TEN FOR 2010: David Murdoch

By Holly Hamilton, Sportsbeat

DAVID Murdoch knows anything less than a curling medal at the Vancouver Winter Olympics in February will be seen as a failure.

CELEBRATION: David Murdoch (far right) celebrates with his team-mates after winning his world title earlier this year

Which seems strange because the whole of British Winter Olympic team could only manage a solitary silver between them four years ago in Turin.  That was through Shelley Rudman in the skeleton.

And Murdoch's squad left Italy empty-handed after agonisingly losing the bronze medal match by just a stone to the USA.

But there are high hopes for British curling in 2010 and the 31-year-old has since gone on to win two world crowns in 2006 and 2009 and the European Championships in 2008.

Murdoch knows home team Canada will be the ones to beat, but can take some comfort in the fact they have defeated them in their own backyard before.

Murdoch claimed the 2009 world title against skip Kevin Martin in Moncton with three victories over the Canadians.

But it hasn't all been plain sailing for the Scot with a disappointing showing at the European Championships earlier this month.

His rink, made up of Euan Byers, Ewan MacDonald, Graeme Connal and Peter Smith, could only manage fourth in Aberdeen - definitely not perfect preparation for the Olympics.

This was despite enjoying a recent fitness camp in Cyprus, which was designed to work on the squads' strength and conditioning.

But Murdoch is made of strong stuff and believes he thrives as the underdog in stadiums where there is little support for his team.

Murdoch is hoping 19-year-old female skip Eve Muirhead can join him in a successful showing in February and the friendly rivalry between the two will spur them both on.

Following Rhona Martin's unexpected gold in Salt Lake City in 2002, the popularity of curling has risen dramatically.

With winter sports way down the pecking order in terms of Olympic funding, a sure-fire way to raise the profile of curling even more will be success from Murdoch in Vancouver.

No pressure then.