Scotland, Switzerland set to play for world curling gold in Moose Jaw
Published
It will be an all-European battle in the final of the World Men's Curling Championship as Scotland's Team Bruce Mouat will take on Switzerland's Team Yannick Schwaller on Sunday afternoon at Moose Jaw's Temple Gardens Centre.
Watch the gold medal final LIVE at 5pm ET/2pm PT on TSN1, TSN.ca and the TSN App.
Despite not playing their best at various points this week, Team Mouat, ranked No. 1 in the world, have found themselves in their second final in three years after an impressive Saturday.
Mouat, third Grant Hardie, second Bobby Lammie and lead Hammy McMillan Jr. finished round robin play with an 8-4 record, forcing them to take on seven-time world champion Niklas Edin and his Swedish rink in the semifinal qualifier.
Scotland scored a single in the 10th end to pick up the 8-7 victory and set up a clash with the rival Canadians, represented by Team Brad Jacobs. The matchup turned out to be the game of the week as Team Mouat survived 7-4 after Jacobs missed a difficult game-winner with the last throw.
The Swiss, featuring skip Schwaller, fourth Benoit Schwarz van-Berkel, second Sven Michel and lead Pablo Lachat-Couchepin finished second in pool play with a 9-3 record, earning themselves a bye to the semifinal where they handled China, 7-3.
Switzerland beat Scotland 11-7 in the round robin. Mouat is 18-10 all-time against Schwaller, including 1-1 this season.
Both sides are having great campaigns in 2024-25.
Team Mouat hold an 80-18 record, highlighted by three victories on the Grand Slam circuit while Team Schwaller, currently ranked fourth in the world, are 62-28 with three Tour victories.
Mouat and company won their first World Men's Curling Championship in 2023 when they hammered Canada's Team Brad Gushue, 9-3, in the gold medal final in Ottawa.
Schwaller and his Swiss teammates have never stood atop the podium in this event or even played in the final.
In fact, over his eight previous appearances at the World Men's Curling Championship, Schwarz-van Berkel has won five bronze medals.
As a country, Scotland has won six gold medals at the men's worlds compared to three won by Switzerland. This will be Switzerland's first final since 1992 when Team Markus Eggler defeated Scotland's Team Hammy McMillan, 6-3.
This marks only the second time since 2016 that the men's worlds final does not feature a rink from Canada. Edin defeated Mouat in the 2021 final inside the Calgary bubble.