Hammer time

By Anna Thompson
BBC Sport at the Winter Olympics

Britain's men's curlers face the United States in the bronze-medal play-off in Pinerolo on Friday (1200 GMT) in an attempt to win Team GB's second medal of the 2006 Games.

If they succeed it will be Britain's second straight curling medal after Rhona Martin and co won gold in Salt Lake City in 2002.

Event guide: curling

The Americans beat the Brits 9-8 in the round robin stage at Turin but David Murdoch's men are desperate for revenge.

SKIPS

GB: David Murdoch
Age: 27
Lives: Lockerbie, Scotland

Tournament accuracy rate: 77%

Murdoch is the youngest skip - or captain - to reach the second stage of the Olympics and has had a shot accuracy rate of 77% at the Games.

His nickname is Muddy and he is single and works as an agricultural contractor and farmer at his father's dairy farm in Lockerbie.

He won silver at the 2005 World Championships, bronze at the European Championships and has two World Junior titles as well.

USA: Pete Fenson
Age: 37
Lives: Bemidji, Minnesota

Tournament accuracy rate: 76%

Fenson owns and operates a pizza parlour and is married to Roxanne and has two sons, Alex and Graeme.

He has been curling since the age of 13 and during these Games has had a shot accuracy rate of 76%

His father Bob is the US team coach and Fenson's career highlights include a bronze medal at the 1993 World Championships.

LEADS

GB: Euan Byers
Age: 31
Lives: Lockerbie, Scotland

Tournament accuracy rate: 85%

Byers is a farmer who is a member of Lockerbie Curling Club.

He has a shot accuracy rate of 85% at these Games and is a former World Junior Champion.

He was part of the team which won silver at the World Championships in Canada in 2005 and bronze at the European Championships.

USA: John Shuster
Age: 23
Lives: Chisholm, Minnesota

Tournament accuracy rate: 80%

Shuster has only been curling for eight years but now curls in three leagues a week.

The salesman owns three dogs and enjoys hunting, fishing, wakeboarding and fantasy football.

He has a shot accuracy rate of 80% in Pinerolo and his career highlight so far was finishing sixth in the 2005 World Championships.

SECONDS

GB: Warwick Smith
Age: 34
Lives: Bridge of Earn, Perthshire

Tournament accuracy rate: 86%

Smith is a commercial insurance manager at Norwich Union and is married to Nicky and has a son called Morgan.

He has a tournament accuracy rate of 86% and has been curling for 21 years.

Smith was originally the alternate at the 2002 Games but came in for dropped skip Hammy McMillan.

In 1996 he won silver in the World Championships and did the European and World double three years later.

USA: Joe Polo
Age: 23
Lives: Duluth, Minnesota

Tournament accuracy rate: 80%

Polo is a mechanical engineering student who began curling at the age of 10 and has a shot accuracy rate of 80% for these Games.

He is a fan of ultimate Frisbee, cricket, and playing cards and his philosophy is "don't take life seriously or you'll never get out alive".

Polo's career highlight was sixth place at the 2005 World Championships in Canada.

THIRDS

GB: Ewan MacDonald
Age: 30
Lives: Inverness

Tournament accuracy rate: 79%

MacDonald has been curling since the age of 10 and in these Games has a shot accuracy rate of 79%.

He is married to 2002 Olympic champion Fiona MacDonald and has a son called Jake.

MacDonald is a financial services partner and is a former Scottish champion and was the alternate at the 2005 European and World Championships.

USA: Shawn Rojeski
Age: 34
Lives: Virginia, Minnesota

Tournament accuracy rate: 81%

Rojeski first got into curling when he had to write down his curling-mad family's shooting percentages for each game.

He has been curling since he was 14 and in these Olympics has a shot accuracy rate of 81%.

Rojeski wears a lucky pair of boxer shorts and gets himself motivated for games by listening to Kenny Chesney and ZZ Top.

His best result was sixth in the 2005 World Championships in Canada.

ALTERNATES

GB: Craig Wilson
Age: 32
Lives: Dunblane, Scotland

Tournament accuracy rate: 79%

Wilson is a senior treasury manager for National Australia Bank and is married to Nikki and they have a daughter called Georgia.

He was the alternate in the semi-final but has a shot accuracy rate of 79% in the Games.

Wilson was part of the team which won a silver medal at the 2005 World Championships and was in the gold-winning team at the 2003 European Championships.

USA: Scott Baird
Age: 54
Lives: Bemidji, Minnesota

Tournament accuracy rate: Not played

Baird is the oldest Winter Olympian ever although he has not actually played in the tournament.

He has been curling for 44 years and his wife Lynn and children Randy and Nikki are curlers too.

Baird, who lists golf and rollerblading among his hobbies, was in the team which finished third in the 1993 World Championships.