Canada’s Brad Gushue takes silver at the world championships in curling when Sweden’s Niklas Edin wins
Canada Skip Brad Gushue reacts after delivering a stone to Sweden during a gold medal at the World Championships for men in curling, Sunday, April 10, 2022, in Las Vegas.John Locher / The Associated Press
Canada’s Brad Gushue settled for silver at the world championships in curling for men on Sunday after losing an 8-6 decision against Swedish Niklas Edin at Orleans Arena.
Gushue made a blank attempt in the ninth end to give Edin the hammer in the 10th with a draw. Sweden made a pair when Gushue could not get his stone to roll under two Swedish stones on top of the four-foot-long ring.
It was the fourth straight world crown for Edin and his sixth overall. The victory came less than two months after he won Olympic gold – defeating Gushue in the semifinals – at the Beijing Games.
Gushue and his St. John’s-based team of Mark Nichols, Brett Gallant and Geoff Walker had the first seed and opened the game with a hammer.
But Edin worked hard in the beginning and kept the pressure on throughout the match and took advantage of Canadian mistakes. Gushue tried to get a blank in the ninth end but sniffed for a single and Walker hit his second stone in the 10th.
Italy’s Joel Retornaz defeated American Korey Dropkin 13-4 earlier in the day and won the bronze medal.
Gushue, who won Olympic bronze in Beijing, was looking to win his second world title in his career after topping Edin in the 2017 final in Edmonton. Edin won the rematch a year later at the same venue in Las Vegas.
Without Scotland’s Bruce Mouat in the field, Canada and Sweden were heavy favorites to reach the final.
Gushue and Edin had a few hiccups during the round-robin game but were still the class in the 13-team field and secured the two best seeds.
The teams have known each other well since the jumps first played against each other in 2011. Gushue went in with a 21-10 edge in all-time meetings but Edin had won the last three matches, including one here and twice in Beijing.
With a pro-Canadian audience of about 1,000 fans giving support, Gushue stole a couple in the other. Edin flashed an in-off and could not move the buried Canadian stones on his last shot.
An obvious ice problem – the latest in a series of problems that hampered the game all week – seemed to affect Gushue’s first throw at the third end.
He raised his arms in the air as his stone crossed the far elevation before missing his goal. This allowed Edin to make one hit and stay for two.
Gushue looked over the place on the ice and looked for debris at the bottom of the rock. He was still shaking his head when he discussed the problem with alternate EJ Harnden and league captain Jeff Stoughton between the ends.
Gushue, ranked No. 1 in the world, has had a fantastic season with victories in Canada’s Olympic trials, a bronze medal at the Olympics and a fourth national title in six years. Gushue, Gallant and Walker played last weekend on Tim Horton’s Brier as a threesome when Nichols withdrew due to covid-19.
Edin, who beat Mouat in the Olympic final, drew evenly with a steal at the fourth end. Sweden sat three in the fifth final to force Gushue to make a draw for a single and 4-3 lead into the midfield break.
Edin took another second in the sixth when Gushue could only clear one stone on a double selection attempt.
At the same time, Retornaz guided the Italian team to its first ever playoff appearance at this event and the first podium. A six-point seventh finish sealed the victory over the host team.
The world bronze came two months after Italian third Amos Mosaner won Olympic gold in mixed doubles with Stefania Constantini.
This will be the final season of this version of the Team Gushue lineup.
Gallant plans to leave the team when the campaign ends later this spring. His replacement has not yet been appointed.
Canada’s Kerri Einarson took bronze at the world championships for women last month in Prince George, BC Swiss Silvana Tirinzoni won the gold.