Sweden’s Anna Hasselborg’s hands over her medal to the “special ones” in her life after Winter Olympic curling gold

Sweden skip Anna Hasselborg led her team to a dramatic gold medal victory at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics on Sunday. Sweden defeated Switzerland 6-5 in a tense women’s curling final. The match ended with a precise last-stone shot that decided the title. After the win, Hasselborg celebrated with her children beside the ice. Before the Games, her daughter had told her it felt boring when she did not come home with a medal, a comment that stayed in her mind.The Swedish team had already shocked top-ranked Canada in the semifinals. Entering the Olympics as only the 12th-ranked team, Sweden was not considered the favorite. Yet the players showed calm and accuracy in the final. The moment became even more meaningful because several members of the team are mothers. Hasselborg later explained she wanted her children to see that big dreams are achievable with hard work and belief. ID@undefined Caption not available.ID@undefined Caption not available.Sweden’s players jumped together on the ice after the winning shot. They wrapped themselves in their national flag while fans applauded loudly. Sara McManus, Agnes Knochenhauer and Sofia Scharback supported Anna Hasselborg throughout the tournament.Three Swedish players had become mothers after winning bronze at the Beijing 2022 Olympics. Hasselborg explained that motherhood can change priorities and motivation. She said being a parent is more important than sport, but the team managed to rediscover competitive hunger at the right moment.The final was decided in the 10th end. Knochenhauer cleared four Swiss stones, giving Hasselborg a clear path for the last shot. She later described the play as a decisive team effort and admitted she felt relief because she had missed a similar chance at the previous Olympics.Sweden has now won a women’s curling medal at six straight Winter Games, starting from Turin 2006. The country owns four Olympic gold medals in women’s curling and a total of 13 medals overall, second only to Canada.Canada defeated the United States for bronze in the women’s event. Sweden also celebrated another success when siblings Isabella and Rasmus Wranå won mixed doubles gold, the first brother-and-sister team from the nation to achieve the feat at the Winter Olympics.In the men’s tournament, Canada beat Britain for gold despite earlier controversy during the competition.Swiss skip Silvana Tirinzoni, aged 46, became the oldest player in the women’s field and earned a silver medal to add to her four world championship titles. Swedish players said their country has a long curling tradition and believed even a smaller nation can reach the top with dedication.