Gold at the Double for Dumfries Curlers

_{London’s Super Saturday comes to Dumfries Ice Bowl as Curlers hit the headlines.}

_{Grant Hardie of Crocketford Curling Club started the weekend Gold rush with an outstanding performance in Switzerland at the World Mixed Championships.}

_{On route to World Gold for Team Scotland, Grant who skipped the team guided them to a near perfect record with only one loss against Korea and wins against  Spain, Ireland, Denmark, Luxemburg, New Zealand, & Kazakhstan}

_{In the Last 16 Scotland met Spain again and in another close encounter came away with a 4 – 2 win.}

_{They then met the tournament favourites Sweden in the Quarter Finals where they played some of their best curling as a team running out winners.}

_{This set up an encounter with the Czech Republic in the semi finals.  With another dominate display as some clinical finishing the Scottish team never looked in trouble and progressed to the final to guarantee themselves at least a silver medal.  In the other semi final Canada beat Norway.} 

_{This set up the perfect final as the two big nations in curling went head to head.  Scotland v Canada for the Gold medal match.}

_{The two teams forced each other to score single shots in the first two ends before the scots made the first break through in the 3}^rd_{.  Canada were looking good for scoring a big end until Scottish skip Grant Hardie came to play two world class shots which turned the game in the Scots favour.  With a triple takeout with his first and picking a Canadian shot stone out with his 2}^nd _{to leave the Scottish Team lying two the Canadian skip could not reply to this and the Scots stole 2 points for a 3-1 lead.  With some more decisive play the scots force another mistake in the 4}^th _{end to steal another 1 and take a 4-1 lead into the half time break.  In the 2}^nd _{half the Canadian team stayed patient and managed to score 2 in the 7}^th _{end to bring the game back in to reach.  Another brilliant end from the Canadians resulted in a steal of 1 point in the last end to tied the game 5-5 and putting the game into extra time.}

_{After a brief team talk the Scottish Team looked focused on the task ahead and played a much better extra end, keeping it simple and managing to remove Canadian stones.  With one mistake the Canadian were ready to pounce and put the pressure on and they did just that.  Lying to shots with just the Scottish Last stone to come Grant Hardie elected to play the tricky double takeout for the Gold.  Watch by around 30 Scottish fans that had travelled out for the week’s play the arena fell silent for the first time as they awaited the delivery of the Gold medal shot.  Grant did not disappoint with power and accuracy he move both Canadian stone from play and scored that all important point to take Gold for Scotland.}

_{The win was met with just as much power from the Scottish Fans as Mark Munro lead them in Flower Of Scotland on his Bagpipes as they lifted the roof in appreciation of the efforts from the Scottish Team, Grant Hardie, Rhiann MacLeod, Billy Morton & Barbara McFarlane.}

_{Grant Hardie; Scotland skip (after winning the gold medals): “It’s brilliant. I don’t know where to start. The whole team played brilliant all week and especially the during the play-offs they came to the fore. I’m absolutely delighted. They came at us really hard at the end. They’re obviously a great team to get to the final and we just managed to hold on. I’d thrown that line, four or five times in the game, so I was pretty confident but obviously with it being for the win you’re always a little on edge. I had the line and the guys swept it through to make it. It is absolutely brilliant.”}

_{While all this was taking place back home in Scotland was another incredible performance as Fraser Kingan, New Abbey Curling Club & Dumfries Junior made it double Gold in as many days.  Fraser and partner Jayne Stirling were taking part in the Scottish Mixed Doubles Championship in Aberdeen.  Mixed Doubles will make its debut at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in February, Korea.  The Scottish Mixed Doubles championship had been given a boost by British Curling as all performance players other than the two Olympic Teams were required to take part.  This meant that the Mixed Doubles Championship had the strongest field ever assembled.}

_{Fraser who is in his last season of the junior programme had entered the championship for the first time with his partner Jayne.  They had no expectations and took it game at a time.  The format seemed to suit the couples playing style and with every game confidence & belief seemed to grow.} 

_{Teams were split into 3 sections of 6 with 5 round robin games being played to decide the knockout stages.}

_{Fraser & Jayne dominated their group finishing top and not only that they finished with a very strong Last Stone Draw Ranking putting them ahead of what was Current Scottish Champions Mouat & Aitken by  0.1cm promoting them straight to the semi-finals and allowed them to watch as the other top teams battled it out at the quarter final stages.}

_{Team Kingan would face two time Scottish Champions McLeary in the semi-final.  McLeary had just beaten the favourite Mouat & Aitken in a close semi-final and were now firm favourites to take the title.  However Dumfries bread junior Fraser Kingan is one fierce competitor and had other thoughts in his mind.  Fraser & Jayne completely dominated the encounter and progress to the final guaranteeing them a silver medal.}

_{The other semi-final was a close encounter.  British Curling athletes Bobby Lammie & Rachel Hannen had made it through to meet Team Kingan in the final.  Bobby & Rachel had World Gold & Silver on their CV from Junior Carears along with both having represented Team GB at World Uni Game where Bobby Won World Gold.  On paper with was the Battle of David v’s Golliath.}

_{Nerves were showing at the start of the Game with Lammie/Hannen gaining last stone advantage and making great use of it scoring a big 3.  This would be enough to knock the stuffing out of most players in their first ever Scottish Championship Final but again Kingan/Stirling showed calmness and began to settle into the game after scoring 1 in the 2}^nd _{end and stealing singles in the 3}^rd _{& 4}^th _{end to tie the game up at the half way stage.  In the 5}^th _{End Lammie/Hannen tried to apply the pressure but Kingan/Stirling were equal to the challenge as they forced a mistake and stole 4 point to take the lead for the first time in the final.  Lammie/Hannen hit back with a two in the 6}^th _{end to cut the deficate but for only the 2}^nd _{time in the game this game Kingan/Sterling the last stone advantage and with that last stone advantage they made it count scoring a 3 to take a 10 – 5 lead into the last end.  This lead was enough to secure Fraser’s first Scottish Championship title and a place at the World Championships in Sweden later in the season as Team Scotland.}

_{Fraser said after the match “I can’t quite believe it; it’s definitely not sunk in yet.  It’s just incredible feeling.  From now until the World Championships we will be getting loads of practice in, and trying to enter some Mixed Doubles Events in between times, hopefully that will give us the best chance to do well on the World Stage”}

 _{Fraser will also now receive top training from British Curling with trips round the world to prepare for the World Championships in Sweden in April 2018 where he will be looking to gain Olympic Points for GB for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games.}

_{Grant & Frasers Double Gold in as many days puts Dumfries on the World Stage yet again for producing world class competitors who are home grown through the ever strengthening Junior Pathway from Dumfries Ice Bowl Curling Development Programmes.}