Ford World Men's Curling Championship 2015 - Sweden defeat Norway to win gold

Sweden beat Norway 9-5 on Easter Sunday afternoon to win the gold medals and the world title at the Ford World Men's Curling Championship 2015, staged in the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, Canada.

Norway started with last stone advantage but it was Sweden who took the early lead, stealing three points in the first end when Norway's skip Thomas Ulsrud was long with his final draw of the end.

The Norwegians started their recovery in the second end when Ulsrud tapped out a Swedish stone to score one point.

In the third end, Sweden's skip Niklas Edin wrecked his final stone on the way into the house to give Norway a steal of two points that levelled the score at 3-3.

The fourth end was blanked and in the fifth end, Edin scored three more points with a delicate tap-up that gave his Swedish team a 6-3 lead.

Forced to battle once again, Norway's Ulsrud drew his final stone of the sixth end onto the button to score one point and reduce Sweden's lead to 6-4.

But the Swedes moved ahead again when, in the seventh end, Edin picked out a Norwegian stone sitting partially hidden in the house to score another three points and move his lead to 9-4.

Norway could only hit and stay for one point in the eighth end and then conceded the game and the world title to Sweden before completing the ninth end.

This was a second world title for Edin, who had won previously in 2013 skipping a different Swedish team.

This latest triumph adds to the European title this team won in November 2014.

This time around he was supported by third Oskar Eriksson, second player Kristian Lindström, lead Christoffer Sundgren, alternate Henrik Leek and coach Fredrik Lindberg.

Afterwards Edin said: "This feels amazing, I'm so proud of my team. This is our first year together. We focussed a lot after a bad start to get back in this event and we played so well in the Play-offs. This is almost the same feeling as the last one (2013) but now with a new team and with the way we won, the second half of that game was pure enjoyment out there."

About the game itself, he said: "They got back in the game (after the three in the first end) so we had to re-focus. The ice changed from the other games but I'm so happy that the guys kept playing the way we did."

Not surprisingly, Norway skip Thomas Ulsrud, the defending champion, was gracious in defeat.

He said: "We lost to a really good team, so what can I say? We've really enjoyed Halifax and we had a good run."

Asked whether he would be happy with silver, he simply pointed to Edin and said: "I'd rather have his medal."

Ulsrud's team included third Torger Nergård, second Christoffer Svae, lead Håvard Vad Petersson and they were supported by alternate Markus Snøve Høiberg and coach Pål Trulsen.

The final was played out in front of an audience of just under 5,000, while almost 60,000 spectators attended throughout the week.

During the closing ceremony it was announced that Japan lead Kosuke Morozumi was the winner of the Collie Campbell Award, voted for by all the players to recognise the player they think best exemplified curling's values and sportsmanship throughout the event.

Following the conclusion of the Ford World Men's Curling Championship 2015, the World Curling Federation also released the latest Men's World Rankings.

While Canada remain at the top of the rankings after their bronze medal win earlier in the day, Sweden's gold medal win keeps them in second position.

Norway however has leapfrogged Scotland/Great Britain into third position after collecting the silver medals in Halifax.

To see the latest men's and women's World Rankings, visit: http://worldcurling.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=0241c8190a96a3d4afd003317&id=bf22c98d7b&e=23d1572579

Based on participation at the 2014 and/or 2015 World Men’s Championships, 14 countries have now, at least, qualified for the Olympic Qualification Event in December 2017.

That event will see the last two men’s and two women’s teams, who haven’t earned enough Olympic qualification points at either the 2016 or 2017 World Men’s or Women’s Curling Championships, qualify for the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Winter Games.

They are Canada; China; Czech Republic; Denmark; Finland, Germany; Italy; Japan; Norway; Russia; Scotland; Sweden; Switzerland and the USA.

Moving on to next year and the 2016 World Men's Curling Championship will be staged in Basel, Switzerland starting on Saturday 2nd April.

RESULT

Gold medal game: Sweden 9, Norway 5.

STANDINGS

Final Standings (W-L):

1. Sweden 11-3 (Gold)

2. Norway 11-2 (Silver)

3. Canada 11-3 (Bronze)

4. Finland 7-7

5. USA 6-6

6. Japan 5-6

7. Switzerland 5-6

8. China 4-7

9. Czech Republic 4-7

10. Italy 3-8

11. Scotland 3-8

12. Russia 2-9

Rankings are determined by rule C9 of the World Curling Federation's ‘The Rules of Curling and Rules of Competition’. Details can be obtained at http://worldcurling.us3.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=0241c8190a96a3d4afd003317&id=04e7e6266d&e=23d1572579

Results, news, videos and photos from the Ford World Men’s Curling Championship 2015 can be seen here on the World Curling Federation’s official event website: http://worldcurling.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=0241c8190a96a3d4afd003317&id=c8347f0d53&e=23d1572579

For further information please contact:

Danny Parker

Media Relations - World Curling Federation

media@worldcurling.org

20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is www.aroundtherings.com, for subscribers only