Four years ago, the Swedish men’s curling team watched as a team of Americans exulted in winning their country’s first curling gold. It was a bitter upset they did not forget.
Eight years after winning a bronze medal and four years after settling for silver, Sweden on Saturday finally has its first curling gold.
It came after a tight match against Britain, which also was looking for its first gold medal in curling since the sport made its official return to the Games in 1998. Britain had won the first curling gold awarded, at the 1924 Games in Chamonix, France, before the sport promptly disappeared from the Olympic program for 74 years.