Britain’s Olympic campaign appears to be going downhill faster than Franz Klammer - without a medal to show for it.
More than a week into competition in and around the Chinese capital Team GB has been nowhere near a podium.
World champions Charlotte Bankes and the mixed doubles curlers were hot tips for glory but each failed to make the top three.
Skeleton, Britain’s banker discipline with golds at the last three Games, is still to come.
But the men are outside the top-12 halfway through their competition and the women, who start today, have struggled on their training runs.
It is 30 years ago since Britain last returned empty-handed from a Winter Olympics, at Albertville in 1992.
UK Sport chair Katherine Grainger says she is “not panicking yet” and it is true that only twice since 1994 has Team GB won a medal in the first week.
What this campaign needs is a kick start and there is realistic hope that the men’s and women’s curling teams, together with Brad Hall’s bobsleigh boys, can provide it.
The problem is none of those medals can be won before Tuesday, when the two-man bob completes its competition. Until then the team needs to hold its nerve.
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Hall led the way last night when offering reassurance that 18th and 12th place finishes on his official two-man training runs are irrelevant.
“There is definitely no cause for concern,” he said. “We are saving our kit for race day.
“It happens during the World Cup season, normally we are in the middle of the pack in training then on race day we come ahead.
“That is what we are looking forward to. We are all feeling good and confident. We cannot wait to get started.”
Team mate Greg Cackett added: “There is not any (despondency) that we have picked up. There is a collective vibe.”
Mouat made equally positive noises after skipping his team to an opening 7-5 victory over Italy in the Ice Cube.
“Tuesday was a bit of a tough day,” he said, referring to the heavy loss to Norway which cost him and Jen Dodds a bronze medal.
“But this is the team that I’ve played with for 95 per cent of my time in the last three years.
“This is the one I’ve always looked to and always felt that this is the one I want to win.”
Eve Muirhead took instant inspiration from the men’s win, steering Britain’s women to a thumping 8-2 rout over reigning champions Sweden.
The result made amends for losing their opener 6-5 to Switzerland after Muirhead uncharacteristically blundered attempting a draw with the final stone of the match.
"To take down the current Olympic champions in such a convincing game is very nice to finish off the day,” said the Scot, a bronze medalist in Sochi.
“We’re out here to perform well.”
