Article content

BEIJING – It all started when Anna Hasselborg and her teammates called Wayne Middaugh’s wife in 2018.

Article content

“They actually called my wife to say ‘Sherry, is it OK if five Swedish women drag your husband around the world?'” Middaugh said this week at the Winter Olympics, where he coaches the Swedish women’s team.

“Sherry was like, ‘Yeah, take him!’ That’s how it started.”

Middaugh is a three-time Canadian and world champion in curling who had to give up the game for a long period after a devastating ski accident in 2016.

His life changed forever that January day, when he landed badly on a jump and broke his leg in several places. He underwent several surgeries, a titanium rod was implanted and he spent two years recovering to a point where he could walk normally again.

He has since returned to competition curling – he actually skipped an injured Glenn Howard’s team in Brier 2021 – but for several years he was sure he was done.

Article content

That’s why the 54-year-old from Victoria Harbor, Ont., Was so happy when he got the opportunity to train a fantastic international team, skipped by Hasselborg.

“That was what brought me back to curling, after my accident,” said the Canadian Curling Hall of Famer.

“I missed curling and wanted to be a part of it and they literally gave me an opportunity that was too hard to miss. It was like a dream come true.”

The Hasselborg team had already taken an Olympic gold when Middaugh came, but the Swedes were looking for someone with experience and playing knowledge.

“He’s probably the best tactical guy in the world but he’s also such a nice guy who takes care of us,” said Hasselborg. “He really wants us to be fantastic out there and we work as well as a team. He really gets us and he really gets me, like a leap. He challenges me and that’s something I really like.

Article content

“Having a guy like Wayne on your side is pretty big. He’s the kind of guy you do not want against him.”

Middaugh is one of six Canadian coaches working with the 10 women’s teams at these Olympics.

Like Peter Gallant (South Korea), JD Lind (Japan), Heather Rogers (Denmark), Laine Peters (USA) and Pierre Charette (Switzerland), Middaugh works mainly to help other countries beat Canada.

The Canadian influence has been a large part of the growth of curling internationally, and countries such as Sweden and Switzerland have moved forward in terms of success.

Article content

“It’s very interesting but it’s all part of the game,” Middaugh said. “It’s just one of the things that Canada has always led the game.

“It’s probably because of the exposure that Canadians have from a very young age, that they are exposed to curling day in and day out. It’s on TV, and the events we play we can watch a little more strategically.”

It has not been easy for Middaugh to be part of the Hasselborg team in recent years due to the covid-19 pandemic.

He was with the Swedes in the curling bubble in Calgary in March last year but did not spend time with them again until two weeks before the Olympics in Beijing.

Now that he is here, he absorbs every part of the experience.

The Swedes entered Sunday’s game with a record of 2-2, which must be significantly improved if Hasselborg wants to redo as Olympic champion.

But no matter what happens, Middaugh intends to enjoy the moment.

“It’s a great experience,” he said.

“I have never been to the Olympics in my career and it is something I have always dreamed of being a part of. They have given me that opportunity and here I am.

“Working with a team that is already so good and helping them get a little better and travel the world, it’s an incredible opportunity.”

[email protected]

Twitter.com/Ted_Wyman