Eve Muirhead (born 22 April 1990) is a Scottish former curler from Perth and the

skip Skip or Skips may refer to: Acronyms * SKIP (Skeletal muscle and kidney enriched inositol phosphatase), a human gene * Simple Key-Management for Internet Protocol * SKIP of New York (Sick Kids need Involved People), a non-profit agency aiding ...

of the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

Olympic Curling team. Muirhead and the GB team became Olympic champions at the

2022 Winter Olympics The 2022 Winter Olympics, officially called the XXIV Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Beijing 2022 (2022), were an international winter multi-sport event held from 4 to 20 February 2022 in Beijing, China, and surrounding areas wit ...

in Beijing, having previously won the bronze medal at the

2014 Winter Olympics The 2014 Winter Olympics, officially called the XXII Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Sochi 2014 (), were an international winter multi-sport event that was held from 7 to 23 February 2014 in Sochi, Russia. Opening ro ...

in Sochi. As skip of the Scotland team, Muirhead won the 2011 European Championships in Moscow, the 2013 World Championships in Riga, the 2017 European Championships in St. Gallen and the 2021 European Championships in Lillehammer. She is also a four-time World Junior Champion (2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011). A four-time Olympian, she represented Great Britain at the

Winter Olympics The Winter Olympic Games (), also known as the Winter Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were held i ...

Vancouver 2010 The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXI Olympic Winter Games () and also known as Vancouver 2010 (), were an international winter multi-sport event held from February 12 to 28, 2010 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with ...

, Sochi 2014, Pyeongchang 2018 and Beijing 2022 in which she was chosen as one of Great Britain's flag bearers at the

Opening Ceremony An opening ceremony, grand opening, or ribbon-cutting ceremony marks the official opening of a newly constructed location or the start of an event.

. In Sochi, she became the youngest-ever skip, male or female, to win an Olympic medal. She curls out of the Dunkeld Curling Club based in

Pitlochry Pitlochry (; or ) is a town in the Perth and Kinross council area of Scotland, lying on the River Tummel. It is historically in the county of Perthshire, and has a population of 2,776, according to the 2011 census.Scotland's 2011 census. (n.p. ...

. She announced her retirement on 11 August 2022. She currently coaches the Fay Henderson rink.

Career

World Junior Championships

Muirhead was born in

Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

, and first appeared on the world curling scene at the 2007 World Junior Curling Championships in Eveleth, Minnesota, as a third with skip Sarah Reid, and won the gold medal. At the 2008 Scottish junior women's championship Muirhead skipped her own team, winning all games and thus qualifying for the next junior world championship. Muirhead was skip for the Scottish team at the 2008 World Junior Curling Championships in

Östersund Östersund (; ) is an Urban areas in Sweden, urban area (Stad (Sweden), city) in Jämtland in northern Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth-larg ...

, beating Sweden (skipped by Cecilia Östlund) 12–3 in the final. Muirhead returned to the 2009 World Junior Curling Championships in Vancouver to play at the Vancouver Olympic Centre, the future site of the

2010 Winter Olympics The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXI Olympic Winter Games () and also known as Vancouver 2010 (), were an international winter multi-sport event held from February 12 to 28, 2010 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with ...

. She faced the hometown Canadian team led by Kaitlyn Lawes in the final and defeated them 8–6. Thus Muirhead repeated as the world junior champion skip and won her third world junior championship in a row. In December 2009, Muirhead was awarded the BBC Scotland Young Sports Personality of the year for her achievements in curling. In 2010, Muirhead was too preoccupied with the Olympics to play at the World Juniors, but she was back at the 2011 World Junior Curling Championships in her native Scotland. Muirhead won the gold medal at the World Juniors for an unprecedented fourth time in her career. She beat Canada's Trish Paulsen by a score of 10–3 in the final.

Winter Olympics

Muirhead was selected as

for the Great Britain Women's curling team at the

in Vancouver, Canada. After winning only three of nine round robin matches with cliffhanger losses to the United States, Denmark and Canada, the team failed to qualify for the semi-finals. She also broke her broom on the ice, a major curling faux pas. Muirhead continued as

for the Great Britain Women's curling team at the

Sochi Sochi ( rus, Сочи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg, from – ''seaside'') is the largest Resort town, resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi (river), Sochi River, along the Black Sea in the North Caucasus of Souther ...

, Russia. She won the Bronze Medal as the Great Britain team skip after beating Switzerland 6–5 in the Bronze Medal play-off, making her the youngest ever skip to win an Olympic medal. Muirhead was skip for the British team at the

2018 Winter Olympics The 2018 Winter Olympics (), officially the XXIII Olympic Winter Games (; ) and also known as PyeongChang 2018 (), were an international winter multi-sport event held between 9 and 25 February 2018 in Pyeongchang County, South Ko ...

in PyeongChang, South Korea. She led her team to a 6–3 robin record, which qualified Great Britain for a semifinal match-up against Sweden's Anna Hasselborg rink. She lost to the Swedes in the semifinal, putting Team GB in the bronze medal game against Japan's Satsuki Fujisawa team. She lost this game as well, settling for fourth place. Muirhead was once again selected as skip for the Women's curling team at the

Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...

, China. On the last day of events she led her team to a 10–3 win over Japan, winning her first ever gold Olympic medal (Team GB's only gold medal of the Games).

World Championships

Muirhead won the silver medal as the Scottish team skip at the

2010 Ford World Women's Curling Championship The 2010 World Women's Curling Championship (branded as 2010 Ford World Women's Curling Championship for sponsorship reasons) was held from March 20 to 28 at the Credit Union iPlex in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada. Qualification * (host ...

after losing 8–6 to Germany in the final, which went to an extra end. The team finished the round robin matches in 3rd place with an 8–3 record, then advanced to the final by winning the 3 vs. 4-page playoff against Sweden and the semi-final against Canada, both games in 8 ends and on the same day. Her teammates were third Kelly Wood, second Lorna Vevers, lead Anne Laird and alternate Sarah Reid. Muirhead's rink did not win the Scottish championship in 2011, but she was invited to play as Scotland's alternate at the 2011 Capital One World Women's Curling Championship, where the team finished 9th. The team did win the Scottish championship in 2012 and would finish 6th at the 2012 Ford World Women's Curling Championship. She won the Scottish championship for a fourth time in 2013. The team would go on to play at the

2013 World Women's Curling Championship The 2013 World Women's Curling Championship (branded as the Titlis Glacier Mountain World Women's Curling Championship 2013 for sponsorship reasons) was held at the Volvo Sports Centre in Riga, Latvia from March 16 to 24. It marked the first ti ...

, where they defeated Sweden's

Margaretha Sigfridsson Margaretha Sigfridsson (born 28 January 1976) is a Swedish curler who in 2009 was inducted into the Swedish Curling Hall of Fame. Curling career Early career Sigfridsson skipped the Swedish team at the 1997 World Junior Curling Championshi ...

in the final. The win made Muirhead the youngest skip ever to win the World Women's Curling Championship. Muirhead next made it to the Worlds in 2015 and finished in 4th place. At the 2016 World Women's Curling Championship, the team missed the playoffs and finished in 5th place, while at the 2017 World Women's Curling Championship, Muirhead would take home the bronze medal. Muirhead would not play at the World Championships again until 2021, after missing 2018 due to losing a playoff against that year's Scottish champion Hannah Fleming, losing the 2019 Scottish final to Sophie Jackson, and because the 2020 World Women's Curling Championship was cancelled due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. At the 2021 World Women's Curling Championship, which was played in a bio-secure "bubble" due to the ongoing pandemic, Muirhead led Scotland to a 6–7 record for an 8th place finish. In 2022, she also partnered with fellow Scot and Olympic silver medallist Bobby Lammie to win the Mixed Doubles World Championship.

Post retirement

In 2023, Muirhead took up a part-time coaching role with Fay Henderson's team, which includes Amy McDonald, Katie McMillan and Hailey Duff (whom with Eve won the 2022 Olympic gold). Muirhead was appointed Chef de Mission for Team GB at the

2024 Winter Youth Olympics The 2024 Winter Youth Olympics (), officially known as the IV Winter Youth Olympic Games and commonly known as Gangwon 2024 (), were a Winter sports, winter multi-sport event, cultural festival, and fourth edition of the Winter Youth Olympics he ...

. With her guidance, Great Britain won the gold medal in both curling events. She was appointed in the same role for the senior team at the

2026 Winter Olympics The 2026 Winter Olympics (), officially the XXV Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Milano Cortina 2026, is an upcoming international multi-sport event scheduled to take place from 6 to 22 February 2026 at sites across Lombardy and North ...

Personal life

Muirhead grew up in

Blair Atholl Blair Atholl (from the Scottish Gaelic: ''Blàr Athall'', originally ''Blàr Ath Fhodla'') is a village in Perthshire, Scotland, built about the confluence of the Rivers Tilt and Garry in one of the few areas of flat land in the midst of the G ...

, Scotland, and plays golf off scratch handicap at Pitlochry Golf Course. She is an accomplished bagpiper, piping at four World Championships. On 5 April 2010, Muirhead modelled at the eighth annual fashion show Dressed to Kilt. It was announced on 17 May 2010 that Muirhead would be the new ambassador for '' Piping Live! 2010'', a festival dedicated to playing the bagpipes which would run from 9–15 August later in the year. On 14 June 2010, it was reported that Muirhead had turned down the chance to become a professional golfer after receiving two scholarships from American universities. There is a portrait of her with broom, clubs and pipes at the National Galleries Scotland. Eve opened The National Curling Academy in

Stirling Stirling (; ; ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Central Belt, central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town#Scotland, market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the roya ...

in 2017. In 2015 she was diagnosed with

coeliac disease Coeliac disease (British English) or celiac disease (American English) is a long-term autoimmune disorder, primarily affecting the small intestine. Patients develop intolerance to gluten, which is present in foods such as wheat, rye, spelt ...

and, in 2018, underwent hip surgery. In 2018 she received the

Honorary degree An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad hon ...

of Doctor of the University (D.Univ) from the

University of Stirling The University of Stirling (abbreviated as Stir or Shruiglea, in post-nominals; ) is a public university in Stirling, Scotland, founded by a royal charter in 1967. It is located in the Central Belt of Scotland, built within the walled Airth ...

. Muirhead was appointed

Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(MBE) in the

2020 Birthday Honours The Queen's Birthday Honours for 2020 are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The Birthday Honours are awarded ...

for services to curling and

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(OBE) in the

2022 Birthday Honours The 2022 Queen's Birthday Honours are appointments by some of the 15 Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to Orders and decorations of the Commonwealth realms, various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those ...

, also for services to curling. Muirhead's father, Gordon Muirhead, was also an international curler. He competed in the

1992 Winter Olympics The 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Albertville '92 (Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Arbèrtvile '92''), were a winter multi-sport event held from 8 to 23 February 1992 in and aroun ...

, where curling was a demonstration sport, and was alternate for Scotland's 1999 gold medal winning

World Championship A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game ...

team. He won world silver medals in 1992, 1993 and 1995. She has two brothers, Glen and Thomas Muirhead, who are also both accomplished curlers.

Teams

''Jr=Junior, E=European, W=World, O=Olympics.''

Grand Slam record

Muirhead and her rink won their first-ever Grand Slam event by winning the 2013 Players' Championship. It marked the first time a European team has ever won a Grand Slam event (men's or women's) and the second non-Canadian team. It was also the first time a non-Canadian team had ever won the Players'. Muirhead faced the Swedish

in the final, in a re-match of the 2013 World Championships. The Players' final was also the first-ever Grand Slam final between two non-Canadian teams. Muirhead won a second straight Grand Slam at the 2013 Curlers Corner Autumn Gold Curling Classic, becoming the first non-Canadian skip to win two Grand Slam titles in their career. Muirhead won a third slam at the 2014 Colonial Square Ladies Classic and followed it up with a fourth slam at the inaugural Women's 2014 Canadian Open of Curling. She won her fifth Grand Slam and third in a row by winning the 2015 Players' Championship. She won a sixth Grand Slam title by winning the

2016 Players' Championship The 2016 Players' Championship was held from April 12 to 17 at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto, Ontario. It was the sixth men's and fifth women's Grand Slam (curling), Grand Slam of the 2015–16 World Curling Tour. Newfoundland and Labra ...

Former events

Circuit wins

; World Curling Tour * Arctic Cup: 2019 * Bernese Ladies Cup: 2014 * European Masters: 2015 * Glynhill International: 2017 * Masters Basel: 2016 * Perth Masters: 2016, 2020 * Oakville Fall Classic: 2019 * ZO Tournament: 2009 ; Other wins * The Challenger: 2021 * Continental Cup (curling): 2012, 2019, 2020

Awards

Individual

* BBC Scotland Young Sports Personality of the Year: 2009 * Perth & Kinross Sports Personality of the Year: 2009, 2011, 2013, 2022 * Perth Guildry Sports Personality of the Year: 2010 * Stirling Sports Person of the Year: 2013 * ( WCF) Frances Brodie Award: 2012 * ( COV) Coaching Chain Award: 2022 * ( SJA) Spirit of Sport Award: 2023 * Freedom of the City (

): 2023 *

BBC Sports Personality of the Year The BBC Sports Personality of the Year is an awards ceremony that takes place annually in December. Devised by Paul Fox in 1954, it originally consisted of just a single award of the same name. Several new awards have been introduced, and cu ...

: 2022 (3rd) *

Team awards

(for Team Muirhead / Scotland / Team GB) *Team of the Year ( Sportscotland): 2022 * ( SW/S) Team of the Year: 2022 * ( RCCC) Team of the Year: 2011, 2013, 2022 * (SJA) Team of the Year: 2022 (3rd)

Notes

References

External links

*
Eve Muirhead
at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics (archived) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Muirhead, Eve 1990 births Living people Scottish female curlers British female curlers Olympic curlers for Great Britain Olympic gold medallists for Great Britain Olympic bronze medallists for Great Britain Olympic medalists in curling Scottish Olympic competitors Curlers at the 2010 Winter Olympics Curlers at the 2014 Winter Olympics Curlers at the 2018 Winter Olympics Curlers at the 2022 Winter Olympics Medalists at the 2014 Winter Olympics Medalists at the 2022 Winter Olympics World curling champions World mixed doubles curling champions European curling champions Officers of the Order of the British Empire Curlers from Stirling Curlers from Perth, Scotland People educated at Morrison's Academy Continental Cup of Curling participants Scottish curling coaches 21st-century Scottish sportswomen