By Nick Butler

The European Championships is the first major event in a season that will culminate in the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi ©Getty ImagesNovember 29 - Scotland's women will aim to continue their unbeaten run with victory in the final over Sweden at the European Curling Championships, while hosts Norway will be favourites to take the men's title when they face Switzerland in Stavanger tomorrow. 


Eve Muirhead's Scotland team, the reigning world champions and as Great Britain will be focusing on the gold medal at Sochi 2014, have shown formidable form in winning all nine of their matches thus far.

In their final match the series leaders, consisting of Anna Sloan, Vicki Adams and Claire Hamilton as well as skipper Muirhead, took on second placed Switzerland with the winner guaranteeing themselves a final birth. 

After a 13-3 win over the Swiss earlier in the competition Scotland duly outclassed their rivals once again and after taking an early 3-1 lead in the fourth end they eventually triumphed 10-3.

After the game, Scottish skip Eve Muirhead described reaching a fourth consecutive European final as a "great feeling".

"We're unbeaten so far, so we can't complain but we've still got a job to finish off," she said.

"I think that performance shows we're working hard as a team and stamping down a marker before the Olympic Games."

Switzerland duly suffered a second, albeit narrower, defeat in the sole semi-final when they slid to a 7-6 defeat against Sweden.

The Swiss will consequently have to make do with a bronze medal play off against Denmark while Sweden progress to the final against Scotland.

Scotland will be chasing more success in the final in Norway following their world title earlier in 2013 ©Getty ImagesScotland will be chasing more success in the final in Norway following their world title earlier in 2013 ©Getty Images


In the men's competition 2012 runners up Norway confirmed their final participation after topping the classification stage.

In a thrilling semi-final Switzerland made ensured that there would be Swiss representation in one final when skipper Sven Michel broke the deadlock by securing a point in the final end for a 8-7 victory over Denmark.

Denmark will face Scotland in the bronze medal match.

This session also featured the first of the best-of-three World Challenge games between the winners of the second tier B-Group and the eighth-place finishers in the A-Group which had World Championship qualification at stake.

Men's B-Group winners Germany beat Latvia by 7-2 first, so another victory in the second play-off will see them qualify for the men's event in Beijing while Germany's women missed out against Finland 4-5 in the battle to qualify for the event to be held in Saint John, Canada.