Apart from a loss in the meaningless final group stage match against Belgium, Sweden was unbeaten in the WC in Schaffhausen, Switzerland.
And when Niklas Edin’s team took a 2-0 lead already after the second round, it was known that one of the best curling teams of all time would be difficult to beat. The two-point advantage held until the penultimate inning, when Canada grabbed a deuce to tie the game at 5–5.
But with the “hammer” in the last round, i.e. advantage of the last stone, it was still blue-yellow advantage before the decision.
Sweaty location
Niklas Edin, however, had to pick out the best he had. Canada’s skipper Brad Gushue did what he could and put heavy pressure on Edin with two almost perfect stones. With three Canadian stones in the nest, Edin needed to pull in the last one – and succeeded.
– I thought I would make a good stone, but at the same time you don’t know exactly how it will turn out. The frost that was on the ice was a bit tricky, so it was probably one of the worst situations I could have had to decide, says Niklas Edin in the victory interview on SVT’s broadcast.
Edin’s last stone started way out on the ledge and then slowly curled into the nest, stopping just in time for the count to secure the gold. Thus, they took revenge from last year’s WC when Sweden – with Edin just back from knee surgery – went out in the quarter-finals against Canada.
– It is indescribable. It feels extra good because we have played so well all week. But also with everything we struggled with last year, with the surgery and not being able to play as a whole team, and with the quarter finals. But now we probably had our best tournament ever. I am super proud of the team, says Niklas Edin.
Looking towards the Olympics
In various constellations, the 38-year-old has led Sweden to a number of championship medals over three decades. Third-placed Oskar Eriksson has been there ever since the first gold, in EC 2009, and just like Edin, took his seventh WC gold on Sunday.
Sweden’s third Christoffer Sundgren now has six WC golds and second Rasmus Wranå has five. Reserve Daniel Magnusson also gets a gold medal around his neck, his fourth in the context of the WC.
– There will be more, says Niklas Edin.