Forfar curlers help Team GB book Winter Olympics place

It was the perfect Christmas present for the Scottish team, skipped by Eve Muirhead, who were qualifying representatives for Team GB as the top ranked British side .

But it was an outcome that had looked extremely unlikely at the start of the day with table-topping Japan facing the team at the bottom of the standings in their final match, needing only to win to secure a place in Beijing without having to go through the playoffs for the final two spots.

However, while Muirhead, Wright, Jen Dodds and Duff were thrashing a dangerous Italy side 8-1 in double quick time, requiring just six of the scheduled 10 ends, the drama was unfolding across the ice, where Turkey, who had inflicted a shock defeat on the Scots at the start of the week, were putting Japan, the team that denied Team GB a medal at the last Winter Olympics, under pressure.

Turkey skip, Dilsat Yildiz, had been the main source of misery on Sunday, but she became the toast of the Muirhead camp by holding her nerve to lead her team to an 8-5 win.

That left the squad level with Japan and Korea on six wins and two losses, but the outcome was down to attention to detail, the tie-breaker a draw shot challenge, based on their overall performance across the week in the pre-match last stone draws which dictate which team wins the hammer.

It was there where the Brits held the advantage.