That’s the curling season over.
And, as is usually the case, there’s probably more questions than answers at the end of the first year of a new Olympic cycle.
In the men’s game, I think it’s safe to say that our own Team Mouat are currently the best in the world.
Don’t get me wrong, they won’t be happy with their record in the Grand Slams and tour events.
You can’t overlook the fact that the likes of Canada’s Team Gushue have been more consistent in that format.
But Bruce and the Scottish boys have won the two they wanted most – the Europeans and the Worlds.
That’s the end to our season.
After 6 weeks on the road we are pretty excited to go home (as World Champs 😉) 🏴
Thanks for cheering us on for another season – we appreciate all the support! Time for some rest before we get back to training again for next season. See you soon👋 pic.twitter.com/724KtQMZEF
— Team Mouat (@TeamMouat) May 6, 2023
Being able to call themselves World Champions is a huge step forward.
By no means are they a long way clear of the pack but, as it stands, they’re the number ones.
Women’s game tougher to call
The women’s game is a bit more complicated.
Team Tirinzoni from Switzerland have won the Worlds again.
That’s a tournament they own these days.
But Rachel Homan took the Grand Slam Champions Cup.
And, if you’re asking me who I think the best team are just now, I’d have to say it’s another Canadian rink, Team Einarson.
They were their national champions once more and have been in just about every Grand Slam final.
Their consistency has been really impressive.
Three years out from an Olympics, I think that’s a pretty good position to be in.
Quite often you see teams doing well in Grand Slams and then translating that at the majors a few years later.
I could definitely see that happening with Kerri Einarson.
But in both the men’s and women’s the top Swedish teams are quietly lurking in the background.
There’s every chance they’ll let others do the running at this stage and then they’ll peak again in Italy in 2026 and have Olympic gold medals around their necks.
The 2022-2023 season officially ends after a close battle in the quarterfinal at the Champs Cup @grandslamcurl. Thank you, super alternate Johanna, for joining us and stepping in during the year of the babies. 🫶🏼 pic.twitter.com/DHhRZDodeo
— Team Hasselborg (@TeamHasselborg) May 7, 2023
Team Hasselborg have got a genuinely strong domestic rival now in Team Wrana, who just won The Players Championship Grand Slam.
But they’re the masters of getting everything right when it matters most.
As far as the mixed is concerned, I think it will be unpredictable all the way through to the Games and during it!
It will be near impossible for one strong favourite to emerge because they don’t play enough tournaments.
The mixed Slams didn’t really take off and most of the strongest teams in the recent Worlds had players who aren’t mixed specialists.
New GB head coach
Back home, it will be intriguing to see what plans Greg Drummond has for British Curling as the new head coach.
He was the outstanding candidate for the job.
Greg will make his mark and rightly so.
New ideas are needed and he is the right man for that.
He’s very knowledgeable about curling and I think he’ll do very well.
It’s the Etape Caledonia cycle this Sunday.
I do like different challenges and, like the London Marathon, it’s going to take me out of my comfort zone.
Thankfully, the calf injury that was bothering me before and after London, doesn’t flare up when I’m on a bike.
I haven’t got a clue what sort of time I’ll get but I’ll enjoy the stunning Highland Perthshire views and hopefully lots of people come out to watch it.
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