Friday round robin maneuvering
MOOSE JAW, SASK.—Czechia has been a bit of a dark horse at these worlds, staying in contention right up to Friday.
They are on the bubble to get into that last playoff spot or at minimum, grab that last direct Olympic qualifying spot.
Led by skip Lukas Klima, third Marek Cernovsky, second Martin Jurik and lead Lukas Klipa, the team will either finish sixth or in a massive tie for seventh heading into this final day of the round robin. This is Klima’s fifth world appearance.
I had the opportunity to interview Klima and how the week has gone and his background in the sport. His father Radek was one of the first people to bring the game into the Czech Republic after watching the Olympics in the early 1990s. At the time there were no dedicated curling centres in the country. Now there are four active centres, with two in Klima’s home city of Prague.
I didn’t want to tell him there are 13 curling clubs within an hour of my home in Regina. We Canadians do take our opportunities to curl for granted. Lukas, a lawyer by profession, says he has almost daily morning practices before he heads off to work. The club is close to his home or, as he says, is a reasonable driving distance away, but his office is a bit of a drive across Prague. He is definitely committed to perfecting his craft.
He took to the game as a teenager quickly, given his father’s newfound love for the game. He quickly becoming Czechia’s world junior men’s rep a few times. The highlight of his junior career was winning the bronze at the World University Games. His team has now become a regular feature at the world men’s championship, gaining momentum year by year in the standings.
I asked about his influences and he pointed to the curling fraternity in Czechia, mostly. The curlers themselves, and what they have learned from the mental game to the technical. His father played with the first-generation Czech curling hero, skip Jiri Snitil, and together they served notice the Czechs were coming.
Czech Republic’s first worlds win over Canada came in 2013—against Brad Jacobs—and Jiri and Radek lost not one, not two, but three agonizing final games at past Olympic Qualifying Events to go to two different Olympic Games.
Now the next generation has tapped into Canadian coach and two-time world men’s champion Craig Savill.
The team has been to 12 events this season. I asked how curling and his profession as a lawyer works when the goal is to become world-class player. “Tricky,” he laughed … but he said it mostly works. Sounds like a curler juggling a day job and a passion, regardless of profession.
The Olympics would be a dream come true if they could grab a spot in Moose Jaw. If not, they would plan on being in Kelowna for the final qualifier in a few months and grabbing one of the two final berths available.
PS: Lukas is not related to the late Petr Klima, the former NHLer who had an up and down career, but when on was a human highlight reel.
Collective cheers
The big game of the week was first-place Canada against second-place Switzerland. The first two playoff seeds were pretty much on the line.
The game was all tied up at 2-2 playing the fifth when Brad Jacobs made a clutch shot for three. The crowd let out this massive collective cheer, which reminded me of last year’s Brier final—some 45 minutes down the road—when Mike McEwen’s Sasky crew was mounting a comeback versus Team Gushue.
That was one of the loudest cheers I’ve ever heard at a Brier, Scotties or worlds.
The 2005 Brier final in Edmonton came close, when David Nedohin of the Ferbey Four made an amazing shot in the fourth or fifth end to go on to defeat Nova Scotia skipped by Shawn Adams. Of course they were the hometown favourites, and the game went from a championship to a coronation at that point. Maybe the loudest cheer I ever heard at Northlands that rivalled any cheers from that Oiler dynasty.
Then in the eighth end in Moose Jaw, when Jacobs made a wonderful angle-raise takeout to count four and put the game. The crowd erupted again.
Immediately afterward, the arena had this positive, hopeful—dare I say giddy—vibe as people were extremely chatty and happy. Everyone I was walking with or overheard was talking about the game. It felt like a playoff game with the relief and elation.
The fans have really embraced our hometown contenders, as is to be expected. The Canadians all shot in the mid-90s and up—crazy! A dominant game against the Swiss, a powerhouse in their own right.
Hammyisms
I have enjoyed sitting in my media area with Hammy McMillan Sr., father of Scotland’s lead Hammy Jr., for most of my time in Moose Jaw. I like the main media area but the one with Hammy is usually just the two of us, taking life and curling.
Like many parents of athlete’s Hammy likes to be mostly alone to watch. I told him from the get go I won’t bother him. But Hammy likes to chat, so it was within reason. Here’s a small sampling of his world champion mindset as we watch and gab.
‘Do not beat yourselves’
“These curlers are so confident nowadays and think they can do anything,” Hammy said. “They are so gung-ho. It’s like they never worry about the consequences. Watch my team (meaning Mouat). They make incredible shots, then get blown out every now and then, and don’t have to. Just dial it back a bit, boys, that’s all.”
‘Winning Ugly’
“Just win! Who remembers how you’ve done it, really? There’s a time to go for it and a time to control the game and pick your spots.”
I interjected here. I asked if he knew where the term ”winning” ugly came from. He said, “No, tell me.” The 1983 Chicago White Sox made it part of the sports lexicon. Hammy says “Baseball? Wow!”
I told him one of my favourite sports psychology books is called Winning Ugly by tennis great Brad Gilbert. He replied, “I like Gilbert, gritty player, I remember him. He was great at doubles. I gotta get the book.”
“Women, when they get something in their heads to get something done, do not stand in their way.”
Okay, some context here: I mentioned my wife, aka The Max, who decided to refinish our floors in the living room and bedroom this week. This freed me up to spend a good chunk of the week in Moose Jaw. The house is currently like walking through a maze.
Hammy just laughed and told me the above nugget. He added, “And they are usually right in their plans. I never fight it anymore. I’ve been a bit of a slow learner.”
Never underestimate what you might learn in the media areas!