Scotland skip Bruce Mouat savoured his dream ending to the World Championships after clinching glory with his final stone.
The 30-year-old sealed a 5-4 win over Switzerland in Saskatchewan to add World Championship glory to the Scots’ hat-trick of wins in the first three Grand Slam of Curling events this season.
Mouat and team-mates Grant Hardie, Bobby Lammie and Hammy McMillan made history by becoming the first team to win the trophy after coming through the quarter-finals, while others went straight into the last four.
Scotland beat reigning champions Sweden before overcoming hosts Canada in the semi-finals.
‘I’m so proud of how we did over the last two days,’ Mouat said. ‘They really changed the tide of our week and we made some incredible shots in all three games to win this World Championship which is exactly what we were here to do.
‘It’s been an interesting season, with some highs and some lows, but this is definitely the highest of the highs.’
Bruce Mouat looks to the heavens after delivering the stone that won Scotland the world title
Mouat watches his stone during the gold-medal game against Switzerland in Saskatchewan
Team Scotland celebrate with the World Championship trophy after an epic 5-4 victory
As against the Swedes and Canadians, the Scots had the disadvantage of starting the final with their opponents having last stone advantage.
For the third match in a row, Mouat forced his opponents to score one at the opening end and, after three consecutive blank ends, the Scots scored two in the fifth end to edge in front.
Their opponents retook a narrow lead with a two of their own in the sixth, but the momentum — and the lead — changed hands again with a two for Scotland before Switzerland levelled the scores in the eighth end.
A blank ninth end had set up a tense finish, but the Scots held their nerve to come out on top in an epic encounter as Mouat curled a stone into the middle of the house to take the title.
‘It was a bit of a pinch-me moment to get to draw the four foot to win a World Championship,’ he added. ‘That’s something I’ve dreamt of for a long time.
‘We had to really battle for that win and drawing the four foot is like a skip’s dream, so I’m over the moon to have had that team shot to win a championship.’
