Long-awaited Olympic gold for Swedish curling masters

Niklas Edin topped his successful career with Olympic gold in Beijing. Photo: Brynn Anderson / AP / NTB

By NTB | 19.02.2022 23:02:08

Sport: Sweden have won the most curling, but have never won Olympic gold for men before. It was Olympic bronze in 2014, silver in 2018, and meanwhile, Team Edin » has occupied three consecutive World Cups.

A lot is set to finally succeed at the Olympic tournament in China, but the stats against England have not been the best in recent times. Skip Bruce Mouat stands 10-12 against Edin, but has won the last three meetings, including in the base game at this year’s Winter Olympics.

The finale will turn into an undecided thriller for ten regular rounds. However, Edin and his team kept their cool when it mattered most and were decided by a point in extra time which was less hesitant than the following period.

Sweden won their eighth gold at the Beijing Olympics. This is Sweden’s gold record in winter games.

England got into trouble during the seventh round, but saved themselves with an impressive draw which ensured that they lay with the best stone among Sweden’s pile of stones. It held on to steals and leveled at 3-3.

Sweden had to settle for a point in the eighth round, and then started a fierce tactical game between the two teams. Sweden were desperate to force England a point in the ninth round, while Mouat’s team wanted to zero and secure a final stone advantage in the 10th and decisive round. England manages it.

The Swedish ship Edin responded with a master stone that took out a protected English stone and was decisive in the golden match. England had to settle for a point in the innings, and thus Sweden could take advantage of the last stone in extra innings.

There, Sweden made sure to play well enough with their best rock to never lose control of the win. When Mouat doesn’t succeed with his last stone, Edin doesn’t have to lay his last stone. Olympic Gold completes the collection of titles for Team Edin. The experienced Swedish ship already has five gold medals at the World Cup and seven European Championship victories.

England won an Olympic gold medal in curling in 1924, when only three teams participated, but had silver as the best result in the men’s side after the sport ended up again in the Olympic program in 1998.

Sweden had a good opening in the game and led 3-1 after the first three rounds. Great Britain picked up a point in the next round, before Sweden “matched” in two successive rounds in a poor points final.

Sweden saw their first Olympic gold and made a number of scoring stones in the last round which made it difficult for England to take more than a point. At the same time, Grant Hardie impressed for Great Britain when he laid the best stone behind two Swedish “keepers” with England’s third last stone.

(©NTB)