{"time":1770821294315,"blocks":[{"id":"HyiaFqAMPI","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Most\nknowledgeable curling fans would expect Great Britain’s Bruce Mouat to be the\nfavourite heading into the men’s team fours competition in Cortina. "}},{"id":"0y_jby6G00","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"After\nall, the Scottish team are the world No. 1, the defending world champions and\nthey’ve captured Grand Slam of Curling titles with alarming regularity."}},{"id":"LUmOPHYNK6","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"But\nthe king of Olympic curling is unquestionably Sweden’s Niklas Edin."}},{"id":"OVOMwYL87e","type":"image","data":{"caption":"Stephen Fisher-World Curling","withBorder":false,"withBackground":false,"size":"full","alignment":"center","linkUrl":"","file":{"url":"https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/b0ff70be-6763-40ab-89e2-7e3e0ac6128a.jpeg","width":3638,"height":1992}}},{"id":"ta5xSoYkLz","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"The\ndefending Olympic champion skip also won silver at PyeongChang 2018 and bronze\nat Sochi 2014. His team of Oskar Eriksson, Rasmus Wrana – the new Olympic mixed\ndoubles champion – and Christoffer Sundgren have been together since 2017. "}},{"id":"BaNUF5-YGM","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"In\nthat time they’ve captured five world titles plus three European championships,\nthe most recent coming this past November after a critical 8-5 win over Mouat\nin the semifinals."}},{"id":"VvcrhJCbTq","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Simply put, Edin wants to win more titles than any curling athlete ever has."}},{"id":"s0v56wEYiJ","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"He is now 40 years old. He still gets regular off-season surgeries to keep his\nbattered body going; he’s gone under the knife at least 13 times in his career."}},{"id":"TtuDVIxbpD","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"At\nthis stage it’s all mental strength and fortitude, and Edin has this in\nabundance. The Olympics, first and foremost, are a key driver of what makes Nik tick."}},{"id":"1ypuyh4UA4","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Of note, the\nSwedes did go an ungainly 0-5 at the last international major of the season,\nthe Players’ Championship in mid-January."}},{"id":"g6OfO7Pnnd","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Probably just a blip."}},{"id":"M09B5Sr6gU","type":"image","data":{"caption":"Bruce Mouat • George Walker IV-Imagn Images","withBorder":false,"withBackground":false,"size":"full","alignment":"center","linkUrl":"","file":{"url":"https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/b962995d-dff5-44ff-a80a-db9305780b1b.jpeg","width":5405,"height":3604}}},{"id":"5Ejlty6RXw","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Meanwhile, Great Britain’s Mouat are still a young and spry quad with an average age of 31 (yes, curling success\nskews older). The two-time world champs lost to Edin four years ago in Beijing,\nand they’ll be thirsting for a return to the gold medal match on Feb. 21."}},{"id":"UKAIXaY2L-","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"The skipper must overcome the disappointment of a second straight Olympic double-loss\n(semi and bronze match) in mixed doubles. He did just fine in men’s play at\nBeijing; one can assume he’ll do fine this time around."}},{"id":"hfY9-8pUaP","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Mouat’s\nmen are fairly even against Edin in their head-to-head careers, but hold an\n11-4 won/loss advantage since the start of the 2023-24 season. They defeated the\nSwedes 8-4 at their last matchup in mid-January."}},{"id":"w-d5Onm8jh","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"The\nsquad boasts the largest career win percentage over this field at almost 69%. With\n67% since Beijing 2022, two out of three ain’t bad – but this is evidence\nnothing is assured, and GBR will have to earn every victory to reach the\npodium."}},{"id":"Ecf3zypmBc","type":"image","data":{"caption":"Team Canada in Cortina • Bryan Mudryk","withBorder":false,"withBackground":false,"size":"full","alignment":"center","linkUrl":"","file":{"url":"https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/66bb9a9b-0f08-497c-ba24-bc2d832e49ea.jpeg","width":1532,"height":982}}},{"id":"PxJDO5GoA0","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Canada’s\nBrad Jacobs could be on the outside looking in.\nJacobs, the 2014 Olympic champion, is also 40 and wasn’t the first choice to\nskip this Alberta team; 34-year-old Brendan Bottcher was fired in April of 2024\nand Jacobs swept in to assume command."}},{"id":"glOSEE1Tfk","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"A\nsolid performance led to their victory at November’s Canadian Olympic Trials in\nHalifax, but the squad has not won a Grand Slam title since they formed, losing\ntwo finals and three times in the semis, and failing to qualify for the Players’\nplayoffs a month ago. "}},{"id":"pa1KpR2LlJ","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Jacobs\nhas a poor record against Mouat – only one win against 12 losses in his career\n– but has a decent 4-1 mark against the Swedes since the last Olympics."}},{"id":"82PULSn2O0","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Legions\nof Canadian fans – and those who like a brash skipper – won’t bet against him,\nhowever… and neither will the team at The Curling News. "}},{"id":"qkl9TuBRo3","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"As\nJacobs himself said, while Team Mouat are “raising the bar in curling and we’re\nkinda chasing that bar … this (the Olympics) is not the same, this is a\ndifferent level.”"}},{"id":"D4QRIpCpJL","type":"image","data":{"caption":"Switzerland • Anil Mungal-The Curling News","withBorder":false,"withBackground":false,"size":"full","alignment":"center","linkUrl":"","file":{"url":"https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/b8a8a115-7b2a-482f-a083-8ff9cec51ce6.jpeg","width":1824,"height":1412}}},{"id":"rCBnxuWo4H","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Switzerland’s\nYannick Schwaller will make his Olympic team skip debut ahead of a strong squad\nlooking to break a cycle of silver and bronze medals. They have a chance,\nfollowing a stirring first Grand Slam win at Saskatoon in late December and a\ndecent run to Players’ semis in January."}},{"id":"IKjSTdH25z","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Removing\nhis 15 losses to Mouat since the start of 2022-23, Schwaller has lost only 26\ntimes in 69 games to the remaining skips in this field, a 62% winning rate."}},{"id":"Pih3DOQo22","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"The\nSwiss have also win six of their last eight matchups against Sweden, their last\nloss coming in August of 2024."}},{"id":"Zai_OImbrB","type":"image","data":{"caption":"Anil Mungal-The Curling Group","withBorder":false,"withBackground":false,"size":"full","alignment":"center","linkUrl":"","file":{"url":"https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/19a62c76-4778-49c2-9a48-7d37cc8fb6ca.jpeg","width":2376,"height":1412}}},{"id":"n9PXY_inIp","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Joel\nRetornaz skips Italy’s host squad and things just haven’t been the same since\nhis team’s magical run of three straight Grand Slam titles in late 2023. "}},{"id":"D08oCIhCwp","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"They\nhaven’t won one since, missing the playoffs entirely four times, though they\ndid capture world bronze twice, in 2022 and ’24. "}},{"id":"KOozuJIuOB","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Retornaz,\nnow in his third Olympiad, is 12-15 in his career versus Sweden but 8-5 since the\nstart 2023-24. His men scored a big win over Jacobs at the last Players’\nChampionship."}},{"id":"wBbCamD2Wq","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"USA’s\nDaniel Casper (Briarcliff Manor, NY) is a true wild card. He’s just 22 and is\nthe first men’s skip to defeat John Shuster at the U.S. Olympic Trials… well,\never. Shuster played in six straight beginning in 2005 and won the first five\nuntil Team Casper finally took him down."}},{"id":"d6zo2lMerF","type":"image","data":{"caption":"Daniel Casper • World Curling","withBorder":false,"withBackground":false,"size":"full","alignment":"center","linkUrl":"","file":{"url":"https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/f84f9dc6-df9d-4635-8ec4-1b16efc96f0d.png","width":1098,"height":1130}}},{"id":"txBr7WkU9j","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"The\nAmericans are 5-11 against the Olympic field (31%) but that includes a win over\nEdin in the only match they’ve played, back in January; they scored all deuces\nand held Sweden to singles. "}},{"id":"c99B9xpepi","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Norway’s\nMagnus Ramsfjell will need a fast start against Germany’s Mark Muskatewitz and\nChina’s Xu Xiaoming to have a chance at the playoffs. "}},{"id":"ANjAj4zSgE","type":"image","data":{"caption":"Magnus Ramsfjell • Anil Mungal-The Curling News","withBorder":false,"withBackground":false,"size":"full","alignment":"center","linkUrl":"","file":{"url":"https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/de1ffb14-42b4-4308-94a1-05e104ebce51.jpeg","width":2394,"height":1592}}},{"id":"u_LrNqKbVv","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Ramsfjell\nhas upped his quadrennial win percentage against this field – it’s now at 39%\nversus his career mark of 34% – and he’s on a 3-1 run against Italy with a recent\n4-4 mark against Schwaller after a rough start."}},{"id":"u9LSVm2SEq","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Germany won a surprise Euro title in a breakout 2024-25 but haven’t impressed\nthis season. "}},{"id":"tUSd2wgYbP","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Muskatewitz is 3-3 in last six games against Norway and 3-1 in his\nlast four against Edin. He’s also an even 5-5 (55-55 points) against Switzerland."}},{"id":"s8YGbL58df","type":"image","data":{"caption":"Mark Muskatewitz • Anil Mungal-The Curling News","withBorder":false,"withBackground":false,"size":"full","alignment":"center","linkUrl":"","file":{"url":"https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/0d11dffc-2d6e-48a8-94cc-4eaaa6e415f0.jpeg","width":4096,"height":2730}}},{"id":"2E_5qBeDfB","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"China\ngot into hot water for a cheating scandal at the 2025 worlds – against Norway –\nand newly-empowered on-ice officials should be keeping an eye on them. The current news is the resurgence of skip Xu Xiaoming – a familiar face for many,\nstarting at front end at Vancouver 2010 – and it’s quite a story."}},{"id":"hRX_eO9khi","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"His\nteam’s recent form is excellent. At the Players’ Championship last month the Chinese\ndefeated Mouat (taking two in the last end), and Edin (8-7), and Schwaller\n(stole 8-7 win in in extra) and Casper, who was trounced 8-3 in seven ends."}},{"id":"tgzB3vUOwv","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"According\nto our panelists on the most recent Rock Logic podcast, they are a mysterious\nteam playing a mysterious style of curling. "}},{"id":"Jxu1FWbLCh","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Czech\nRepublic’s Lukas Klima rounds out the men’s field. "}},{"id":"pkh-c-FZvX","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"It’s a fantastic sight,\nseeing Czechia in men’s Olympic team play after the pain of seeing the previous\ngeneration – skipped by Jiri Snitil – suffer\nmultiple last-stone losses to qualify at previous Games."}},{"id":"YKL-g_1EdD","type":"image","data":{"caption":"Team Czechia","withBorder":false,"withBackground":false,"size":"full","alignment":"center","linkUrl":"","file":{"url":"https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/55c0d1ab-332b-465a-ac2b-bd88c6f7967e.jpeg","width":1494,"height":1066}}},{"id":"gTy7HfKmNP","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Their win\npercentage against this field shall not be mentioned, but they did beat Great\nBritain 8-2 in their last battle (following 10 losses). "}},{"id":"k6-ISI5kW7","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nA surprise win against either Switzerland (Feb. 13)\nor Italy Feb. (15) – who are a combined 23-0 against Czechia – would be really\nsomething."}}],"version":"2.31.0"}

London Brier: Wayne Middaugh makes his picks