Brad Gushue of Canada faced his first defeat at the world men’s curling championship, succumbing to Italy’s Joel Retornaz in a tight 7-6 match at the IWC Arena in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. This loss puts Gushue’s top-ranked Canadian team in a four-way tie with Italy, Germany, and the United States, all standing at 3-1.
Gushue, hailing from St. John’s, N.L., attributed his early struggles to the rocks, admitting that one of them was causing inconsistency in his play. Adjustments were made by swapping out rocks, which improved their performance significantly.
Sweden’s Niklas Edin (5-0) and defending champion Bruce Mouat of Scotland (4-1) lead the round-robin standings after seven draws, with Canada among the teams trailing closely.
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In other matches, Sweden narrowly edged out Norway in an extra end, Scotland secured a convincing win over New Zealand, and Switzerland emerged victorious against the Netherlands.
Despite the setback, Gushue and his team, including Geoff Walker, Mark Nichols, and E.J. Harnden, remain focused as they gear up to face New Zealand and the United States on Tuesday.
Reflecting on the defeat, Gushue expressed disappointment in his early missed shots but remains optimistic about bouncing back in the upcoming matches. With round-robin play continuing until Friday, Canada aims to regain momentum on their quest for gold, with medal games scheduled for Sunday.
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