2021 World Men's Curling Championship

2021 World Men's
Curling Championship
2021 World Men's Curling Championship
Host cityCalgary, Canada
ArenaMarkin MacPhail Centre
DatesApril 2–11, 2021
Winner Sweden
Curling clubKarlstads CK, Karlstad
SkipNiklas Edin
ThirdOskar Eriksson
SecondRasmus Wranå
LeadChristoffer Sundgren
AlternateDaniel Magnusson
CoachFredrik Lindberg
Finalist Scotland (Mouat)
« 2020 (cancelled)
2022 »

The 2021 World Men's Curling Championship (branded as the 2021 BKT Tires & OK Tire World Men's Curling Championship for sponsorship reasons)[1] was held from April 2 to 11 at the Markin MacPhail Centre at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, Canada. The event was originally to be held in Ottawa,[2] but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the championship was moved to Calgary.[3] The event was held in a bio-secure bubble at Canada Olympic Park, which also hosted all major Curling Canada championships leading up to the Worlds (including the 2021 Tim Hortons Brier, which determined Canada's entrant). All events were held behind closed doors with no spectators.[4][5]

The 2021 championship fielded the largest number of teams in the history of the event, with fourteen total. Niklas Edin, skip of Team Sweden, and his third, Oskar Eriksson, won a record fifth career World Championship. The team, which also consisted of Rasmus Wranå and Christoffer Sundgren, won a record third straight championship. They defeated Team Scotland, skipped by Bruce Mouat in the final, 10–5. With the game tied at 5 in the ninth end, Edin made a double take out with the last rock of the end to score five.[6] Down by 5 with just one end to go, Team Scotland then conceded the game. Switzerland, skipped by Peter de Cruz, won the bronze medal.[7]

The championship served as one of two qualification events for curling at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. The National Olympic Committees representing the top six finishers at the tournament qualified directly to the Olympic tournament. In order of ranking, this included Sweden, Great Britain, Switzerland, the ROC, the United States, and Canada. The remaining teams that had qualified for the 2020 or 2021 World Championships competed in the World Curling Federation's Olympic Qualification Event in December 2021 for the remaining three spots.[8]

  1. ^ "New Holland named presenting sponsor of BKT Tires & OK Tire World Men's Curling Championship 2021". World Curling Federation. 2021-01-22. Retrieved 2021-02-21.
  2. ^ Spencer, Donna (June 16, 2020). "Ottawa named host city of the 2021 men's world curling championship". BellMedia. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  3. ^ Austin, Daniel (December 1, 2020). "Calgary will be 2021 Curling Canada hub". Calgary Herald. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  4. ^ Jesse Campigotto (December 2, 2020). "What we know and don't know about the curling bubble". CBC Sports. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  5. ^ "World Men's Curling Championship 2021 to be held in Canadian hub city". World Curling Federation. 2020-12-01. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
  6. ^ "Sweden and Team Niklas Edin win third straight men's world title". April 12, 2021.
  7. ^ "Sweden's Edin captures fifth career world curling title". April 11, 2021.
  8. ^ "Olympic Qualification". April 7, 2021.