Plan to grant GB curlers Freedom of Perth

PERTH and Kinross councillors could this week vote to grant Great Britain’s women’s gold medal-winning curling team the Freedom of Perth.

The special motion is being tabled by two Perth and Kinross councillors following the women’s success at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

The vote tomorrow could see them become the first women to have the honour bestowed since 1935.

In February Blair Atholl’s Eve Muirhead and her team – which included Guildtown’s Mili Smith – pulled off a resounding victory against Japan to bring home Team GB’s only gold medal of the Games.

Tomorrow, Highland Perthshire Independent councillor Xander McDade – who attended the same school as Eve Muirhead – will table a motion for all five Olympic gold medallists to be granted the Freedom of Perth.

The accolade would see Ms Muirhead and Ms Smith awarded the honour along with teammates Vicky Wright, Jennifer Dodds and Hailey Duff.

The last female to be granted the Freedom of Perth was the late Queen Mother in 1935, when she was the Duchess of York.

The motion – seconded by Strathmore councillor Colin Stewart – being put before councillors states: “The council celebrates the incredible achievement of all Team GB athletes at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. Watching these games will no doubt help inspire the next generation to get involved in many of these sports and become future Olympians.

“In particular, the council congratulates the fantastic victory of the British women’s curling team at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics in winning the gold medal.

“The council records its pride in the team’s Olympic achievement and, in particular, in local team skip Eve Muirhead’s international success as a curler.”