Scotland's curlers celebrate 'amazing' world championship win

The Scotland team celebrate the country's first world title since 2009

Scotland's men's curlers are celebrating a remarkable world championship win against host nation Canada.

The team, led by skip Bruce Mouat, took the title with a decisive 9-3 triumph in Calgary on Sunday.

Scotland's win is the country's sixth triumph in the annual championships and its first since 2009.

First Minister Humza Yousaf has led tributes to the team, which includes the son of a former world champion.

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Hammy McMillan followed in the footsteps of his father Hammy Snr who lifted the title in 1999.

Hammy Jnr told British Curling: "I have always looked up to him and when we put the team together he has always been our biggest supporter.

"From that very first Scottish championships he said to me and the boys that we have something special and he wasn't wrong.

"This journey we have been on since the summer of 2017 has been special."

The Scotland team celebrate with team staff and supporters

Hammy Snr described watching the win as "an unbelievable feeling."

Asked if he had finally handed the baton over, he joked: "I think I handed it over a few years ago.

"These guys play a different style of curling.

"They have all the advantages of snow and ice and they know what to do with sweeping.

"They have worked it out and they are good at it - unbelievably good at it."

McMillan also lined up alongside his cousin Grant Hardie, Bobby Lammie and Mouat.

The three-time European champions have now added a world title to an impressive CV which includes an Olympic silver medal.

Skip Mouat said the team delivered when it really mattered.

He added: "It was absolutely amazing. We shot the lights out.

"We needed an A-plus game to win a world final, which is what we said to one another this morning."

Mouat also said the new world champions fed off the atmosphere in the packed TD Place Arena in Calgary.

He said: "The crowd has been cheering great shots all week, so it's just been an absolute pleasure to play in front of them.

"I'm going to remember this for the rest of my life, not only the world title win, but the atmosphere that was created in there.

"It's giving me goosebumps just thinking about it."

The win was the perfect way to bounce back from the disappointment of losing the 2022 Olympic final in Beijing.

Mouat said: "The year after the Olympics, where we were gutted with the result, but knew we had created something special when we were there, we knew that if we brought something similar we could definitely win a World Championship and that's exactly what we did tonight.

"We're going to keep going to try to get to the Olympics and hopefully re-create something like what we did today.

"That's the goal for all of us and is exactly why we're still together right now. It's going to be a long four years, but we're definitely ready to go."

'Incredible achievement'

First Minister Humza Yousaf tweeted: "World Champions! Well done @TeamMouat for doing the nation proud and bringing the world championship home to Scotland.

"Congratulations Bruce, Grant, Bobby, Hammy and all those behind the team for such an incredible achievement."

Scottish Secretary Alistair Jack posted: "Congratulations to the world champions, Team Mouat. Curling, the roarin' game again giving Scotland something to shout about!"

Former first minister Alex Salmond, Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross, former 10,000m world champion Liz McColgan and tennis coach Judy Murray were among those who also took to social media to congratulate the team.

Scottish Curling, the sport's governing body, tweeted: "Shooting at 96.5 per cent overall accuracy as a team, there was no stopping the Scots today."

British Curling hailed a "perfect performance" and described the team as "Scotland's new Lords of the Ring".