UK Sport

We use cookies to track and analyse visitors to our website

These cookies help make the website usable by enabling basic functions like page navigation. They are necessary for our website to function and cannot be switched off.
These cookies gather information to understand how visitors interact with the website, such as how many people are using our website of which pages are popular to help us improve user experience. Switching off these cookies will mean that we cannot gather information to improve the user experience.
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by a third party provider whose services we have added to our website. Switching off these cookies mean that areas of our website cannot work properly.

Cookies are small text files that can be used by websites to make a user's experience more efficient.

The law states that we can store cookies on your device if they are strictly necessary for the operation of this site.

For all other types of cookies we need your permission.

This site uses different types of cookies. Some cookies are placed by third party services that appear on our pages.

You can at any time change or withdraw your consent from the Cookie Declaration on our website.

Learn more about who we are, how you can contact us and how we process personal data in our Privacy Policy.

Skip navigation
the national lottery
Twitter Facebook Youtube Instagram LinkedIn
  • About us
    • Our Directors Team
    • Our Board
    • Panels
    • Board Member Declarations of Interest
    • Strategic Plan 2021-31
    • Our partners
    • English Institute of Sport
    • Accessibility
    • Contact us
    • Media centre
    • FAQs
    • Working at UK Sport
  • Our work
    • Investing in sport
    • Investing in events
    • Talent identification
    • Coaching
    • International relations
    • Leadership, development & governance
  • Events
  • News
  • Sports
    Olympic sports
    • Archery
    • Artistic Swimming
    • Athletics
    • Badminton
    • Basketball
    • Biathlon
    • Bobsleigh
    • Boxing (Amateur)
    • Canoeing
    • View all
    Paralympic sports
    • Boccia
    • Goalball
    • Para-Archery
    • Para-Athletics
    • Para-Badminton
    • Para-Canoe
    • Para-Cycling
    • Para-Equestrian Dressage
    • Para-Rowing
    • View all
  • Resources
    • A Code for Sports Governance
    • Organisational Health
    • Annual reports
    • Board minutes
    • British Cycling independent review
    • Complaints and whistleblowing
    • Eligibility
    • Fraud, corruption and bribery
    • High Performance System Advisory Group
    • HR policy templates
    • Pregnancy guidance
    • Reports
    • Privacy policies
    • Publication Scheme
    • Recruitment framework
    • The Whyte Review
    • Tenders
    • Transparency and open data
    • Welsh language scheme
  • Jobs in sport
    • Explore career pathways
    • Jobs in sport
    • Submit a job
  • About us
    • Our Directors Team
    • Our Board
    • Panels
    • Board Member Declarations of Interest
    • Strategic Plan 2021-31
    • Our partners
    • English Institute of Sport
    • Accessibility
    • Contact us
    • Media centre
    • FAQs
    • Working at UK Sport
  • Our work
    • Investing in sport
    • Investing in events
    • Talent identification
    • Coaching
    • International relations
    • Leadership, development & governance
  • Events
  • News
  • Sports
    Olympic sports
    • Archery
    • Artistic Swimming
    • Athletics
    • Badminton
    • Basketball
    • Biathlon
    • Bobsleigh
    • Boxing (Amateur)
    • Canoeing
    • View all
    Paralympic sports
    • Boccia
    • Goalball
    • Para-Archery
    • Para-Athletics
    • Para-Badminton
    • Para-Canoe
    • Para-Cycling
    • Para-Equestrian Dressage
    • Para-Rowing
    • View all
  • Resources
    • A Code for Sports Governance
    • Organisational Health
    • Annual reports
    • Board minutes
    • British Cycling independent review
    • Complaints and whistleblowing
    • Eligibility
    • Fraud, corruption and bribery
    • High Performance System Advisory Group
    • HR policy templates
    • Pregnancy guidance
    • Reports
    • Privacy policies
    • Publication Scheme
    • Recruitment framework
    • The Whyte Review
    • Tenders
    • Transparency and open data
    • Welsh language scheme
  • Jobs in sport
    • Explore career pathways
    • Jobs in sport
    • Submit a job
Press Enter to Search
News

Martin skips curlers to Gold in Salt Lake

Published 22 February 2002

THE WOMEN’S CURLING team won Great Britain’s first Gold medal at a Winter Olympics since 1984 with victory over Switzerland in a dramatic final on Thursday.

The quartet’s chances of even reaching the knockout stages seemed to be dead and buried earlier in the competition when they lost a vital group game to Germany. Ironically it then took a win by the Swiss, against the Germans, to hand Rhona Martin’s team a lifeline and send them into a three-way play-off for the remaining spot in the last four – a chance they gratefully accepted.

Having knocked out reigning champions Canada in the semi-finals, the British team entered Thursday’s clash in good spirits with a win against Switzerland in the round-robin stages already under their belt.

But it was the Swiss who edged ahead first in a low-scoring final, taking a stone in the fourth end. Team Martin responded immediately as they have done ever since entering the play-offs, scoring a double at the close of the next end to move into a 2-1 lead, which they extended to 3-1 after a Swiss mistake during end seven.

WITH THREE ends to play, Britain’s first Gold medal since Torvill and Dean wowed the skating judges in Sarajevo 18 years ago was on the cards, but an incredibly tense final still had a further twist in its tail as Switzerland hit back to square the match at 3-3.

Crucially Britain possessed the hammer – the last stone – in the tenth and final end. Martin held her nerve to land an inch-perfect final stone in the centre of the house to secure a 4-3 win.

"To win a Gold medal is the most unbelievable feeling," said Martin afterwards. "It was so close but we were always in control and pulled through as a team when it really mattered."

Team-mate Fiona MacDonald added: "We have put in so much hard work and effort we have got what we came here for. We have been together for three years and now it has paid off."

The quartet – Martin, MacDonald, Debbie Knox and Janice Rankin, plus reserve Maggie Morton - were presented with their Gold medals in a ceremony at Medals Plaza in downtown Salt Lake City last night by Craig Reedie, Chairman of the British Olympic Association and Deputy Chairman of UK Sport.

Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
News
uk sport logo
UK Sport and Sport England move to strengthen safeguarding and welfare across sport
16 January 2023
England women's football team (The Lionesses) lift the Women's 2022 European Championship trophy at Wembley Stadium.
New report reveals economic and social benefits of the UK hosting sporting events
12 January 2023
Close-up of gymnast hands with chalk before competition.
UK Sport and Sport England Whyte Review update
20 December 2022
Sport jobs in the UK
Find & advertise UK based sports jobs here
Read more
Funding Partners
  • DCMS
  • TNL partners
Strategic Partners
  • British Olympic Association
  • Paralympics GB
  • english institute of sport logo
  • Sport England
  • Sport Northern Ireland
  • Sport Wales
  • Sport Scotland
Sitelogo
Sitemap
  • Homepage
  • About us
  • Our work
  • Events
  • News
  • Sports
  • Resources
  • Jobs in sport
  • UK Sport editorial policy
  • Freedom of Information Act 2000
  • Website terms
  • Accessibility
  • Cookies policy
  • FAQs
Contact
UK Sport
6th Floor
10 South Colonnade
London
E14 4PU
E: info@uksport.gov.uk
T: +44 (0) 20 7211 5100
Follow us
Twitter Facebook Youtube Instagram LinkedIn

© Copyright UK Sport 2023