Winter Olympics: Muirhead family ties as curlers seek success in South Korea

Some people will go to any lengths to avoid missing a big sporting occasion, but the Muirhead curling dynasty may have trumped them all.

With Eve leading the women's rink at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, her younger brother Thomas part of the men's rink and elder brother Glen the men's alternate, it makes sense for Mrs Muirhead to be in South Korea watching.

But what of dad? "Someone has to keep an eye on the farm at home," Eve tells BBC Sport.

"But he'll be watching every single game. Thomas's girlfriend Lucy has installed a TV in the lambing shed already."

That's commitment for you.

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While the stay-at-home Muirheads are readying themselves for spring, the travelling ones are gearing up for competition after a week-long acclimatisation and training camp in Japan.

The men's rink, led by Kyle Smith, are in action first on Wednesday against Switzerland before a second match on the opening day against the world and Olympic champions Canada.

In between, the women begin against the Olympic Athletes of Russia, whose participation gives Muirhead no cause for complaint.

"Victoria Moiseeva, who's their skip, has earned her right to be there," said Muirhead.

"I'm happy to compete against any clean athlete and I'm looking forward to that first game."

Kyle Smith is taking part in his first Winter Olympics

Muirhead, 27, admits her third Olympics has a special feel because of the presence in Team GB of her brothers, with whom she has been spending a lot of time in the athletes' village, aside from a trip to the on-site nail salon.

"We're very much a team," she said of the two rinks. "At the European Championships we had a great laugh with the boys.

"We did a lot of stuff together, we get on great."

Smith, 25, whose brother Cammy is also in the team, added: "I don't think we could go away as much as we do and not get on.

"This is something we've dreamed of doing our whole lives, we're just going to try to relish it."

Both rinks will have a final practice session on Tuesday in the Gangneung Curling Centre before beginning their medal quest the following day.

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