World triumph seals Eve’s special season
Muirhead’s delight at global win in mixed doubles
Eve Muirhead has rounded off a phenomenal season by winning the World Mixed Doubles Championships.
The Perthshire curler teamed up with Bobby Lammie to take the crown in Geneva on Saturday.
A special week of performances culminated with a 9-7 victory in the final against hosts Switzerland.
It has been a season of incredible success for Blair Atholl’s Muirhead, reaffirming her position as one of the all-time greats in the sport.
The Mixed Doubles title follows on from a win at the Europeans and, of course, clinching a memorable gold medal at the Winter Olympics in Beijing.
Muirhead, a former pupil at Crieff’s Morrison’s Academy and Crieff Highland Gathering chieftain, said: “For myself it’s really special to have completed the full set.
“It’s been a phenomenal year for myself and my girls at home as well, so to round it off playing with Bobby was really special.
“It was the first time at this event for both of us and we produced a lot of good curling.
“We didn’t drop a game all week and that just shows how consistent we were as players and how we’ve been all season.
“I’m absolutely delighted to get another gold medal and I’m sure we’ll enjoy the celebrations.”
Muirhead’s latest win comes shortly after councillors unanimously agreed to grant the 2022 Winter Olympics GB Women’s Curling Team the Freedom of Perth.
Elected members were keen to honour the gold medal- winning squad, which included Blair Atholl’s Eve Muirhead and Guildtown’s Mili Smith.
The team successfully brought home Team GB’s only gold of the Beijing Games in China earlier this year.
Tabling the special motion at a Perth and Kinross Council meeting on April 27, independent councillor Xander McDade praised the five women on their “significant achievement”.
The move came following their 10-3 victory over Japan in the gold medal match.
The Highland Perthshire elected member said: “It was a significant achievement and a real watch for everyone who stayed up to watch it.”
He called on those gathered in the chamber to honour the team – with two of the women “essentially a product of Perth and Kinross and one we should be proud of” – by granting them the Freedom of Perth.
The motion was seconded by Strathmore independent councillor
Colin Stewart.
“Keen curler” and Lib Dem councillor Willie Robertson was “totally impressed” by the curlers’ Olympic display and praised the women on their “superhuman skills”.
The Kinross-shire representative added that Perth and Kinross Council deserved a “pat on the back” in terms of its support for the sport too.
He explained: “Over the years this council has supported curling both at Dewars Centre and even at Kinross where it has supported the modernisation of the rink and made it disabled-friendly.
“Curling has a great future in Perth and Kinross and all the more so for the achievements by our curling team.”
The motion had claimed the team
would be the first women to be given the honour since the Queen Mother – then Duchess of York – in 1935.
This was also confirmed by Perth and Kinross Council prior to this week’s meeting.
However, councillors Andrew Parrott, John Duff and Murray Lyle were keen to point out women had received the accolade more recently when it was presented to organisations such as the Territorial Army and St Johnstone FC.
Councillors unanimously agreed to support the motion, which will see Muirhead, Smith and team-mates Vicky Wright, Jennifer Dodds, and Hailey Duff awarded the Freedom of Perth.
Skip Muirhead, a four- time Olympian, described the award as “very exciting” shortly after learning of the decision.