Homepage

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
  • About us
    • Our Directors team
    • Our Board and panels
    • Strategic plan 2021-31
    • Annual reports
    • Our funders
    • Who we work with
    • Tenders
    • Contact us
  • Our work
    • Investing in sport
    • Investing in events
    • Powering positive change and social impact
    • International relations
    • Learning and development
    • Protecting and Transforming Olympic and Paralympic sport
    • Leadership and governance
    • Coaching
  • Events
  • News
  • Sports
    Olympic sports
    • Archery
    • Aquatics
    • Artistic Swimming
    • Athletics
    • Badminton
    • Baseball
    • Basketball
    • Bobsleigh
    • Boxing (Amateur)
    • View all
    Paralympic sports
    • Boccia
    • Goalball
    • Para-Archery
    • Para-Athletics
    • Para-Badminton
    • Para-Canoe
    • Para-Climbing
    • Para-Cycling
    • Para-Equestrian Dressage
    • View all
  • Resources
    • A Code for Sports Governance
    • Organisational Health
    • Para performance strategic framework
    • Board minutes
    • Complaints and whistleblowing
    • Eligibility
    • Fraud, corruption and bribery
    • Transparency and open data
    • HR policy templates
    • Pregnancy guidance
    • Reports and research
    • The Whyte Review
  • Jobs in sport
    • Working at UK Sport
    • Explore career pathways
    • Find jobs in sport
    • Advertise sport jobs
  • About us
    • Our Directors team
    • Our Board and panels
    • Strategic plan 2021-31
    • Annual reports
    • Our funders
    • Who we work with
    • Tenders
    • Contact us
  • Our work
    • Investing in sport
    • Investing in events
    • Powering positive change and social impact
    • International relations
    • Learning and development
    • Protecting and Transforming Olympic and Paralympic sport
    • Leadership and governance
    • Coaching
  • Events
  • News
  • Sports
    Olympic sports
    • Archery
    • Aquatics
    • Artistic Swimming
    • Athletics
    • Badminton
    • Baseball
    • Basketball
    • Bobsleigh
    • Boxing (Amateur)
    • View all
    Paralympic sports
    • Boccia
    • Goalball
    • Para-Archery
    • Para-Athletics
    • Para-Badminton
    • Para-Canoe
    • Para-Climbing
    • Para-Cycling
    • Para-Equestrian Dressage
    • View all
  • Resources
    • A Code for Sports Governance
    • Organisational Health
    • Para performance strategic framework
    • Board minutes
    • Complaints and whistleblowing
    • Eligibility
    • Fraud, corruption and bribery
    • Transparency and open data
    • HR policy templates
    • Pregnancy guidance
    • Reports and research
    • The Whyte Review
  • Jobs in sport
    • Working at UK Sport
    • Explore career pathways
    • Find jobs in sport
    • Advertise sport jobs
Popular content on our site
Prepare to “Find Your Greatness” as search for UK's future athletes gets underway The National Lottery operator Allwyn launches ChangeMakers fund for athletes as they make a difference back home Breadth of success targeted as British Olympic and Paralympic performance aspirations confirmed for Paris Investing in sport Strategic plan 2021-31
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
  • X
  • LinkedIn
  • Email

News

Social Impact Partners on stage for a panel at Event Partners Day 2025
UK Sport announces its first Event Social Impact Partners
27 March 2025
Hannah Cockcroft is in her racing wheelchair, ringing the bell in the stade de france as a gold medal winner, the union jack flag around her neck.
Olympic and Paralympic community celebrated in New Years Honours list after Paris 2024 success
3 January 2025
The LA28 logo is emblazed on the floor in a logo black text on white background. It features the USA flag and Paralympics Agitos logo of a red, green and blue flash of colour. It is in a skatepark on a beach looking out towards the sea.
Greatest investment to date will power success and inspire impact on journey to LA 2028
16 December 2024
Looking to work in sport?
Find or advertise sports jobs in the UK
Search now
Our funders
  • Funded by UK Government
  • TNL partners
Who we work with
  • British Olympic Association
  • Paralympics GB
  • Logo of the UK Sports Institute
  • Sport England
  • Sport Northern Ireland
  • Sport Wales
  • Sport Scotland
  • Logo of the British Elite Athletes Association
  • Logo for UK Coaching
  • Logo of Sport Resolutions
Sitelogo
Sitemap
  • Homepage
  • About us
  • Our work
  • Events
  • News
  • Sports
  • Resources
  • Jobs in sport
  • Website terms and privacy policy
  • Editorial policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility
  • Freedom of Information
  • Welsh language scheme
  • 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 Youtube Instagram LinkedIn

© Copyright UK Sport 2025