Day 13 preview: Crucial day for men's curlers

Thursday sees Team GB athletes in competitive action across three sports: curling, alpine skiing and freestyle skiing while the four-man bobsleigh crews also get further chances to put in some training runs down the ice.

Men's coach Viktor Kjell expects Team GB's men's curling rink to come out firing when they take on Switzerland in their tie-breaker clash on Thursday.

The match represents the second opportunity for Kyle Smith's men to book their place in the semi-finals after they came up short against the USA today.

Victory would see them guaranteed the chance to play for a medal and in their most recent meeting, in the opening match of these Games, the Brits triumphed 6-5.

“We have met Switzerland many times this season and over the last couple of years so we know we'll need to step it up a little bit from that performance against the USA,” said Kjell.  “We need to go back to how it was against Norway and especially the two games before that against Denmark and Italy.”

The tie-breaker begins at 09:05am (00:05am UK time) with a semi-final clash with Sweden awaiting the winner at 20:05 (11:05am UK time).

Young alpine skier Laurie Taylor will fulfil a lifetime dream when he takes to the start gate of the men's slalom.

Team GB debutant Taylor is one of two British representatives in the competition alongside the highly experienced Dave Ryding, who is competing at his third Games.

Ryding will be the 13th skier down the course at the Yongpyong Alpine Centre from 10:00 (01:00am UK time) with Taylor 51st to go.

And after competing in the slalom and giant slalom at the 2013 European Youth Olympic Games, Taylor was proud to be able to take the next step up.

“I am kid who just likes skiing and I am so proud to say I’ll be competing at the Winter Olympics,” he said. “It is a dream come true for me and I cannot wait.”

Read more from Dave Ryding on his chances in the 2018 Olympic slalom

Blood, sweat and a lot of tears – Emily Sarsfield knows all about hard yards in gaining the right to represent your country at an Olympics.

The freestyle skier will become Britain’s first female representative in the adrenaline-fuelled ski cross event after Friday's initial seeding round was rescheduled for a day earlier at 10:00 (01:00am UK time).

There will be no complaints from Sarsfield however who is itching to finally make her Games bow after snapping ligaments in the run up to Vancouver 2010 before missing out on selection for Sochi four years later.

“I feel like I’ve left no stone unturned, there’s nothing else that could possibly come my way,” she said. “I’ve definitely earned it, I’ve grafted for it. Blood, sweat and tears, a lot of tears.

“I’m smiling and I can’t wait. Physically I’m stronger, mentally I’m stronger, that can only help you as an athlete. I’m ready."

Team GB's two four-man crews will continue their preparations for this weekend's competition with their third and fourth training runs.

Lamin Deen and his crew were ninth and 13th fastest over the first two training runs on Wednesday while Brad Hall and his crew were 17th and 18th. Sportsbeat 2018