Canada's Gushue routs Denmark to secure top seed at men's curling worlds
Canadian rink tops round-robin standings with 10-2 campaign
Win or lose at this week's world men's curling championship, Brad Gushue feels his team's legacy is secure.
"I think we are the best team to ever play from the longevity that we've had and the success that we've had," Gushue said. "It's a hard argument for anybody else to make, so [a title here] would be icing on the cake for sure."
His team of vice Mark Nichols, second Brett Gallant and lead Geoff Walker has padded the resume nicely this season with a Trials win, a fourth national title in six years and an Olympic bronze.
Another medal could come this weekend after the team nailed down a semifinal berth with an 8-6 win over Scotland's Kyle Waddell on Friday. The first-place Canadians (10-2) secured the top seed in the evening with a 9-2 rout of Denmark's Tobias Thune.
WATCH l Canada's Gushue breezes past Denmark for top seed in curling worlds:
Three-time defending champion Niklas Edin of Sweden (9-3) closed his round-robin schedule in the afternoon with a 7-6 win over Norway's Magnus Ramsfjell 7-6. Edin earned the other direct berth to the semifinal.
Italy's Joel Retornaz and Korey Dropkin of the United States (both 7-4) have also secured playoff spots.
On the bubble to make the six-team cut entering the evening draw were Scotland, Switzerland's Yannick Schwaller and South Korea's Soo-Hyuk Kim, all at 6-5. Germany's Sixten Totzek was next at 6-6.
Teams finishing in the No. 3 through No. 6 spots will meet in qualification games Saturday for semifinal berths.
WATCH | Canada downs Scotland in final end:
Gushue's current four-man lineup spent two quadrennials together, but Gallant will be leaving at the end of the season. In addition to their national and Olympic hardware, they won world gold in 2017, silver in 2018 and have 12 Grand Slam titles to their credit.
"There's enough there on the resume to cement the legacy of this team," Gushue said. "I don't know if a win here this week is going to move that needle very much. Obviously winning will improve it."
The Canadians are not staying at the tournament hotel and have laid low in their downtime. A pre-event round of golf has been the most ambitious activity on the calendar since arriving in Sin City.
It has been a taxing yet successful season for the Gushue team. They topped the field at Canada's Olympic trials last November — considered the toughest event in curling — and isolated in a pre-Games training camp in B.C. for a couple weeks before heading to Beijing.
A semifinal loss to Edin at the Ice Cube was followed by a win over American John Shuster in the bronze-medal game. A short break was followed by a memorable week at the Brier, where Gushue's side prevailed despite losing Nichols for the final weekend due to COVID-19.
'It's been a long year'
A second world title would be quite an accomplishment in an unforgettable season that concludes with a couple of Grand Slam stops.
"There's been times this week where I've felt like a zombie out there," Gushue said. "You're focused and you're trying to do your best. But it's been a long year. It has been a grind."
The Canadians were in control over the second half against Scotland but an angle raise from fourth Ross Paterson in the ninth end tied the game at six. Gushue had hammer in the 10th but didn't need his final stone after Paterson flashed his last throw between the two Canadian rocks in the house.
It was a nice break for the Canadians since draw weight had changed during the game. Balmy conditions outside — the mercury reached 30 C — may have impacted ice conditions.
Canada opened with a pair against Denmark and pulled away with a three-point third end. The teams shook hands once the minimum six ends were completed.
The venue, located a couple kilometres from the Vegas Strip, boasts plenty of Canadian flavour even though the pandemic has impacted attendance, travel plans, and limited the usual event activities.
Several dozen Canadian fans bellowed their support when Gushue's side was on the ice. The Tragically Hip's "38 Years Old" played on the arena loudspeakers after the morning game.
Gushue beat Edin in the 2017 world final in Edmonton. The Swede, a five-time world champion, won the return match a year later.
Medal games are scheduled for Sunday.
