Winter Olympic gold medalist Eve Muirhead has announced she is revoking her retirement from curling. Muirhead, who stepped away from the sport four years ago, cited her recent experience as Team GB's chef de mission at the Olympic Games as inspiration for her return.
Muirhead stated that the competitive drive within her never truly disappeared. "The more time I spent around elite sport and curling, the more I began to wonder whether I still had something to give on the ice," she said. She believes she is returning from a place of renewed strength and excitement for the challenge, adding, "I would not be coming back unless I believed I could perform at that level again."
Joining Muirhead in her comeback is former teammate Vicky Drummond, who also steps out of retirement. Drummond, 32, will compete in the GB Curling mixed doubles program, potentially rivalling Muirhead and a third former teammate, Jen Dodds. Drummond, an intensive care nurse, revealed that her passion for competition was reignited while working with BBC Sport in Cortina earlier this year. She also expressed a desire to show her young daughter that motherhood does not necessitate abandoning personal ambitions.
"More than anything, I want my return to mean something beyond the ice," Drummond said. "I want Sophie to grow up knowing that it's never too late to chase something that excites you. If she grows up believing that anything is possible because she watched me try, then this journey will already have been worth it."
Drummond will partner with Euan Kyle. While the specific path forward remains uncertain, both Muirhead and Drummond have expressed excitement about rediscovering their competitive spirit on the ice.