Olympic curling medal but they struggled to find the form which had seen them win eight matches in a row.

The sport was relatively unknown in South Korea until the impressive run by the team of school friends, nicknamed the 'Garlic Girls' as they all come from a small garlic-growing region.

Former Scottish curler Logan Gray said the silver medal was a "huge accomplishment, not just for Korean curling but Pacific and Asian curling".

He added on BBC One: "The region is definitely closing the gap on the other nations. What these Korean women are doing could have a long-lasting legacy here."

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