world curling media
March 16, 2024
Olympic champions, two-time European champions and a number of Grand Slam winners – Sweden’s Hasselborg group returns to the World Championships as Sweden’s consultant, combating for the one title they misplaced. They had some shut matches however fell brief within the ultimate. They final misplaced to Switzerland’s Tirinzoni group in 2019, however Tirinzoni has since received the world championship and can look to defend their title once more this month in Sydney, Nova Scotia.
Sweden’s first purpose is to win a medal. “There are groups above us within the rankings and they’re having an excellent season, so we’ll do our greatest to placed on an excellent present and have enjoyable. “I do know,” says Skip’s Anna Hasselborg.
At the second, the group is ranked fifth within the World Team Rankings, behind the opposite three groups competing within the 2024 BKT Tire World Women’s Curling Championship. Tirinzoni group from Switzerland, Homan group from Canada and Jim Jim from South Korea.
Hasselborg © World Curling / Jeffrey Au
“We’re very excited to be taking part in in Canada and on the East Coast the place we have performed a number of Grand Slams in Nova Scotia. There’s all the time a giant crowd,” Hasselborg added.
This shall be their fourth journey throughout the pond this season, as they’ve already performed 4 Grand Slam tournaments in Canada.
Anna Hasselborg herself has received all the things from world juniors to world combined doubles, however she has but to succeed in the highest of the ladies’s world championship podium. The final Swedish group to win a gold medal at this occasion was Annette Norberg in 2011, who missed out.
“The solely factor we’re lacking is that this title, however we do not give it some thought an excessive amount of. We simply need to go on the market and have enjoyable. We’re within the second 12 months of the Olympic cycle and we’ve targets. and are within the strategy of believing in it,” says Hasselborg.
hasselbaugh circus
They name themselves the “Hasselborg Circus” and are identified for taking households on excursions. The group consists of his 4 younger youngsters and different members of the family who take care of them whereas the group is on the ice.
“Bringing the household on tour was undoubtedly extra sophisticated logistically, however up to now so good. It’s undoubtedly a circus and it is chaotic and loopy, however that is how loopy we’re. And we like it. We love having a giant group round us. It’s additionally an honor to have the ability to take the children out like this.”
Another logistical drawback could also be the truth that lead actress Sofia Marburgs now not lives in Sweden. Although she moved to Saskatoon, Canada to reside together with her associate, she nonetheless usually visits Sweden to coach with different members of her group.
“We try to plan some European excursions throughout the season, however when Sofia is right here we spend nearly all of our time coaching and competing collectively in Sweden. It’s been a really busy season and I’ll in all probability be taking part in in Canada the remainder of the time, so it wasn’t that large of an adjustment to be sincere. Some group conferences have needed to be on-line and late within the day. However, all the things went very properly,” Hasselborg explains.
“In latest years, I’ve been spending increasingly time right here. I’m making ready to change into a everlasting resident,” Sofia Mabergs stated in an interview with Global News.
Marburgus © World Curling / Jeffrey Au
Hasselborg’s present group was fashioned in 2015. Since then, they’ve represented Sweden in his six appearances on the World Championships, taking residence two silver medals. They are additionally the one ladies’s group to win all 4 Grand Slams. The group misplaced to Team Ranaa within the home Euro Challenger match and missed out on qualifying for this season’s European Championship. However, the qualifying course of for the World Women’s Championship was set at Hasselborg’s high 5 performances on tour this season, together with the Oslo Cup and Insitu Players Open wins. They will due to this fact symbolize Sweden once more for the seventh time in a row.
Written by function author Anna Kubeskova