“He was a great team leader and great guy”

Ten days after his passing shocked the curling world, Thomas Ulsrud was remembered at an Oslo church service located close to his home.

Team Ulsrud competed in 12 world championships, winning gold in 2014 plus four additional medals, 17 European Championships (winning two gold medals, six silver and three bronze) and three Olympic Winter Games, taking silver at Vancouver 2010.

The service at Ullern Church was attended by Ulsrud’s former teammates. Norway’s TV 2 was there.

“It’s just sad, really,” third Torger Nergaard told TV 2. “It’s unreal, at the same time as (the cancer) had been happening for a while. It was shocking, but at the same time not completely shocking.

“I want to remember all the good times we had on the road … only the friendship and that we managed to have fun together for 30 years.”

Lead Haavard Vad Petersson and second Christoffer Svae first teamed with Ulsrud in 2007.

“It’s sad, but it’s the way it is,” Vad Petersson told TV 2. “I want to remember all the good memories and feel grateful to have known him.

“It’s not (just) the sport, but all the trips and the friendship and the good stories. We played together for 12 years, and had over 100 travel days a year.”

Svae was the one who first brought “crazy pants” along to the team’s first Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, and the foursome wore them at the first practice session. The decision was then made to wear them at the following day’s start of Olympic competition, and a legend was born.

“He was a great team leader and great guy,” Svae told TV 2. “He had an infectious laugh, was inclusive and outgoing, and was a very nice and fantastic front figure for our team.”