Seshmeister
04-13-2009, 09:01 PM
BBC SPORT | Other sport... | Winter Sports | Scotland win world curling title (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/winter_sports/7984283.stm)
Scotland win World Curling Championship
Scotland overcame hosts and holders Canada 7-6 to win the World Men's Curling Championship after a nail-biting final in Moncton.
David Murdoch's rink came from 6-4 behind after eight ends to beat Kevin Martin's foursome for a third time in the competition.
The Scots had inflicted Canada's only defeat in their 11 round robin games.
Murdoch came out on top in the play-off between the top two sides before Canada beat Switzerland to set up a re-match.
The skip told BBC Scotland: "To win on Canadian soil, beating the best team in the world, is just incredible.
"The Canadian press were saying at the beginning of the week that they were unbeatable.
"They are such an amazing team and we just had to raise our game.
"With the Olympics coming up next year, that is the level we have to play at."
It was revenge for the Scots, world champions in 2006, who lost to the Canadians in last year's final in North Dakota.
Scottish team member Ewan MacDonald, who also won the world championship with skip Hammy McMillan in 1999, said: "We beat these guys three times in three days, but that's what we train for.
"It's absolutely unbelievable."
Murdoch, who has won back-to-back European Championships, stole the initiative from the first end, racing into a 2-0 lead.
But Martin pegged that back immediately and, although the Scots pulled one ahead at the third end, another double appeared to put the Canadians in control.
The Scots managed to score a single at the sixth end, but the Canadians appeared to be edging towards another gold medal by scoring points at the seventh and eighth ends.
Murdoch and team-mates MacDonald, Peter Smith and Euan Byers had it all to do in the final two ends, but doubles at each secured a superb fight-back and victory.
They made the shots and got us in big trouble
Canada skip Kevin Martin
The skip had gone into the tournament saying that he had been training specifically to beat the Canadians and he did exactly that by ending their hosts' 100% record by 7-5 in the final game of the round-robin, by 6-5 in a tense play-off and then in an equally exciting final.
It completed a fine recovery for the Scots, who lost their opening game to Switzerland and were surprisingly beaten by China and Czech Republic before finishing second in the round-robin.
Deposed champion Martin said: "They made the shots and got us in big trouble."
Norway, led by Thomas Ulsrud, defeated Ralph Stoeckli's Swiss 6-4 to finish third for the second year running.
The Swiss led 4-3 after a double in the seventh end, but Ulsrud matched that and then pulled clear with a single at the ninth to take his third bronze medal.
Scotland win World Curling Championship
Scotland overcame hosts and holders Canada 7-6 to win the World Men's Curling Championship after a nail-biting final in Moncton.
David Murdoch's rink came from 6-4 behind after eight ends to beat Kevin Martin's foursome for a third time in the competition.
The Scots had inflicted Canada's only defeat in their 11 round robin games.
Murdoch came out on top in the play-off between the top two sides before Canada beat Switzerland to set up a re-match.
The skip told BBC Scotland: "To win on Canadian soil, beating the best team in the world, is just incredible.
"The Canadian press were saying at the beginning of the week that they were unbeatable.
"They are such an amazing team and we just had to raise our game.
"With the Olympics coming up next year, that is the level we have to play at."
It was revenge for the Scots, world champions in 2006, who lost to the Canadians in last year's final in North Dakota.
Scottish team member Ewan MacDonald, who also won the world championship with skip Hammy McMillan in 1999, said: "We beat these guys three times in three days, but that's what we train for.
"It's absolutely unbelievable."
Murdoch, who has won back-to-back European Championships, stole the initiative from the first end, racing into a 2-0 lead.
But Martin pegged that back immediately and, although the Scots pulled one ahead at the third end, another double appeared to put the Canadians in control.
The Scots managed to score a single at the sixth end, but the Canadians appeared to be edging towards another gold medal by scoring points at the seventh and eighth ends.
Murdoch and team-mates MacDonald, Peter Smith and Euan Byers had it all to do in the final two ends, but doubles at each secured a superb fight-back and victory.
They made the shots and got us in big trouble
Canada skip Kevin Martin
The skip had gone into the tournament saying that he had been training specifically to beat the Canadians and he did exactly that by ending their hosts' 100% record by 7-5 in the final game of the round-robin, by 6-5 in a tense play-off and then in an equally exciting final.
It completed a fine recovery for the Scots, who lost their opening game to Switzerland and were surprisingly beaten by China and Czech Republic before finishing second in the round-robin.
Deposed champion Martin said: "They made the shots and got us in big trouble."
Norway, led by Thomas Ulsrud, defeated Ralph Stoeckli's Swiss 6-4 to finish third for the second year running.
The Swiss led 4-3 after a double in the seventh end, but Ulsrud matched that and then pulled clear with a single at the ninth to take his third bronze medal.