Brad Gushue’s team from Canada suffered their first loss at the world men’s curling championship, falling 7-6 to Italy’s Joel Retornaz. This loss put Italy in a four-way tie with Canada, Germany, and the United States, all at 3-1. Gushue mentioned struggling with his rocks at the beginning of the game until he switched them out, leading to a better performance. Sweden’s Niklas Edin and Scotland’s Bruce Mouat led the standings after seven draws, with the US and Germany also at 3-1.
In other matches, Sweden defeated Norway in an extra end, Scotland won against New Zealand, and Switzerland beat the Netherlands. Switzerland was just outside the playoff cutline, with Norway, the Netherlands, Lukas Klima of Czechia, and Japan’s Shinja Abe following behind. Gushue’s team had a day off before their next game against New Zealand.
Canada shot 90% against Italy’s 87%, but Italy took the lead after Canada made an error in the second end. Gushue was unable to freeze the stone, allowing Italy to score a pair. Canada was forced in the third end, and Italy gave up a steal in the sixth end, allowing Canada to tie the game with a single. In the final end, Canada had a chance for three points and the win, but Gushue’s shot fell short, leading to a double-takeout by Italy and Canada settling for a tie.
Round-robin play at the championship will continue until Friday night, with medal games scheduled for Sunday. Canada last won gold in 2017 with Gushue as the victor. The team will be looking to bounce back from this loss and secure a spot in the playoff round. Despite the disappointment of the loss, Gushue remains focused on the upcoming games and will be looking to improve their performance in the following matches.
Overall, the tournament has seen some intense matches and close scores, with top teams vying for a spot in the playoffs. The competition remains tight, with several teams in contention for a playoff spot. Gushue and his team will need to regroup and come back stronger in their next games to secure a place in the playoffs and potentially compete for the gold medal. With the championship heating up, fans can expect more exciting matches and fierce competition as teams battle it out on the ice.
