Eve Muirhead left no stone unturned in her pursuit of curling perfection and completing a clean sweep in Beijing meant there were no more worlds to conquer.
Olympic gold was the final box to tick on a CV boasting a wealth of world, European and domestic medals and with the mission accomplished in unforgettable fashion in February, the 32-year-old has decided the time is right to step away from the ice.
Having skippered Team GB’s women in each of the last four Olympics, bringing home bronze from Sochi eight years before glory in Beijing, her retirement marks the end of an era within British curling.
With the Milano Cortina 2026 cycle starting in earnest, Muirhead weighed up the tantalising prospect of defending her crown but ultimately opted to exit the stage from the summit following her annus mirabilis.
“I couldn’t have ended on a higher note,” she said. “You always want to bow out at the top and to be able to say I can retire as the current world, European and Olympic champion is quite something.
“I always dreamed of winning all three and to do it all in one season was amazing. To bow out at this stage is definitely the right time.
“It has been the hardest decision of my life and I took plenty of time to make it. Curling has been my life, and it has been since I was a small girl growing up watching my dad play.
“A four-year cycle is a big commitment, I’ve done four of them now, and I never do anything half-heartedly. I either give it my all, give it every bit of my time and effort, or I don’t do it.
“I spoke to a lot of people and a lot of them said ‘when you know, you know’. Now is the right time to step away.”
Fresh from three successive World Junior Championship golds, Muirhead made her Olympic bow at Vancouver 2010 to follow in the footsteps of her father Gordon, who had been in Albertville 18 years previously.
So began a rollercoaster ride on the biggest stage of all. Team Muirhead did not make the semi-finals in Canada, were on the podium in Sochi and then came within a whisker of repeating the trick in PyeongChang, only for Japan to emerge victorious in the bronze medal match.
At one stage, even making it to Beijing looked a tall order. A nervy Olympic Qualification Event was negotiated after the quintet missed out on the top six at the 2021 World Championships, and there were plenty more twists and turns once competition began in the Chinese capital.
After getting through the round-robin stage thanks to a superior draw shot challenge record, Team Muirhead came from 4-0 down in the semi-final to set up a gold medal match with familiar opponents.
This time, Japan had no answer. Twenty years after being inspired by Rhona Martin’s ‘stone of destiny’ as an awestruck 12-year-old, Muirhead had finally achieved her ultimate ambition in leading a British team back to the top of the Olympic curling podium.
And perhaps more impressively, it came with memories of a turbulent time still fresh – which could have resulted in today’s announcement coming 12 months earlier.
“I’ve never done anything the easy way,” she said.
“After those World Championships [in 2021], everyone was silent on me. Only my very close friends and family and my management company spoke to me.
“It was a tough summer, lockdown didn’t help, and I questioned whether it was worth it. But I realised if I wanted my dream, I had to pick myself back up and that’s exactly what I did.
“I came from the lowest low in my career at the one major championships I really did fail at, to the highest high standing on top of that podium.
“I still don’t think it’s fully sunk in. Every day I wake up and have a smile on my face knowing I am the Olympic champion.
“Those mornings getting up when your car is all frosted up, I’ve got a hoody on in the gym, freezing, the getting back from trips and your fridge is empty. Those sacrifices have all been worth it.
“To have the Olympic gold is more than I’d dreamed of, and to do it alongside that group of girls was extra special.”
With Vicky Wright and Mili Smith also hanging up their brushes in the wake of triumph in Beijing, and coach Kristian Lindstrom departing, it will be a new-look British squad preparing to retain gold in four years’ time.
Muirhead is looking forward to watching events unfold from the other side of the rink while she weighs up her next move. A scratch golfer, she plans to spend plenty more time on the fairways – though a tilt at a second professional sporting career has been ruled out – while media opportunities are also on the horizon.
In the meantime, she will continue to enjoy a rare summer off while continuing to reflect on the memories that have made her time on the ice so special.
“I’ve worked so hard to get to where I am and I’ve worked with some fantastic people over the years who are as much a part of this I am,” she said.
“When you’re fully invested in something, you’re always out on the road and living out a suitcase.
“That’s what I chose to do and I loved doing it. But now is the time to step back, spend more time with the people close to me and explore new options. I’m very excited by what lies ahead.”