A detailed look at each team participating in the world men’s championship curling championship taking place from March 30 to April 7 at the KSS Sports Complex in Schaffhausen, Switzerland.
CANADA
Skip – Brad Gushue, Third – Mark Nichols, Second – E.J. Harnden, Lead – Geoff Walker
St. John’s Curling Club
Gushue, who won the 2017 world championship but lost in the finals in 2022 and 2023, is a 2006 Olympic gold medallist.
CZECHIA
Skip – Lukas Klima, Third – Marek Cernovsky, Second – Martin Jurik, Lead – Lukas Klipa
Curling Club Zbraslav & CC Dion, Prague
Klima, a lawyer, is participating in his fourth world championship. He led a team to a bronze medal at the 2011 Winter Universiade, defeating Canada’s Jonathan Beuk in a tiebreaker.
GERMANY
Skip – Marc Muskatewitz, Third – Benjamin Kapp, Second – Felix Messenzehl, Lead – Johannes Scheuerl
CC Fussen
Muskatewitz is at his sixth world championship, while the other members of his team are making their debuts.
ITALY
Skip – Joel Retornaz, Third – Amos Mosaner, Second – Sebastiano Arman, Lead – Mattia Giovanella
Sporting Club Pinerolo
Retornaz’s crew is entering the world championship as the top ranked team. They earned a bronze medal at the 2022 worlds.
JAPAN
Skip – Shinya Abe, Third – Tetsuro Shimizu, Second – Haruto Ouchi, Lead – Sota Tsuruga
Tokoro Curling Club
Abe, aged 43, was part of the team that lost to Switzerland in an extra end at the 2019 world championship, settling for the bronze medal.
NETHERLANDS
Skip – Wouter Gosgens, Third – Laurens Hoekman, Second – Jaap van Dorp, Lead – Alexander Magan
Curling Club PWA, Zoetermeer
At only 25, Gosgens is competing in his sixth world championship. He qualified by finishing seventh at the European championship.
NEW ZEALAND
Skip – Anton Hood, Third – Ben Smith, Second – Brett Sargon, Lead – Hunter Walker
Maniototo Curling International, Naseby & Alexandra Indoor Curling Rink, Alexandra
The team, which finished last at the 2023 world championship, spent this season training in Calgary where the curlers resided in a retirement residence.
NORWAY
Skip – Magnus Ramsfjell, Third – Martin Sesaker, Second – Bendik Ramsfjell, Lead – Gaute Nepstad
Trondheim CurlingKlubb
Magnus Ramsfjell, son of three-time world champion Eigil Ramsfjell, is at his fourth world championship after finishing fifth in 2023.
SCOTLAND
Skip – Bruce Mouat, Third – Grant Hardie, Second – Bobby Lammie, Leaf – Hammy McMillan Jr.
Gogar Park Curling Club, Edinburgh
Mouat, ranked No. 2 in the world, is the current world champion and has won the European championship twice. He came in second at the 2021 worlds.
SOUTH KOREA
Skip – Park Jong-duk, Third – Jeong Yeong-seok, Second – Oh Seung-hoon, Lead – Seong Ji-hoon
Gangwon Curling
Park, a five-time Korean champion, defeated Gushue during the preliminary round of the Pan Continentals and later lost to him in the final.
SWEDEN
Skip – Niklas Edin, Third – Oskar Eriksson, Second – Rasmus Wrana, Lead – Christoffer Sundgren
Karlstads Curlingklubb, Karlstad
Edin has claimed six world championships, with four consecutive wins from 2018 to 2022. He also secured Olympic gold in 2022, silver in 2018, and bronze in 2014.
SWITZERLAND
Lead – Yannick Schwaller, Third – Benoit Schwarz, Second – Sven Michel, Lead – Pablo Lachat
Geneva's curling club in Switzerland.
Schwaller’s team is ranked fifth globally and came in third at the world championships last year.
USA
Skip – John Shuster, Third – Chris Plys, Second – Colin Hufman, Lead – Matt Hamilton
Duluth Curling Club in Duluth, Minnesota.
In 2018, Schuster beat Edin to win the Olympic gold medal. He placed third in the 2016 world championships.
