It is testament to their burgeoning talent that Kyle Smith’s rink were left disappointed with a silver medal in their first ever European Curling Championships final.
The Scots succumbed 10-5 to Sweden in a see-saw contest that could, and perhaps should, have been sent to an extra end but closed with Smith sending a draw through the back of the house to give Niklas Edin a quadruple and seal the Swede’s fourth European crown in a row.
Smith and his rink will represent Team GB at PyeongChang 2018 and showed just why they were selected with their run to the final in St Gallen, Switzerland.
And at just 25, Smith can take heart from claiming a silver medal against the Olympic bronze medallist and double world champion – even if he struggled to see it in the immediate aftermath of their loss.
“We’re pretty disappointed, to be honest,” admitted the 25-year-old.
“They’re a great team but I thought we could have had them today if I’d made just a couple more shots.
“I think it will take a bit of time to see if we’ll be pleased with the silver.”
The Swedes took two in the opening end after an error from Scotland skip Smith, before stealing one in the second to take a commanding lead.
Smith’s rink rallied, though, and were level after the fifth, with the sixth being blanked and Sweden just picking up a single with the hammer in the seventh.
Scotland pushed things and a double in the eighth set them up well in the closing stages, despite the Swedes hitting back with two of their own in the penultimate end.
And it was all set to go into an extra end with Smith left a seemingly simple draw into the house for the single he needed.
But an overthrow left his rink reeling as they settled for silver in their first ever continental final.
“Unfortunately we just didn’t get the two set up in the tenth and unfortunately I missed the draw,” Smith added.
“On that final stone I was just focussing on the weight that the boys were asking me to throw and I didn’t actually mind it out of my hand – but it was obviously far too much.
“The boys played really well, I had a bad start with my last stone in the first end but the boys kept setting me up well and played a really good game.”
Sportsbeat 2017