Top two set their stall out for 2021

Scotland’s champion men’s and women’s curling rinks both asserted themselves over their domestic rivals as the countdown to a the 2021 World Championships began with the first event of the New Year at the National Curling Academy at The PEAK in Stirling.

Bruce Mouat and Eve Muirhead both completed perfect winning records through the British Curling January Challenge with victories over the opponents who have been their closest rivals this season in their respective finals.

Mouat and team-mates Grant Hardie, Stirling University’s Bobby Lammie and Active Stirling Curling Co-ordinator Hammy Mcmillan defeated Ross Whyte’s rink in the final - for the third time in a row.

Team Mouat had won all of those previous encounters at the September Shootout, November Classic and December Superspiel.

“I think every final we’ve played has been quite a good game, so we’re obviously elated to be playing such great opponents every time we reach a final because you don’t want a walkover in these games, you want to be challenged and that’s exactly what happened,” Mouat said afterwards.

He added: “It’s obviously difficult to win these events because you’re playing great opponents, but that’s exactly what you need to get ready for a World Championships.”

Former world champion Eve Muirhead, meanwhile led her team of Vicky Wright, Jen Dodds and former Balfron High School pupil Lauren Gray women to an even more commanding victory as they, too, extended their unbeaten record to five successive matches by with an emphatic 8-4 victory over Gina Aitken’s team.

“It was a very dominant performance and we really didn’t leave the door open at all for Team Aitken,” said the three time Olympic skip.

“Every team is aiming for the World Championships and for myself I think it’s been four years since I’ve been there due to different circumstances and it’s an event that I love to play in. It’s an event I’ve won before and I really want to do that again,” she said.