Scotland’s Hardie and Brydone swap curling rinks in team shake-up
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Scotland's Grant Hardie, Robin Brydone swap curling rinks
Major Team Changes in Scottish Curling
A significant change has occurred within the Scottish curling community, as Grant Hardie and Robin Brydone have swapped teams. This move was announced by Team GB on Monday, marking a notable shift for two of the country’s prominent curlers.
Hardie, who previously served as third for Team Bruce Mouat, will now take on the same position with the team led by Ross Whyte. In this new role, Hardie will also assume skipping duties. Brydone, who was the third for Whyte’s team, will transition to the third position with Mouat’s rink.
Hardie, a 34-year-old from Dumfries, has achieved considerable success alongside Mouat, Bobby Lammie, and Hammy McMillan. Their accomplishments include two Olympic silver medals, two world championship gold medals, and six Grand Slam event victories over the past two years. Brydone, 29, from Perth, recently earned a bronze medal with Whyte at the world championships and has been part of the winning team for the last three Scottish men’s championships.
Hardie Seeks New Challenge
Hardie’s decision to move comes after a period where he considered retirement. Despite rumors suggesting he might leave the sport, Hardie confirmed his intention to continue curling for another four-year cycle, but with a new challenge. He expressed a need for fresh stimulation, stating that he would be looking for a new challenge to motivate himself if he were to continue curling.
His tenure with Team Mouat spanned nine years and is recognized as one of the most successful in curling history. During this period, the team secured two Olympic silver medals, two world championships, four European championships, and 12 Grand Slam of Curling titles, consistently ranking as the world’s number one team for several years.
The new challenge for Hardie involves returning to the skip position, leading a newly formed team. He will throw third stones while skipping, with Ross Whyte throwing fourth, Craig Waddell throwing second, and Euan Kyle at lead. Hardie admitted that the rumors of his potential retirement were accurate, but the pursuit of an Olympic gold medal ultimately brought him back to the sport.
Hardie acknowledged that it would have been simpler to remain with Team Mouat for another attempt at Olympic gold. However, he expressed concerns about maintaining his motivation during the intervening three years if the team composition remained unchanged. He believes that the new team and the role of skipping will provide the necessary drive and keep his passion for the sport alive.
The change was not without its difficulties, particularly for Hardie, given the long-standing relationships within Team Mouat. McMillan, his cousin, was a teammate for nine years. Hardie discussed the possibility of McMillan joining his new team with Whyte and British Curling, but Kyle’s strong performance as a lead, including being first among all leads in shooting percentage at Grand Slam events last season, made that option unfeasible.
This led to a challenging conversation with McMillan, which Hardie described as difficult, even weeks after it occurred. Despite the emotional toll, Hardie confirmed his decision to Mouat and Lammie, making the move official. He views Whyte’s emergence as an elite last stone thrower as a factor that eased his decision to leave the world’s top-ranked team.
Hardie praised Whyte’s potential, suggesting he could become the best last stone thrower globally, and sees his role as helping Whyte achieve that by providing opportunities on the world stage. The decision to leave a top-ranked team and face them in competition, especially with Brydone now joining Mouat’s ranks, adds another layer of intensity to the upcoming season.
The increased competition, which also includes Kyle Waddell’s team, ranked 11th in the world, is seen by Hardie as a positive development. He believes that strong competition, like that provided by Team Whyte in previous seasons, pushes teams to perform at their best. This shake-up is expected to create an exciting rivalry within Scottish curling, with fans anticipating who will gain the upper hand.
Hardie previously skipped his own team before joining Team Mouat and also led Scotland to a gold medal at the 2017 World Mixed Curling Championship.
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Source: sportsnet.ca
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