Canada has captured a bronze medal to close out the 2025 BKT Tires World Men’s Curling Championships in Moose Jaw, Sask., beating China 11-2 Sunday morning.
It was not the colour Team Jacobs was hoping for going into the week. Skip Brad Jacobs hoped to win his first world title after finishing second at the tournament in his only previous appearance in 2013.
“We wanted to win,” Jacobs said following Sunday’s win. “We wanted to come out of this thing strong, hold our heads high and get ourselves on the podium.
“To do it for ourselves, do it for the fans. And we were able to do that today. I’m really proud of us,” he added.
“Curling Canada and our teams are learning getting on the podium is important and winning a medal is important.” Canada third Marc Kennedy said. “You win that last game of the week and you feel like you’ve accomplished something. We had a tremendous week. We played unbelievably well.”
Second Brett Gallant says he’s proud of how the team played over the duration of the tournament.
“We just stuck in there as a team,” he said. “We played at a really high level. I mean, that game we played [Saturday] night, there’s nothing to hang our heads on.”
“And we came out again this morning and played to that same level. It was just it was consistent play all week.”
“We were playing good enough to win,” lead Ben Hebert said. “We knew that. Every team knew that. That is the disappointing part. We just came up a couple a couple of shots short.”
Canada took control early scoring three points in the first end. China skip Xiaoming Xu missed everything on a take-out attempt with his final rock. Giving Jacobs the easy draw to the button to take the 3-0 lead in the first.
After a blank in the second, China would put one up on the board in the third end.
Then in the fourth with Canada sitting three, Xu attempted a hit and roll but the shot rock missed all of the scoring reds.
Jacobs then had an easy nose hit to put a massive five up on the board and Canada was well out in front 8-1.
“We were able to score so many points, not only did we get a bunch of misses, [because] we felt really comfortable on sheet C,” Jacobs explained. “All week, we loved that sheet. It felt really easy to put the broom down. Felt really easy to call line on that sheet.”
From there, it was a rather routine, unemotional game.
Canada would steal two in the fifth after Xu’s draw to the button was light.
China would score a single to make the score 10-2 in the sixth followed by a blank in the seventh.
Canada would finish things up with a single point in the eighth to win it 11-2.
The Chinese attempted to end the game after their first rock of the eighth end, but the umpires forced the teams to complete the frame. World Curling rules stipulate eight ends must be completed.
“I was confused,” Jacobs said. “I knew we had to play eight. So when he turned around to shake hands, I didn’t really know what to do. I was shocked.”
“I wasn’t surprised to see the officials intervene,” he added.
It’s been an historic run for Team Jacobs. Since the start of the Brier at the end of February, they have lost just three times in 27 games. If you add the last event before the Brier, Jacobs has lost just four times in 34 games.
“That’s a heck of a record and I’m really proud of that,” Jacobs said. “We can compete at the highest level, both in Canada and on the world stage. And if we can continue to have a growth mindset and improve, who knows, maybe we can make it to the top of the world stage one day.”
The Canadians say this week’s world championships will be one to remember.
“The one thing I’m taking away probably is the fans,” the skip said. “The support the fans and the people of Saskatchewan [gave us], coming together and buying a whole bunch of tickets – selling out this building a bunch of times. Supporting us all the way through was something really special that we’ll never forget.”
“It was a pleasure playing here,” Hebert said. “I love Saskatchewan. [It] is my favourite place in the country.”
When Kennedy was asked what he’d remember, he said, “all of it.”
“When Brad made that double [Saturday] night in seven was one of the better fan experiences I’ve had in my life,” he said. “I’ve gotten goose bumps on the ice a few times over the years, but it gets harder to get them the older you get and the goosebumps were flying last night after that shot.”
“Just seeing how entertaining the crowd was with us playing the sport we love at such a high level. I don’t know how you beat it,” Kennedy added.
“It’s only the second or third time I’ve got to play in front of a Canadian crowd like this,” Gallant said. “Wearing the Canadian colours is special and the memories you make from an event like this is incredible.”
Team Jacobs’ next big event will be the Canadian Olympic Curling Trials in Halifax, N.S. in November.
The bronze is Canada’s eighth all-time and first since 2015.
Canada, which hasn’t won a world title since 2017 in Edmonton, Alta., will have their drought continue for a ninth year.
Since that 2017 win by then-skip Brad Gushue, Canada has finished second five times at the tournament. Their worst result is fifth in 2021.
Scottish gold
Meanwhile, Scotland won took home the big hardware, defeating Switzerland in the gold medal game 5-4 Sunday afternoon.
“We didn’t have it all our way this week,” Scottish skip Bruce Mouat said following the championship win. “To lift the trophy over our shoulders right next to each other, it feels incredible.”
For Mouat, it’s his second world title in three years. The gold medal is the seventh in the country’s history at the tournament.
“The first time when we won, we played the eight ends and then it kind of happened so quickly,” he reminisced. “This time we had to go through the entire game and like growing up, drawing the 4ft to win the World Men’s Championship is what you kind of dream about. And you practice 100 times of practice like every day.”
“To have that opportunity and to make the shot is the cherry on top,” Mouat added.
While Switzerland earns its first silver medal since 2003. The Swiss have not won a gold at the men’s worlds since 1992.
