Eve Muirhead, the Olympic champion, makes her highly anticipated return to curling on Thursday after a four-year hiatus. Competing in the Scottish Mixed Doubles Championship in Aberdeen, Muirhead pairs up with Bobby Lammie, a two-time Olympic silver medallist. Together, they hope to embark on a four-year journey leading to the Alpes 2030 Games.

As the standout duo in this domestic competition, they enter with a perfect record, having never lost a competitive match. However, they are also aware of the pressure from a strong field of competitors. Muirhead expressed to BBC Sport Scotland the importance of managing expectations:

We can't put too much pressure on ourselves. I need to remember I've been away for over four years now and I'm just back into it.

With six round-robin games scheduled over Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, the pair aims to secure their place in Sunday's semis and final, with some matches broadcast live on the BBC. Despite geographical challenges—Lammie being based in Stirling and Muirhead training in Preston—they manage to train together every couple of weeks and feel prepared for their comeback.

Muirhead acknowledges the high level of competition at this year's championship, stating, "The standard of teams in Aberdeen is very, very high - probably one of the strongest ever in a Scottish champs." As they embrace the pressure and excitement, she emphasizes the need to focus on their game and execute the fundamentals well, trusting that the results will follow.