Eve MuirheadOBE (born 22 April 1990) is a Scottish former curler from Perth and the skip of the British Olympic Curling team.[2] Muirhead and the GB team became Olympic champions at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, having previously won the bronze medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.[3][4]
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.[8] Muirhead was skip for the Scottish team at the 2008 World Junior Curling Championships in Östersund, beating Sweden (skipped by Cecilia Östlund) 12–3 in the final.[9]
In December 2009, Muirhead was awarded the BBC Scotland Young Sports Personality of the year for her achievements in curling.[10]
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.[11]
Muirhead was selected as skip for the Great Britain Women's curling team at the 2010 Winter Olympics 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.[12]
Muirhead continued as skip for the Great Britain Women's curling team at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. She won the Bronze Medal as the Great Britain team skip after beating Switzerland 6–5 in the Bronze Medal play-off,[13] making her the youngest ever skip to win an Olympic medal.[14]
Muirhead was skip for the British team at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.[15] 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 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China.[16] 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).[4]
World Championships
Muirhead won the silver medal as the Scottish team skip at the 2010 Ford World Women's Curling Championship 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.[17] 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, where they defeated Sweden's Margaretha Sigfridsson in the final. The win made Muirhead the youngest skip ever to win the World Women's Curling Championship.
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).[20][21]
Muirhead was appointed Chef de Mission for Team GB at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics.[22] With her guidance, Great Britain won the gold medal in both curling events.[23] She was appointed in the same role for the senior team at the 2026 Winter Olympics.[24]
Personal life
Muirhead grew up in Blair Atholl, Scotland, and plays golf off scratch handicap at Pitlochry Golf Course.[1][25] She is an accomplished bagpiper, piping at four World Championships.[26]
On 5 April 2010, Muirhead modelled at the eighth annual fashion show Dressed to Kilt.[27] 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.[28][29] 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.[30][31] There is a portrait of her with broom, clubs and pipes at the National Galleries Scotland.[32] Eve opened The National Curling Academy in Stirling in 2017.[33]
Muirhead's father, Gordon Muirhead, was also an international curler. He competed in the 1992 Winter Olympics, where curling was a demonstration sport, and was alternate for Scotland's 1999 gold medal winning World Championship team. He won world silver medals in 1992, 1993 and 1995.[1]
She has two brothers, Glen and Thomas Muirhead, who are also both accomplished curlers.
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 Margaretha Sigfridsson 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.
