Achi news desk-
A team-by-team look at the field for the world men’s curling championship, March 30 to April 7 at the KSS Sports Complex in Schaffhausen, Switzerland.
CANADA
Skip – Brad Gushue, Third – Mark Nichols, Second – EJ Harnden, Leader – Geoff Walker
St. John’s Curling Club
Gushue, a 2006 Olympic gold medallist, won the 2017 world championship but missed back-to-back finals in 2022 and 2023.
CZECH ADMINISTRATION
Skip – Lukas Klima, Third – Marek Cernovsky, Second – Martin Jurik, Lead – Lukas Klipa
Zbraslav Curling Club & CC Dion, Prague
Klima, a lawyer, is playing in his fourth world championship. He took a team to the bronze medal at the 2011 Winter University, where he beat Canada’s Jonathan Beuk in a draw.
GERMANY
Skip – Marc Muskatewitz, Third – Benjamin Kapp, Second – Felix Messenzehl, Leader – Johannes Scheuerl
CC Fussen
Muskatewitz is appearing in his sixth world championship, while the other three members of his team are playing their first matches.
ITALY
Skip – Joel Retornaz, Third – Amos Mosaner, Second – Sebastiano Arman, Lead – Mattia Giovanella
Pinerolo Sports Club
Crew Retornaz enters the world championship as the highest rink in the world. They won a bronze medal at the 2022 worlds.
JAPAN
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Skip – Shinya Abe, Third – Tetsuro Shimizu, Second – Haruto Ouchi, Lead – Sota Tsuruga
Tokoro Curling Club
The 43-year-old Abe was part of the team that lost the bronze medal to Switzerland 6-5 in extra time at the 2019 world championship.
THE NETHERLANDS
Skipping – Wouter Gosgens, Third – Laurens Hoekman, Second – Jaap van Dorp, Lead – Alexander Magan
PWA Curling Club, Zoetermeer
Only 25, Gosgens appears in his sixth world championship. He qualified by finishing seventh in the European championship.
NEW ZEALAND
Skip – Anton Hood, Third – Ben Smith, Second – Brett Sargon, Lead – Hunter Walker
Maniototo Curling International, Naseby and Alexandra Indoor Curling Rink, Alexandra
The team, which finished last in the 2023 world championship, spent this season training in Calgary where the curlers lived in a retirement residence.
NORWAY
Skip – Magnus Ramsfjell, Third – Martin Sesaker, Second – Bendik Ramsfjell, Lead – Gaute Nepstad
Trondheim Curling Club
Magnus Ramsfjell is the son of three-time world champion Eigil Ramsfjell. Magnus is appearing in his fourth world championship after finishing fifth in 2023.
SCOTLAND
Skip – Bruce Mouat, Third – Grant Hardie, Second – Bobby Lammie, Leaf – Hammy McMillan Jr.
Gogar Park Curling Club, Edinburgh
Ranked number 2 in the world, Mouat is the defending world champion and two-time European champion. Finished second in the 2021 worlds.
SOUTH KOREA
Skip – Jong-duk Park, Third – Jeong Yeong-seok, Second – Oh Seung-hoon, Lead – Seong Ji-hoon
Gangwon Curling
Park, a five-time Korean champion, defeated Gushue during the preliminary round of the Pan Continentals before losing to Gushue in the final.
SWEDEN
Skip – Niklas Edin, Third – Oskar Eriksson, Second – Rasmus Wrana, Lead – Christoffer Sundgren
Karlstad Curling Club, Karlstad
Edin has won six world championships, including four in a row from 2018 to 2022. He also won Olympic gold in 2022, silver in 2018 and bronze in 2014.
SWITZERLAND
Lead – Yannick Schwaller, Third – Benoit Schwarz, Second – Sven Michel, Lead – Pablo Lachat
Genève Curling Club, Geneva
Schwaller’s quartet are fifth in the world and finished third in last year’s world championships.
UNITED STATES
Skip – John Shuster, Third – Chris Plys, Second – Colin Hufman, Leader – Matt Hamilton
Duluth Curling Club, Duluth, Minn.
Schuster defeated Edin to win the 2018 Olympic gold medal. He was third at the 2016 world championships.
& copy 2024 The Canadian Press
