Brad Gushue of Canada suffered his first loss at the world men’s curling championship, falling 7-6 to Italy’s Joel Retornaz in an extra end at IWC Arena. Italy’s victory put them in a four-way tie with Canada, Germany, and the United States at 3-1. Gushue struggled with his rocks in the first half of the game but managed to switch them out and improve his performance in the later stages. Despite the loss, Canada shot 90 per cent against Italy’s 87 per cent. Sweden’s Niklas Edin and defending champion Bruce Mouat of Scotland led the round-robin standings after seven draws.
In other games, Sweden defeated Norway in an extra end, Scotland beat New Zealand, and Switzerland won against the Netherlands. Switzerland was just outside the playoff cutline, with Norway, the Netherlands, Czechia, and Japan following behind. Gushue’s team was set to play New Zealand in the next session after being idle for the evening. Despite shooting well, Canada made some errors early in the game that cost them the lead. Italy got on the board first after Canada made a mistake in the second end, forcing Canada to play catch-up for the rest of the game.
Italy gave up a steal in the sixth end, allowing Canada to tie the game. In the tenth end, Canada had a chance for three points and the win, but Gushue’s first rock was overswept, resulting in a tie game. Gushue was disappointed with the missed opportunity and acknowledged the mistakes made by his team throughout the game. The round-robin play is set to continue through Friday night, with the medal games scheduled for Sunday. Canada last won gold at the world men’s curling championship in 2017 under Gushue’s leadership in Edmonton.
Overall, Gushue’s struggle with his rocks in the first half of the game contributed to Canada’s loss to Italy at the world men’s curling championship. Despite shooting well and making some good plays, Canada was unable to secure a win against the Italian team. With the tournament still ongoing, Canada will look to bounce back from this loss in their upcoming games. Sweden and Scotland currently lead the round-robin standings, with several other teams in the mix for a playoff spot. The competition is expected to continue to be fierce as teams battle for a chance to compete in the medal games on Sunday.
