Eve Muirhead completed a full set of World Championship medals and her team secured their places at next year’s Winter Olympics when they beat Sweden 6-4 to claim bronze in Beijing yesterday.

It was their first medal success at the World Championships since, along with current team-mates Anna Sloan and Vicki Adams, Muirhead claimed gold in 2013, while the 26-year-old skip was first a finalist with a completely different line-up seven years ago.

“We came out fighting because we really wanted it. It’s been a tough week, so to come away with a medal is really satisfying,” said Muirhead.

“We knew Sweden would be tough but we were gutsy in our determination to get the win and stealing in the last two ends was a demonstration of that. We are so proud to bring a medal back to Scotland.”

The Scots had already guaranteed curling involvement for Team GB at next year’s Winter Olympics by reaching the play-offs and this victory has guaranteed their own involvement in Pyeongchang on the basis of the criteria laid out by performance director Graeme Thompson when he said after last month’s Scottish Championships that if a team won medals at both the European and World Championships this season and was highest placed in the world rankings, they would have earned the right to go.

Team Muirhead have been perennial medallists at the Europeans for the last seven seasons, collecting another bronze on home ice in Braehead back in November, while their fifth place ranking puts them well ahead of their closest domestic rivals.

The way they claimed their medal was meanwhile a powerful indicator that they are on course to perform well in Korea, too, after having made significant changes this season, including recruiting four time world champion Glenn Howard as their tactical coach.

He was full of praise for the way they handled the pressure against Anna Hasselborg’s Swedes who had beaten them in the round-robin stages and in the first round of play-off matches, so denying the Scots a crack at the gold medal.

“From our perspective the last seven ends were the best seven ends we have played this year. Everything came together from team dynamics to communication, to rock placement and execution, it was a pleasure to watch,” he said.

Muirhead's brilliant draw with her final stone of the ninth end earned the steal that put them in front for the first time in two matches against the Swedes, but Howard was even more pleased with the way they collectively closed it out.

“The first two or three ends were really tough but we made a ton of good curling shots in those next seven ends. The tenth end was point perfect by every player all the way through and then good things happen.”

Howard’s native Canada won their first gold medal at these championships for nine years after Rachel Homan’s rink beat the Russians, led by Anna Sidorova, 8-3 in the final to maintain their tournament long 100 per cent record

However, as well as beating the Swedes at the third time of asking, the Scots defeated the Russians earlier in the event and while he indicated that there remains considerable scope for improvement, Howard suggested the return to medal winning form is perfectly timed, offering encouragement, but also a reminder of how much work they have to do in an increasingly competitive environment that saw them sneak into the play-offs with a record of seven wins and four defeats.

“To come away with a medal is absolutely fantastic,” he said.

“Obviously we had our ups and downs this week. We weren’t really at our best but they showed mental fortitude and obviously the desire, came out in this game and really wanted it and to see the tears at the end was pretty special.

“At the end of that game and the way they played they gave it 150% and that shows it is in there and is something we are going to build on for the coming year.”

Finishing on an up was also a perfect way to complete the on-ice initiation of Lauren Gray, who was the team’s alternate when they won gold in 2013 and when they claimed bronze at the Olympics, but was brought into the playing line-up as lead this season.

“It’s a completely different experience to being on the bench where you probably have more nerves because you can’t influence what is going on,” she admitted afterwards.

“I had to put all the new things I have learned into practice and it was very tight but we did it and I was just overjoyed and emotional and everyone was quite emotional to clinch it at the end.

“The other girls have competed at many World Championships, whereas this was my first one on the ice, so it is extra, extra special for me getting my first World Championship medal playing at my first World Champs.

“We were all absolutely overjoyed to win it, I am sure it never gets old winning a medal at this level of your sport.”