Canada’s Gushue tops the Netherlands and South Korea at world curling championship

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This article was published 03/04/2024 (907 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

SCHAFFHAUSEN, Switzerland – Canada’s Brad Gushue extended his win streak to four games with another two-victory day at the world men’s curling championship on Wednesday.

He scored a 7-4 win over Wouter Goesgens of the Netherlands in the morning draw at IWC Arena and defeated South Korea’s Jongduk Park 7-4 in the evening. Gushue and his team of Mark Nichols, E.J. Harnden and Geoff Walker improved to 7-1 to remain in second place in the 13-team round-robin standings.

Frosty ice conditions due to external temperatures and humidity made for some challenging conditions at the four-sheet venue.

“To get through today with two wins was good,” Gushue said. “You never know how these conditions are going to affect each team. It could be one rock that you play down a fresh path that bites you.

“So when you get through the day, you’re pretty happy no matter who you play.”

Sweden’s Niklas Edin (8-0) was in top spot after 14 draws. The six-time world champion posted an 8-5 win over Germany’s Marc Muskatewitz.

Round-robin play continues through Friday night. The top six teams will make the playoffs.

Medal games are scheduled for Sunday.

In the opener, Gushue scored a pair in the first end and stole a single in the second to take an early lead he wouldn’t relinquish. He added a single in the sixth end, a deuce in the eighth and one more in the 10th to seal the win.

“I think once we got up three and knowing full well the ice conditions were going to get tougher, it was about keeping it simple and making their shots tough,” Gushue said.

The game turned in the eighth end when Gushue made a runback before a tap for two. Goesgens was forced to a single in the ninth end and couldn’t manage a game-tying steal of two in the 10th.

“This is a long week and it’s going to be gruelling so you don’t want to make it any more difficult than it has to be,” Harnden said. “That was a perfect example of patience today.”

Switzerland’s Yannick Schwaller beat Czechia’s Lukas Klima 7-4 in the evening and defending champion Bruce Mouat of Scotland got by Japan’s Shinya Abe 7-5.

Canada started strong against South Korea but gave up a deuce in the fourth end and took a 4-3 lead into the mid-game break. Park missed a double-takeout in the sixth end to set up Gushue for a pair.

Down three with hammer in the 10th, Park rolled out on his first shot — a hit-and-roll attempt — and the South Koreans conceded.

Sweden and Canada were ahead of Scotland and Switzerland (both 6-2) and Germany at 6-3. Top-ranked Joel Retornaz of Italy was 5-3 while Norway’s Magnus Ramsfjell and American John Shuster were just outside the playoff cutline at 4-4.

Canada will play Norway on Thursday morning before a showcase matchup against Sweden in the evening.

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Czechia and Japan were at 3-6 and the Netherlands was 2-6. New Zealand’s Anton Hood (0-8) and South Korea (0-9) remained winless.

The top two seeds will earn direct berths to the semifinals. The other four playoff teams will play qualification games.

Gushue, from St. John’s, N.L., won world gold in 2017 at Edmonton but has settled for silver on three occasions since, including last year in Ottawa.

Ottawa’s Rachel Homan won gold at the world women’s curling championship last month in Sydney, N.S.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 3, 2024.