LACOMBE, Alta. — In a thrilling showdown at the Pan Continental curling championship, Canada’s renowned skip Brad Gushue experienced a heartbreaking 8-4 defeat against Japan’s Shinya Abe during the men’s semifinals on Thursday night. Gushue, who has secured gold medals at this prestigious event in the past two years, will have the opportunity to compete for bronze against American curling veteran John Shuster on Friday.
Abe is set to face off against China’s Xiaoming Xu in the highly anticipated gold-medal match scheduled for Saturday. The stakes are high as teams vie for positions in the upcoming world championships.
Expressing his feelings about the loss, Gushue said, “Absolutely, there’s disappointment. Personally, I felt like I didn’t have a very good game. Disappointed that I let the guys down. Disappointed I let myself down.” He acknowledged the need to regroup and prepare for a strong performance in the bronze-medal game, reflecting on how disappointing it was that their weakest performance came during such a crucial stage of the tournament.
Throughout the match, Abe maintained a narrow lead, guiding his team to a 5-4 advantage after six ends. After a tense, scoreless seventh end, Abe capitalized on the opportunity, scoring three additional points combined in the eighth and ninth ends. Gushue, hailing from St. John’s, N.L., ultimately conceded the 10th end, marking an end to their semifinal bid.
“They had good feel and we didn’t,” Gushue noted. “I overthrew my draw against two and gave up two. We were on our back foot after that, really trying to chase, and while we had some opportunities, they either made a great shot, got a break, or we messed up.” The pressure of the moment shadowed Gushue and his teammates, impacting their ability to execute their game plan.
Earlier in the day, Gushue had showcased his team’s prowess by achieving a 7-4 victory over Xu, concluding the match with a skillful double-takeout in the final end. His team, consisting of vice Mark Nichols, second Brendan Bottcher, and lead Geoff Walker, had an impressive performance in round-robin play, finishing undefeated with a record of 7-0.
Japan, with a record of 4-3, had faced challenges after a significant 8-2 loss to Shuster, who entered the semifinals with a strong 6-1 record. Shuster later fell to Xu in the other semifinal with a score of 7-4.
In other matches earlier in the day, New Zealand’s Anton Hood decisively defeated Taiwan’s Ken Hsu with a dominating score of 13-3, while South Korea’s Jaebeom Lee secured a close win against Australia’s Hugh Millikin, outscoring him 9-7. South Korea ended the round-robin stage at 3-4, finishing ahead of Australia and New Zealand at 2-5. Unfortunately, winless Taiwan (0-7) will be relegated to the B division next year.
Meanwhile, in women’s curling action, Ottawa’s Rachel Homan continued her unbeaten streak, improving her record to 7-0 with an 8-6 victory over Japan’s Miyu Ueno, who held a record of 6-1 prior to the match. Both teams have successfully qualified for the upcoming semifinals scheduled for Friday morning along with South Korea’s Eunji Gim, who boasts a record of 5-2. China’s Rui Wang claimed the final playoff spot following a solid 9-4 win against American Cory Thiesse.
Homan will compete against Wang in one semifinal, while Gim and Ueno will face one another in the other semifinal, both aiming for a spot in the gold-medal match on Saturday. The competition will continue through Saturday at the Gary Moe Auto Group Sportsplex, serving as a critical qualifier for the 2025 world championships.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31, 2024.
**Interview with Brad Gushue: Reflections on the Semifinal Loss and the Road Ahead**
**Editor:** We’re joined today by Brad Gushue, the acclaimed Canadian skip who recently faced a heartbreaking defeat against Japan in the men’s semifinals of the Pan Continental curling championship. Brad, thank you for taking the time to chat with us.
**Brad Gushue:** Thanks for having me.
**Editor:** First off, let’s discuss the semifinal match. What went through your mind as you played against Shinya Abe’s team?
**Brad Gushue:** It was a tough match. We started off okay, but Abe’s team really found their rhythm. I felt like I didn’t have my best outing, which adds to the disappointment. Curling can be unforgiving, especially in high-pressure situations like this, and we didn’t execute as well as we needed to.
**Editor:** You mentioned disappointment in your performance and feeling you let the team down. How do you regroup after a loss like this?
**Brad Gushue:** It’s important to reflect, but also to not dwell too long on it. We need to focus on the bronze-medal game against John Shuster tomorrow. We have to move forward and fix what went wrong. The team has some great camaraderie, so we support each other and keep our spirits up.
**Editor:** You also noted the pressure of the moment affected your team’s performance. Can you elaborate on that?
**Brad Gushue:** Absolutely. High-stakes situations can really weigh on you. When we got behind, it became a chase. I overthrew a crucial shot, which made it tough for us to recover. We had our chances, but they made some big shots when it mattered most. That’s part of the game.
**Editor:** Looking ahead, how do you plan to approach the bronze-medal match against Shuster after this semifinal experience?
**Brad Gushue:** We’ll take it one end at a time. My goal is to put the semifinal behind us and focus on executing our game plan. It’s a new opportunity, and we want to leave the tournament on a positive note.
**Editor:** Lastly, what does it mean for you and your team to compete on this stage, especially with the world championships in view?
**Brad Gushue:** Competing at this level is always an honor. Every match is a chance to refine our skills and grow as a team. It’s a stepping stone toward the world championships, and we want to make sure we’re prepared for that challenge.
**Editor:** Thank you for your insights, Brad. We wish you and your team the best in the bronze-medal match!
**Brad Gushue:** Thank you! We appreciate the support.
