Support The Moscow Times!

Britain Glides Past Russia in First Round of Men's Curling

SOCHI — Britain inflicted a 7-4 defeat on Russia on Monday as the Sochi Olympic men's curling competition got under way with the first round robin session.

The result gives Britain an early lead in the 10-nation standings along with three other medal contenders.

Gold medal favorite Canada, seeking a third-straight Olympic crown, beat Germany 11-8, while Sweden, which beat Canada in last year's world championships in March, triumphed over Switzerland 7-5.

Britain, led by Scottish world bronze medalist David Murdoch, faces Sweden in round two tonight, the first true test of its medal credentials.

"We're hoping to take that momentum into the tough game tonight," Murdoch said. "They're also coming off a strong win, so we'll have some downtime and come back prepared."

China also started strongly with a 7-4 win over Denmark. Host nation Russia is not expected to challenge for medals.

The Olympic curling tournament, held at the Ice Cube arena on the Black Sea coast, features a round robin tournament where everyone plays everyone else and the top four teams in the final standings progress to the playoffs.

The gold medal game is Feb. 21.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more