Jacobs’ Northern Ontario rink loses to Sweden in final, Canada’s reign at curling worlds ends after 3 years
VICTORIA — Canada’s world men’s curling championship reign ended Sunday after three years, but Brad Jacobs was still able to put the loss in perspective.
Jacobs’s Northern Ontario rink fell 8-6 to Sweden’s Niklas Edin in the gold-medal game.
“It’s not like we came out and we curled really horrible,” said Jacobs. “We threw the rock really well. I feel like we curled really well. The ice was a little different. We didn’t catch on to it quick enough. That’s why they’re holding hands (as champions) and we got the silver medal today.”
Edin locked up the win in the eighth end as he stole two points to go up 8-4. After Jacobs pulled within two in the ninth, the Swede was able to run the Canadians out of rocks in the 10th.
“We’re so happy that we could make enough shots in the beginning to get that good start,” said Edin.
Sweden led throughout the game after going up 2-0 early.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t bring our A-game today and we were on the wrong side of the edge,” said Jacobs. “We didn’t give (fans) much to cheer for.”
Jacobs’ Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., rink had hoped to complete a fourth-place to first-place run after entering the playoff round with two straight losses. The Jacobs rink also fell short in its quest to win the first world crown for a Northern Ontario rink since Al Hackner’s Thunder Bay foursome triumphed in 1985. The Jacobs rink was the first Northern Ontario team to win the Brier and gain entry to the worlds since then.
Edin captured his first world men’s crown after serving on bronze-medal teams in 2011 and 2012. He also played on a Swedish team that won a world junior men’s title in 2004.
“It means a lot, having the Olympic season just one year ahead,” said Edin, who also earned the Colin Campbell award as the competition’s most sportsmanlike curler. “It feels amazing, because now we know we can get all the support we need to improve our game and to really get strong for that.”
Earlier, Scotland’s David Murdoch claimed the bronze medal with a 7-6 win over Denmark’s Rasmus Stjerne. The Scots clinched the win by scoring three in the eighth end to go up 7-4 before Denmark counted two in the ninth and Murdoch blanked the 10th.