King Niklas adds to his monstrous legacy
Swedish men’s skip Niklas Edin got back on track at the world curling championship with a golden 6-5 victory over Canada’s Brad Gushue at Schauffhausen, Switzerland.
The victory marked Edin’s seventh world championship title since 2013 and first since Las Vegas in 2022. Last year in Ottawa, Edin finished out of the medals which broke a string of four straight titles won since Vegas, again, in 2018.
For Gushue, it marked his fourth consecutive silver medal at the worlds since he scored gold at his first appearance in 2017. Edin has won three of those championship matchups against the Canadian.
“Undescribable, it feels so good after this week” said Edin after the match. “We felt that we played so well the whole week … also kind of the struggles from last year, like the surgery and not playing as a whole team, losing out in the (2023) quarters, a lot of doubt kind of came in at that point.
“Now, we just played maybe the best game we’ve ever played to win. Super proud of the team.”
“We fought,” said Gushue. “We made a lot of shots, made him make a very difficult shot… credit to him, he made a great shot, there’s no better way to win a world championship.”
After an opening blank, Swedish third Oskar Eriksson made a long hit and roll behind cover to set up Sweden’s first deuce, for a 2-0 lead.
Eriksson struck again in the next end, making another perfect hit and roll and Gushue eventually ticked a guard on his blank attempt for a 3-0 Sweden lead.
The Canadians did add two deuces of their own up to and including the ninth end, which tied the score at 5-5 … but Edin managed the scoreboard effectively, always keeping one step ahead of his opponents.
He was determined to wield the hammer in the final end.
In the 10th, the Swedes went around both of Canada’s opening centre guards, and Gushue chose a third—much higher—guard on second stones.
Canada third Mark Nichols came into the rings on his first stone, and Eriksson followed with a nose hit. Nichols drew in again, and Eriksson removed the last remaining Canadian guard.
Gushue replaced the guard on his first stone and the Swedes called a timeout to conference. Edin decided to draw in to try and block a Gushue hit to lie three.
Gushue quickly called the hit, a short runback to lie three, which forced Edin into a very wide draw on his last stone to reach the full four-foot.
It took all of Edin’s vast experience to throw the right weight—while leaving a brush option for his teammates—and despite a brief power brushing from Nichols, the Swedish stone settled in the back four, just in time, for the 6-5 win.
Edin, Eriksson, Rasmus Wraana and Christoffer Sundgren have now won five world titles as a foursome, plus Olympic silver in 2018 and gold in 2022.
“For the fourth time, silver sucks,” said Gushue. “But you know what, to be second in the world, we have to be proud of what we did. But it’s just disappointing, now it’s four in a row for me.
“I’m sure at some point down the road I’ll appreciate it more than I do right now, but right now it’s tough to take.”
Gushue, Nichols, E.J. Harnden and Geoff Walker are now the first Canadian men’s team to qualify for the Canadian fours Olympic Trials, to be held in late 2025.
In the bronze medal game held earlier on Sunday, Scotland’s Bruce Mouat appeared to have it all wrapped up until disaster struck in the ninth end.
A miss left Italy skip Joel Retornaz with a shot for three to force an extra end at 6-6.
In the extra frame, additional Scottish misses saw Italy steal the 7-6 win.
The final four teams will now hurriedly fly to Toronto for the season-ending Players’ Championship, the final event in the Grand Slam of Curling series.
The women’s field in Toronto will also include new world champion Rachel Homan of Ottawa, Switzerland’s Silvana Tirinzoni, Manitoba’s Kerri Einarson and in her final appearance in women’s fours competition, Manitoba’s Jennifer Jones.