Scots savour success

Five young Scots, previously as anonymous as their sport, tentatively embraced celebrity status on Friday with a peculiarly British blend of pride and self-deprecation.

Nearly six million people watched live on television on Thursday as the British women's curling team won the country's first Winter Games medal for 18 years. Saloon bars throughout the land were packed with instant experts on an obscure sport roughly equivalent to lawn bowls on ice.

Prime Minister Tony Blair sent a message of congratulations to the team saying: "We have been deeply impressed at how you have played as a team, battling and never giving up in adversity."

Scotland's First Minister Jack McConnell weighed in with a tribute and on Friday Prince Charles added his congratulations.

The reaction in Salt Lake City was somewhat different. Apart from the British media, reporters who had flocked to interview Australian short track speedskater Steve Bradbury and Swiss ski jumper Simon Ammann ignored the Scots quintet of Rhona Martin, Margaret Morton, Fiona MacDonald, Janice Rankin and Debbie Knox.

British team chief Simon Clegg was undeterred.

"From Penzance to Penrith people want to take up curling," he announced solemnly. Martin, he added, had clinched the gold with "the stone of destiny".

Whatever the rapture back home, the British celebrations on Thursday were muted. Apart from the odd glass of wine with dinner, the now famous five had made a pact at the beginning of the season to eschew alcohol.

So how had they celebrated?

"We had a glass of champagne after the medals ceremony," Martin said. "I just had one, I don't know about the others."

Martin, 35, who has been given the honour of carrying the Union Jack in Sunday's closing ceremony, did reveal she had nearly missed the Olympics because of a stomach complaint.

"I nearly missed the Olympic Games because I took ill in Calgary with stomach problems," she said. "I had stomach problems in Calgary for a week before coming down to Salt Lake."

Martin said she had gone in to hospital for tests but had no idea what had caused the ailment. She added she had not been fully fit at the start of the Games.

Coach Mike Hay said he had made a medical decision on whether Martin played or not.

"She certainly wasn't 100 percent but she got stronger as the week went on," he said. "It was a decision we took because we thought she would have got better. But we didn't know if we had taken the right decision at the time."

Invited to talk through the final stone which gave Britain victory over Switzerland, Martin said she had not seen the final strike.

"I didn't see the stone because the sweepers had moved behind it. When Janice jumped up I thought 'good one'."

Knox said the team had not fully taken in their success. "I don't think we have realised what we have done yet," she said. "We don't realise the media circus at home. We will see when we get home."