Howie, better known under her married name, Rhona Martin, led Great Britain to Olympic success at Salt Lake City in 2002, beating Luzia Ebnöther's Switzerland in the final.

The medal had been part of an exhibition of curling memorabilia at Dumfries Museum when robbers targeted the facility on April 30, making off with a haul worth £34,000 ($57,300/€41,300).

The curler has since filmed an emotional appeal for the BBC programme Crimewatch calling for the return of the medal.

The appeal is set to be shown as part of the Crimewatch Roadshow next week.

Rhona Howie (right) was skip for the Great Britain team when it won gold at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City ©Getty Images



"I believed it was part of Scotland, not just mine," said Martin, who has reverted to her maiden name of Howie since her divorce.

"I thought all the visits to schools would be worthwhile if it inspired one child to try to make a dream come true.

"Now that is the one thing I do not have.

"I am devastated.

"It was hand-finished, irreplaceable.

"The children loved wearing it, got a huge thrill from it."

Also stolen from the museum in Dumfries was the Olympic curling gold won at the inaugural 1924 Winter Games in Chamonix by fellow Scot William Jackson, who skipped a team including his son Laurence.

Following the incident, Howie launched an appeal for the safe return of the medal on her facebook page.

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May 2014: "Devastated" Rhona Martin appeals for return of stolen Salt Lake City 2002 gold medal