Winter Olympics: GB women curlers' play-off hopes in danger after China loss

Great Britain's women's bid to reach the semi-finals of the Winter Olympics curling is in danger after they slipped to a shock 8-4 loss to China.

Eve Muirhead, Vicky Wright, Jen Dodds and Hailey Duff needed to beat the Chinese - and the Russian Olympic Committee in their final game - to be fairly sure of progressing.

But the Chinese took three in the ninth end to ultimately clinch victory.

Britain now need to beat ROC and rely on results elsewhere.

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A win in that final round-robin match on Thursday (06:05 GMT) would take them to five wins and four defeats, and any places left for teams with that record would be decided on head-to-head.

Only the top four teams progress to the next round.

Later, Great Britain's men, who have already secured their progression to the last four, earned their seventh win from eight matches by beating ROC 8-6.

A damaging defeat

China had only won two of their seven matches, so Muirhead's rink were in a good position to take control of their own destiny.

However, a cagey match was turned in the host nation's favour when skip Wang Rui teed up - and then executed - a final shot for three in the ninth end.

That blow had followed Muirhead's stone in the eighth spinning just wide to limit Britain to a score of one, rather than two, to emphasise the fine margins in the match.

China's three took the score from 4-4 to 7-4, and suddenly Britain's clear advantage of having the hammer in the last end was wiped out by a daunting deficit.

Even then, Muirhead was left with a difficult double take out with the last stone to try to salvage an extra end, but again her rock just slid by.

"We need to come out and concentrate on our performance against Russia and focus on what we can do and then hope the curling Gods are on our side," Muirhead said.

"It's been one of those weeks, sometimes you get the rubs and sometimes nothing seems to go your way.

"I thought I'd made that shot, another millimetre and we'd have forced an extra end. That was a tough shot, you aren't going to make it very often - but when you've got no other shot, then you need to give those things a go."

Mouat's men win again

Great Britain's men, featuring skip Bruce Mouat plus Grant Hardie, Bobby Lammie, and Hammy McMillan, now sit top of the standings and are one of the favourites for gold.

After taking three in the opening end, Mouat's rink increased their lead to 6-2 after six and closed out the win, despite ROC reducing the deficit to one going into the final end.

"Tactically they are a really strong team," Mouat said. "It is quite tough to keep lead.

"We were hitting really well. It felt comfortable but not completely comfortable."

Great Britain's final round-robin match is on Thursday at 01:05 GMT against Canada, who could be their opponents later the same day in the semi-final at 12:05.

"If we have to play them again, it will be good learning from the morning," Mouat said.

"We will go into the day prepared to play two games regardless. If it is Canada twice, then bring it on."

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