A capsule look at the teams competing at the world men’s curling championship

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This article was published 31/03/2022 (1648 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

LAS VEGAS – A capsule look at the field for the men’s world curling championship April 2-10 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.

CANADA

Winner of four of the last six Canadian men’s curling titles, Brad Gushue looks to build on a memorable season that included Olympic bronze at the Beijing Games. Mark Nichols returns at third after sitting out the Tim Hortons Brier playoffs due to a positive COVID-19 test. World Curling Federation ranking: No. 1.

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FINLAND

Skip Kalle Kiiskinen returns to the world championship for the first time since 2016. It will be his eighth career appearance at the competition. World Curling Federation ranking: No. 79.

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SOUTH KOREA

Soo-Hyuk Kim will throw third stones after skipping different lineups in 2011 and 2019. Chang-Min Kim has skip duties this time around. World Curling Federation ranking: No. 40.

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SCOTLAND

Skip Kyle Waddell represented Great Britain at the 2018 Winter Games, finishing fifth in Pyeongchang, South Korea. He’ll call the game but Ross Paterson has last rock. World Curling Federation ranking: No. 32.

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UNITED STATES

Korey Dropkin skips the American entry with the experienced Joe Polo at third. It’s Polo’s seventh career world men’s championship appearance. World Curling Federation ranking: No. 44.

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CZECH REPUBLIC

Lukas Klima is making his second appearance at this competition but first as a skip. His team is coached by Canadian Craig Savill. World Curling Federation ranking: No. 41.

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SWEDEN

Three-time defending champion Niklas Edin enters play full of confidence after winning Olympic gold at the Beijing Games. He’ll be looking for the sixth world title of his career. World Curling Federation ranking: No. 4.

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GERMANY

Skip Sixten Totzek guided his team to a 10th-place finish at last year’s event in the Calgary bubble. World Curling Federation ranking: No. 24.

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NETHERLANDS

It’s a fifth straight worlds appearance for this Dutch team, now skipped by Wouter Goesgens with Jaap van Dorp shifting to vice. World Curling Federation ranking: No. 39.

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DENMARK

Tobias Thune served as an alternate for Mikkel Krause at the Winter Games. It’s Thune’s second career worlds appearance and first as skip. World Curling Federation ranking: No. 72.

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ITALY

Joel Retornaz is looking to improve on a seventh-place finish last year. Olympic mixed doubles champion Amos Mosaner throws third stones. World Curling Federation ranking: No. 14.

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NORWAY

It’s the second career world men’s championship for skip Magnus Ramsfjell, who finished 12th in 2019. World Curling Federation ranking: No. 34.

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SWITZERLAND

Former world junior champion Yannick Schwaller leads a Swiss side making its debut at the world men’s playdowns. World Curling Federation ranking: No. 15.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 31, 2022.

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