DODDS AND MOUAT GET BACK TO WINNING WAYS

Jen Dodds and Bruce Mouat were made to battle all the way in their fourth match of the Mixed Doubles event at the Winter Olympics in Beijing, but finally came through 9-8 after an extra end against Australia’s Tahli Gill and Dean Hewitt. 

It had looked like being a comfortable win for the world champions in The Ice Cube when they worked their way into a 6-1 lead at the halfway stage of their encounter with the first Australian curlers ever to take part in an Olympics, who had lost their previous three matches. 

Having earned the right to play last stone at the opening end, they claimed a two there, then stole at the next and while the Australians got on the scoreboard at the third, the British pair looked in total control at the next where Gill had to play an excellent promotion shot just to minimise damage, but was unable to prevent leaving Dodds the chance to play the delicate tap that turned two counting shots into three. 

A 6-1 lead for the world champions against winless opposition looked unassailable and even when Mouat narrowly missed an attempted double takeout at the fifth end, where the Aussies were using their powerplay in a bid to get back into the match, there didn’t look like too much danger. 

However, when Dodds was also slightly underweight with another attempt at a double with their final stone of the end, it left Gill with a straightforward takeout for a three that gave her team a glimmer of hope. 

The match was transformed and when Dodds narrowly missed a draw with her final stone at the next end, it left the Australians with the two shots that let them level things. 

Team GB then took their powerplay and claimed their two at the next to move into an 8-6 lead playing the last end, but Gill played an exceptional final stone to clip out the British counter and take the match into a tense extra end. 

While Dodds and Mouat had last stone advantage there, it was shaping up dangerously until Mouat turned up the power to produce a double takeout that cleared the button and Dodds did not have to play her final stone after Gill’s final stone sailed through the house. 

While it had been a nervy ending the British pair were upbeat in their assessment, feeling they were much closer to finding their best form. 

“Especially in the first half that was our best performance so far. We got on top of the draw weight early, which was really important and I missed a couple of shots in the second half, but I’m really proud of how we played that game,” said Dodds.  

“If you’d said at the start of the competition that we’d have beaten some of the teams you would expect to see in the play-offs and have three wins from four we would definitely have taken that. We know we’ve still got tough opponents to come.  

“It’s a big day tomorrow against the Czechs and Italy, so we just need to keep playing our best because it’s going to be tough out there. I think any of these teams can be fighting for the play-offs just now.” 

Mouat acknowledged that they had struggled to finish things off after getting into a commanding position, but was similarly satisfied with the way they played overall. 

“It was great to feel so much more confidence in myself and my abilities again, so that was just such a good game for me to settle into this event,” he said. 

“I spoke to my sports psychologist (Jess Thom) last night and I was just saying what I wanted to do and she just put me back in the right headspace and I just took an extra second every time I was sliding out. That’s basically what curling is. We just try to repeat things over and over again, so I was really happy with this performance. 

“The momentum changed quite bit after their powerplay, but we were five up at the time and losing a three’s not a disaster. We were trying to force them to two and were inches away from making a lot of things happen in that end, so it didn’t really faze us that much and we went on to the next end with high hopes of seeing out the game.” 

Both players were meanwhile delighted with the news that Dodds’ skip in the women’s game, Eve Muirhead, had been given the honour for her and her sport of being Team GB’s flag bearer at the Opening Ceremony in Beijing. 

“It's a great honour for Eve and I think it marks the dedication and hard work she has put in,” said Dodds.  

“She’s really been a trail-blazer for British Curling over the years and I’m really happy to see her get this special moment, because not many people get to be a flag bearer at the Olympics.” 

Mouat echoed that, noting that Muirhead had been someone he looked up to from early in his curling career. 

“She’s inspired a lot of people back home. I remember watching her in 2010 when she was so young, which inspired me to be able to step up into the men’s game and hopefully do something similar, so I’m absolutely buzzing for her and I’m hoping she takes in the moment and really soaks it up,” he said. 

With those two important matches against the Czechs and Italy the following day, they are unable to attend the Opening Ceremony, but will be making sure their compatriot knows they are with her in spirit. 

“We’ll unfortunately not be at Opening Ceremony but we’ll definitely be watching it on TV and we’re going to dress up in our Opening Ceremony kit… so she can check our Instagram!” laughed Mouat.