We must build on Beijing success of our Golden Girls
. . . not forgetting the men’s silver lining
David Murdoch couldn’t have been prouder as he watched Great Britain’s curlers sweep their way to gold and silver last weekend in Beijing.
Now the coach for Team GB, Murdoch wants the sport to build on the Olympic success to capitalise on its growing popularity.
A silver medallist as skip at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, he also believes the game can spread south of the border.
“Globally, curling is growing and there is incredible interest in our sport, especially at the Olympics,” he told The Sunday Post.
“People genuinely seem to love it, so we need to capitalise on that and push the development of the sport.
“We’re extremely lucky to have the support of the National Lottery and UK Sport. It is hugely important to have that on our program.
“But we’ve not necessarily seen the numbers of players grow in the way we hoped.
“It would be a huge advantage if we could have more facilities. Scotland has lost a number of rinks, so we need to build and support new ones.
“I believe there is a huge market for curling in England and Wales, too, as so many people have been inspired by the Olympics.
“But they need somewhere to play.”
Murdoch has been curling since he was a young lad in Lockerbie, with his older
sister, Nancy, and older brother, Neil, both star curlers – so he is steeped in the game.
And he believes that part of its appeal is that the sport caters for all ages and brings people together.
“It’s a game for anyone from eight to 80,” he said.
“It’s very accessible and it’s community-based. The wide age-range also makes it very appealing.
“If you look at our climate, it’s not too easy to do some activities outdoors for six months of the year, so this gets people indoors and it’s great entertainment.
“Curling is a game with a little bit of everything. There is a huge amount of technical skill, strategy and it’s very physical as I see how much the athletes have to train.
“Then when you get to the upper levels of the sport, there are the finer details of it, like the psychology and analysis that goes into a match.”
All those aspects certainly came to the fore on a weekend of drama in Beijing. The men, led by skip, Bruce Mouat, were beaten 5-4 in an extra end by Sweden in the Final and had to settle for silver.
But Eve Muirhead and her golden girls – Vicky Wright, Hailey Duff and Jennifer Dodds – went one better, winning 10-3 against Japan to secure the gold, 20 years after Rhona Martin had done exactly the same.
Finally, at her fourth Games, Muirhead got to stand on top of the podium.
“I was absolutely delighted for Eve,” said Murdoch. “She’s been around this program for a long, long time, with a lot of ups and some downs.
“But she is such a committed athlete, and always very focused. The hard yards she put in have borne fruit.
“As an athlete, I always wanted to win an Olympic medal. So I saw the last four years as trying to help the team do the same.
“And there is no better feeling than seeing the plan come off.”