Bruce Mouat leads Nice Britain’s males’s curling staff in a robust push for gold on the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina, shaking off latest blended doubles disappointment with a commanding 9-4 victory over China.
Overcoming Combined Doubles Heartbreak
Simply over 24 hours after ending fourth in blended doubles alongside Jen Dodds for the second straight Olympics, Mouat returned to the ice and delivered a standout efficiency. In Beijing 4 years in the past, his staff fell in need of gold in opposition to Sweden within the staff occasion. Since then, Mouat, Grant Hardie, Bobby Lammie, and Hammy McMillan Jr. have dominated, securing gold on the 2023 and 2025 World Championships, medaling within the final 4 European Championships, and holding the highest world rating.
Spectacular Efficiency Towards China
Mouat steered his squad to victory with an finish to spare, showcasing regular management after some early inconsistencies within the Video games. Nice Britain pulled forward with a three-point rating within the third finish, and Mouat’s aggressive technique paid off within the seventh finish with one other three factors. China, who edged Mouat’s staff 6-5 earlier this season, lacked the precision to shut the hole on this stage.
Mouat highlighted his preparation post-mixed doubles. “Actually, the expertise that we had in Beijing has helped so much,” he said. “I knew that it was the very same situation so it was truly simpler for me to cope with it this time round. However a variety of sleep, a variety of meals, a variety of hydration, all the traditional stuff that you’d need to do. I had a very good discuss with my sports activities psychologist and simply refreshed, and I am able to go once more.”
He added, “It is a very long time in the past since Sweden, but it surely ought to be fairly cool to play them on the Olympic ice once more. We’ve been working actually arduous at this for the final 4 years to ensure that it does not occur once more. We’ll hopefully see the arduous work repay tomorrow within the recreation in opposition to Sweden.”
Crew Unity and Resilience
Mouat praised the efficiency after a protracted layoff. “I’m very happy with that efficiency. I feel the boys and I have never performed a recreation since mid-January, most likely,” he stated. “So it was good to only really feel like we have been stepping again onto the ice as if we had performed yesterday. I’m happy with how everybody carried out and the way they’re all sliding. They’ve clearly put in a variety of work during the last two weeks that I’ve not been there. And I’m happy with myself on how I rebounded after a troublesome day yesterday.”
Teammate Grant Hardie recommended Mouat’s response. “The way in which he responded at the moment after the frustration of yesterday was all credit score to him,” Hardie famous. “I feel he had a 95 per cent plus recreation there in order that’s a great way to neglect about yesterday and kick off this week. He’s a really resilient man. In Beijing we had somewhat bit of labor to do to select him up with it being his first time, however he is aware of what he must do to prepare for at the moment and he did that.”
The tight-knit British curling squad—the place Hardie and McMillan are cousins, and McMillan’s father competed within the 1992 and 2002 Olympics—units up an thrilling rematch with defending champions Sweden tomorrow, their first Olympic conflict since Beijing.
