The 65th World Men’s Curling Championship will be held in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, marking the final leg of TSN’s Season of Champions.
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Among the returning teams, familiar faces like Team Gushue (sixth), Scotland’s Team Mouat (second), Sweden’s Team Edin (seventh), Switzerland’s Team Yannick Schwaller (fifth), and Team John Shuster of the United States (15th) are all strong contenders for a medal.
However, the team to watch this year is Italy, led by veteran skip Joel Retornaz. Italy is currently the top-ranked team in the world and aims for Italy’s first gold at the championship.
Nine of the 13 teams from last year’s event will compete again in 2024. The tournament format includes a 12-game round-robin, with the top two teams advancing directly to the semifinals.
The third-seeded team will face off against the sixth seed, while the fourth seed will compete against the fifth seed in the qualification round for a spot in the semifinals.
Canada boasts the most impressive championship record, with 36 gold medals and 56 total medals. Following closely, Sweden has 11 gold medals, and Scotland has secured a podium finish 36 times, the second most after Canada.
| Country |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland | +250 | +250 | +250 |
| Italy | +375 | +375 | +375 |
| Sweden | +400 | +400 | +400 |
| Canada | +450 | +450 | +450 |
| Switzerland | +450 | +450 | +450 |
| South Korea | +1100 | +1100 | +1100 |
| Norway | +2000 | +2000 | +2000 |
| USA | +2000 | +2000 | +2000 |
| Germany | +5000 | +5000 | +5000 |
| Japan | +5000 | +5000 | +5000 |
| Netherlands | +5000 | +5000 | +5000 |
Italy
The Italians, led by skipper Joel Retornaz, look like the team to beat in Switzerland.
Since his 4-5 record at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Retornaz has transformed Team Italy into a force to be reckoned with in men’s curling.
With third Amos Mosaner, second Sebastiano Arman, lead Mattia Giovanella, and Canadian coach Ryan Fry, the squad from Trentino has climbed to the top of the rankings.
Their impressive 63-13 record for the season includes five wins out of 11 events, including three Grand Slam victories.
Despite this success, they have yet to claim a victory since mid-December, aside from their win at the Italian nationals in February.
Team Retornaz faced their only loss against Team Gushue in January, continuing a trend where Gushue holds a 10-1 advantage over Retornaz.
Italy’s lone win dates back to their first encounter at the 2006 Olympics. Four of these wins came at the World Men’s Curling Championship.
Retornaz has already led Italy to a bronze medal in 2022, their sole medal at the World Men’s Curling Championship so far.
Italy’s strong performance suggests they might find themselves on the podium once again this year, potentially in a higher position.
With the upcoming Winter Olympics in Italy in 2026, the pressure is on for Team Retornaz as the top-ranked team in such a significant event.
Canada
On the other hand, Gushue, representing Canada for the fifth time since 2017, will lead his team at the worlds after securing his sixth Brier Tankard earlier this month in Reinga.
Despite Team Gushue’s impressive track record, including a perfect 13-0 run in 2017, their last gold at the Worlds, they’ll have to contend with tough competition this year.
The KSS Sports Complex in Schaffhausen will host this year’s championship, marking the first time Team Gushue will compete as the road team outside of North America.
The competition features familiar faces like Scotland’s Team Mouat (second), Sweden’s Team Edin (seventh), Switzerland’s Team Yannick Schwaller (fifth), and Team John Shuster of the United States (15th), all of whom are strong contenders for a medal.
Scotland
Team Mouat, the reigning champions, are gearing up for the World Men’s Curling Championship. Skip Bruce Mouat is leading the charge alongside Grant Hardie, Bobby Lammie, and Hammy McMillan Jr.
Their impressive run last year in Ottawa saw them secure a 10-2 round-robin record, paving the way for a dominant semifinal win over Italy and a resounding 9-3 victory against Canada’s Team Gushue in the gold-medal game.
This victory marked Stirling’s Team Mouat’s first world title and Scotland’s first since 2009 when David Murdoch, now Curling Canada’s high-performance director, led his team to victory over Kevin Martin in Moncton, N.B.
The team hasn’t missed a beat in the current season, boasting a 59-20 record with significant wins, including the European Curling Championships in November and the Canadian Open in January.
Despite these successes, they faced an unexpected setback at the Scottish Curling Championship in February, when Team James Craik defeated them 9-1 in the semifinals.
Despite this national loss, Scottish Curling chose Team Mouat to represent the country at the upcoming World Championship over Team Ross Whyte, the national champions currently ranked fourth in the world.
This season marks Team Mouat’s fifth appearance at the World Men’s Curling Championship, and they are aiming for a fourth podium finish.
Sweden
Niklas Edin, a six-time world champion, is poised to compete in his ninth consecutive World Men’s Curling Championship.
The 38-year-old skip, accompanied by Oskar Eriksson, Rasmus Wrana, and Christoffer Sundgren, faced a setback last year when they fell in the semifinal qualifier, marking the end of their four-year reign as world champions.
However, Edin’s team provided a moment of brilliance with the “super spinner” shot that left fans and commentators in awe.
Ranked seventh globally, Team Edin has had a relatively modest season by their high standards, with a record of 44-27 and no wins on the Tour, only three final losses.
Edin holds a 1-1 record against Gushue this season, with Gushue leading the all-time head-to-head at 27-16, including 5-4 at world championships.
Despite this, Edin has a 2-1 advantage over Gushue in gold-medal games. He notably defeated him twice at the 2022 Winter Olympics, including in the semifinal, on his way to claiming the gold medal.
The rivalry between Gushue and Edin has been a highlight of international curling, and their upcoming clashes in Schaffhausen are anticipated to be thrilling matchups.
Even though Team Edin has had a quieter season, expect the Swedish team to bounce back and push for the podium again, showcasing their trademark skill and competitive spirit.
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Switzerland
The Swiss team, led by Yannick Schwaller, will enjoy home-ice advantage at the upcoming World Men’s Curling Championship.
They hope to secure Switzerland’s first gold medal since Markus Eggler’s victory in 1992.
Team Schwaller, which earned bronze last year, has been in good form with a record of 52-21 and qualification in all 11 of their events.
They notably went 15-7 across four Grand Slam events, winning the Western Showdown in December and securing third place at the European Championship.
In head-to-head matchups this season, Gushue and Schwaller have faced off four times, each winning twice.
At 28 years old, Schwaller took over the skip role from Peter De Cruz before last season and will be making his third appearance at the men’s worlds.
The team is completed by fourth Benoit Schwarz, second Sven Michel, and lead Pablo Lachat.
For 32-year-old last-rock thrower Schwarz, this will be his eighth appearance at the championship.
With an impressive five bronze medals under his belt, the Geneva native is eager to aim for a higher podium finish on home soil this year.
You’ll check back here regularly to stay updated on the news.
