Winter Olympics: Medal hopes dashed for of GB's men's curling team

Great Britain's men pictured in action during their curling play-off match with Switzerland at the Gangneung Curling Centre. Picture: David Davies/PA.

Victory was needed to advance to the semi-finals and Kyle Smith’s rink began well, only for the Swiss to claim the ninth end 5-0 and take an unassailable advantage.

Kyle Smith, his brother Cammy Smith, Kyle Waddell and Thomas Muirhead were competing in their first Games.

“We gave it our best shot but that’s the dream over,” the British skip said.

Great Britain's Kyle Smith and Thomas Muirhead show their frustration during their playoff match against Switzerland. Picture: David Davies/PA.

“It’s a sore one, we gave ourselves the chance of making the semi-finals but we couldn’t make it happen.”

Andre Myhrer of Sweden won a dramatic men’s slalom which saw two of the favourites fail to finish.

Myhrer won by 0.34 seconds from Ramon Zenhaeusern of Switzerland in silver, with Michael Matt of Austria taking bronze. Briton Dave Ryding was ninth.

Austrian favourite Marcel Hirscher skied out on the first run, failing to finish a slalom for the first time in two year.

Henrik Kristoffersen of Norway made a similar mistake on the second run after Myhrer had taken the lead.

Hirscher, regarded as one of the best ski racers of all time, finally ended his quest for Olympic gold here, with victory in the giant slalom and combined, but a win in his favoured event remains elusive.

“I had already a really bad feeling about the whole situation,” said Hirscher, who says he did not train well here or expect to perform well.”

Switzerland’s Michelle Gisin won the women’s combined as Lindsey Vonn of the United States failed to finish her final Olympics race.

Vonn led by 0.74 seconds from Ragnhild Mowinckel of Norway after the downhill, with Mickaela Shiffrin of the USA 1.98 behind in sixth.

Gisin, third fastest after the downhill, posted the fourth quickest slalom to claim gold by 0.97 from Shiffrin. Switzerland’s Wendy Holdener took bronze.

Austria’s Anna Gasser took gold in the women’s Big Air competition with her final effort.

Gasser, the highest qualifier, was last to go down the ramp and knew she needed to score well to overhaul USA’s Jamie Anderson.

And she did, scoring 96.00 for a total of 185.00, as Anderson finished with 177.25. Bronze went to Zoi Sadowski Synnott of New Zealand with 157.50.

David Wise won men’s ski halfpipe gold ahead of USA team-mate Alex Ferreria.