Latest news with #Mouat
The Herald Scotland
8 hours ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Mouat: We're missing Olympic gold and we're desperate to put it right
30-year-old Mouat and his teammates of Grant Hardie, Bobby Lammie and Hammy McMillan have, over the past year in particular, established themselves as the standout men's curling team on the planet. Their most recent season, which came to a close at the end of April, was literally history-making. Team Mouat became the first curling team ever to win four Grand Slam of Curling titles in one season and added to that, they became world champions for the second time, reclaiming the title they won in 2023. Bruce Mouat and his team had what he describes as an almost perfect season last season (Image: JUSSI NUKARI/ Getty Images) It's the kind of season even the most optimistic would have been wary about hoping for and Mouat admits even he was taken aback somewhat by his and his teammates ability to continue notching up win after win. 'It's an incredible thing to have people talk about how successful our season was but for us, the season was actually a bit of a blur. We went from event to event and just kept winning,' the skip from Stirling says. 'To keep coming away with titles was just incredible - we were riding this amazing wave of momentum and confidence. We had a bit of a blip at the Scottish Championships (where Team Mouat lost in the final to compatriots, Team Whyte) but apart from that it was pretty close to a perfect season for us. 'We were taking so much self-belief and self-confidence into each game and every tournament, we knew that if we played our best, our chances of winning were pretty high, which is a nice feeling to have.' With his medals from last season safely tucked away in his trophy cabinet, Mouat's sights are now set on filling the one last gap in his résumé. Having won multiple European, World and Grand Slam titles, as well as Olympic silver, the only thing missing from Mouat's CV is Olympic gold. That's something he's hoping to rectify in the very near future. The four members of Team Mouat, plus alternate Kyle Waddell, have become the first athletes selected for Team GB for the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, which will take place in February of next year. Such early confirmation of the fact they're heading to their second Olympic Games gives Mouat and his teammates the luxury of being able to focus purely on how to be at their best when the most prestigious event in the curling calendar rolls around. Heading into Olympic season as clear favourites for Olympic gold is a high-pressure position in which to be but it's one in which Mouat feels entirely comfortable. 'Being selected this early takes a little bit of the pressure off and gives us seven months of planning to get it right so we can make sure we peak just when we need to,' he says. 'Knowing that we're going to our second Olympics is, in itself, very exciting but we're going there to try and win. Olympic gold is the one thing we're missing so hopefully we can play our best when it matters. 'Having the number one ranking does put a target on your back but it's also nice to know that we have the ability to beat all the teams we play against - that's a comforting feeling. 'We feel fine about the pressure on us. What's a nice feeling is knowing that we have the upper hand mentally because all the other teams know they'll have to play one of their best games ever to beat us - I always like going into games knowing that.' With Team Mouat having won silver in their last Olympic outing, at Beijing 2022, Mouat is determined to go one better this time around and with selection for the mixed doubles at Milan-Cortina alongside Jen Dodds looking likely, he'll be in the unique and fortunate position of having the potential of winning two Olympic gold medals and replicating two of his very earliest Olympic memories. Team Mouat won silver at the 2022 Winter Olympics (Image: Getty Images) 'My first Olympic memory is Dame Kelly Holmes winning her two Olympic golds in 2004. By 2008, I was really into swimming so I remember watching Rebecca Adlington win her two gold medals in the pool,' he says. 'It's amazing to think I could potentially have the same success as they had. Obviously winning two golds is the absolute dream but I know how much work it will take to get to that point. I'm very willing to do the work over the next six months, though, and I am hoping to emulate their achievements and do what I dreamt of as a kid." Mouat has never been one to get ahead of himself but with the prospect of winning Olympic gold certain to be very much be in the forefront of his mind over the coming months, he has allowed himself to ponder what it would feel like to call himself and his teammates Olympic champions. 'When we first got together as a team, our long-term goal was always to win the Olympics,' he says. 'We got very close last time and came away disappointed that we didn't get over the line so we put a plan in place for the next four years to go one better and now we know we have the opportunity to do that. 'We've won two world titles to get to this point and we've put ourself in the right place to achieve Olympic gold. It would mean everything to become Olympic champions, and it'd feel like the last eight years has been worth all the blood, sweat and tears.'
The National
8 hours ago
- Sport
- The National
Mouat: We're missing Olympic gold and we're desperate to put it right
It's a standing few athletes can even dream about but for Bruce Mouat and his Team Mouat teammates, it's exactly where they are. 30-year-old Mouat and his teammates of Grant Hardie, Bobby Lammie and Hammy McMillan have, over the past year in particular, established themselves as the standout men's curling team on the planet. Their most recent season, which came to a close at the end of April, was literally history-making. Team Mouat became the first curling team ever to win four Grand Slam of Curling titles in one season and added to that, they became world champions for the second time, reclaiming the title they won in 2023. Bruce Mouat and his team had what he describes as an almost perfect season last season (Image: JUSSI NUKARI/ Getty Images) It's the kind of season even the most optimistic would have been wary about hoping for and Mouat admits even he was taken aback somewhat by his and his teammates ability to continue notching up win after win. 'It's an incredible thing to have people talk about how successful our season was but for us, the season was actually a bit of a blur. We went from event to event and just kept winning,' the skip from Stirling says. 'To keep coming away with titles was just incredible - we were riding this amazing wave of momentum and confidence. We had a bit of a blip at the Scottish Championships (where Team Mouat lost in the final to compatriots, Team Whyte) but apart from that it was pretty close to a perfect season for us. 'We were taking so much self-belief and self-confidence into each game and every tournament, we knew that if we played our best, our chances of winning were pretty high, which is a nice feeling to have.' With his medals from last season safely tucked away in his trophy cabinet, Mouat's sights are now set on filling the one last gap in his résumé. Having won multiple European, World and Grand Slam titles, as well as Olympic silver, the only thing missing from Mouat's CV is Olympic gold. That's something he's hoping to rectify in the very near future. The four members of Team Mouat, plus alternate Kyle Waddell, have become the first athletes selected for Team GB for the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, which will take place in February of next year. Such early confirmation of the fact they're heading to their second Olympic Games gives Mouat and his teammates the luxury of being able to focus purely on how to be at their best when the most prestigious event in the curling calendar rolls around. Heading into Olympic season as clear favourites for Olympic gold is a high-pressure position in which to be but it's one in which Mouat feels entirely comfortable. 'Being selected this early takes a little bit of the pressure off and gives us seven months of planning to get it right so we can make sure we peak just when we need to,' he says. 'Knowing that we're going to our second Olympics is, in itself, very exciting but we're going there to try and win. Olympic gold is the one thing we're missing so hopefully we can play our best when it matters. 'Having the number one ranking does put a target on your back but it's also nice to know that we have the ability to beat all the teams we play against - that's a comforting feeling. 'We feel fine about the pressure on us. What's a nice feeling is knowing that we have the upper hand mentally because all the other teams know they'll have to play one of their best games ever to beat us - I always like going into games knowing that.' With Team Mouat having won silver in their last Olympic outing, at Beijing 2022, Mouat is determined to go one better this time around and with selection for the mixed doubles at Milan-Cortina alongside Jen Dodds looking likely, he'll be in the unique and fortunate position of having the potential of winning two Olympic gold medals and replicating two of his very earliest Olympic memories. Team Mouat won silver at the 2022 Winter Olympics (Image: Getty Images) 'My first Olympic memory is Dame Kelly Holmes winning her two Olympic golds in 2004. By 2008, I was really into swimming so I remember watching Rebecca Adlington win her two gold medals in the pool,' he says. 'It's amazing to think I could potentially have the same success as they had. Obviously winning two golds is the absolute dream but I know how much work it will take to get to that point. I'm very willing to do the work over the next six months, though, and I am hoping to emulate their achievements and do what I dreamt of as a kid." Mouat has never been one to get ahead of himself but with the prospect of winning Olympic gold certain to be very much be in the forefront of his mind over the coming months, he has allowed himself to ponder what it would feel like to call himself and his teammates Olympic champions. 'When we first got together as a team, our long-term goal was always to win the Olympics,' he says. 'We got very close last time and came away disappointed that we didn't get over the line so we put a plan in place for the next four years to go one better and now we know we have the opportunity to do that. 'We've won two world titles to get to this point and we've put ourself in the right place to achieve Olympic gold. It would mean everything to become Olympic champions, and it'd feel like the last eight years has been worth all the blood, sweat and tears.'
The National
a day ago
- Sport
- The National
Dodds & Mouat return to Winter Olympics with gold on the mind
Dodds, who will return as Team GB's only defending champion, and Mouat are two of the first batch of 10 athletes whose names have been officially confirmed for the 2026 Winter Games, which will take place in a number of locations centred on Milan next February. The duo are eager to improve on their agonising fourth place finish in the mixed event in Beijing three years ago, while Mouat's men's team, who took silver in the Chinese capital, will go to Italy as defending world champions. Bruce Mouat and Jennifer Dodds will target curling glory in the curling mixed doubles event (Andrew Milligan/PA) 'It's our second time round and we've got a lot more experience than last time, so we're hoping to use that to get a little bit further,' said Mouat, whose team once again comprises Grant Hardie, Bobby Lammie and Hammy McMillan, along with alternate Kyle Waddell. 'We've been trying to figure out the extra one or two per cent we need to do better and it came down to sports psychology and nutrition. We really focused on these things to try and get better. 'Even six months after the Olympics we were looking at these things and they helped us win our first world title. Now we've established ourselves as one of the best teams in the world, so we're obviously doing a lot of things right.' Dodds joined a new team led by Olympic debutant Rebecca Morrison following the break-up of Eve Muirhead's team in the wake of their gold medal win. Now retired, Muirhead will be in Milan in a different capacity, as Team GB's Chef de Mission. Bruce Mouat's men's curling team will look to improve on their silver medal in Beijing (Andrew Milligan/PA) Morrison's team – also including Dodds, Sophie Jackson, Sophie Sinclair, and alternate Fay Henderson, qualified by virtue of a sixth-placed finish at this year's World Championship and will go to Milan as a curious blend of underdogs and defending champions. 'Obviously we're going to have a target on our backs as the defending champions, but we've played all these teams before and we're not worried about what they're thinking,' said Dodds. 'Every game at the Olympics is tough, no matter whether you've come out as the last chance qualifiers or you've won the last world title.' For Dodds, who will again team with Mouat in search of that elusive mixed doubles medal before switching her focus to the first women's team not to feature Muirhead since 2006, there has been no loss of focus despite being part of the historic success at the Covid-stricken Beijing Games. Beijing gold medallist Jennifer Dodds is part of a new-look women's curling team (Andrew Milligan/PA) 'Winning that gold medal was me achieving my lifelong dream, something I've dreamed of since I was eight or 10 years old,' Dodds added. 'That was the big thing for me, figuring out what I wanted to do for the next four years, readjusting my goals and getting that purpose. 'I want these girls to experience what I experienced in Beijing. It doesn't matter if you win one gold medal or 100 gold medals, they are all so special because it is such a rare and hard thing to achieve.'
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Dodds & Mouat return to Winter Olympics with gold on the mind
The duo are eager to improve on their agonising fourth place finish in the mixed event in Beijing three years ago, while Mouat's men's team, who took silver in the Chinese capital, will go to Italy as defending world champions. Bruce Mouat and Jennifer Dodds will target curling glory in the curling mixed doubles event (Andrew Milligan/PA) 'It's our second time round and we've got a lot more experience than last time, so we're hoping to use that to get a little bit further,' said Mouat, whose team once again comprises Grant Hardie, Bobby Lammie and Hammy McMillan, along with alternate Kyle Waddell. 'We've been trying to figure out the extra one or two per cent we need to do better and it came down to sports psychology and nutrition. We really focused on these things to try and get better. 'Even six months after the Olympics we were looking at these things and they helped us win our first world title. Now we've established ourselves as one of the best teams in the world, so we're obviously doing a lot of things right.' Dodds joined a new team led by Olympic debutant Rebecca Morrison following the break-up of Eve Muirhead's team in the wake of their gold medal win. Now retired, Muirhead will be in Milan in a different capacity, as Team GB's Chef de Mission. Bruce Mouat's men's curling team will look to improve on their silver medal in Beijing (Andrew Milligan/PA) Morrison's team – also including Dodds, Sophie Jackson, Sophie Sinclair, and alternate Fay Henderson, qualified by virtue of a sixth-placed finish at this year's World Championship and will go to Milan as a curious blend of underdogs and defending champions. 'Obviously we're going to have a target on our backs as the defending champions, but we've played all these teams before and we're not worried about what they're thinking,' said Dodds. 'Every game at the Olympics is tough, no matter whether you've come out as the last chance qualifiers or you've won the last world title.' For Dodds, who will again team with Mouat in search of that elusive mixed doubles medal before switching her focus to the first women's team not to feature Muirhead since 2006, there has been no loss of focus despite being part of the historic success at the Covid-stricken Beijing Games. Beijing gold medallist Jennifer Dodds is part of a new-look women's curling team (Andrew Milligan/PA) 'Winning that gold medal was me achieving my lifelong dream, something I've dreamed of since I was eight or 10 years old,' Dodds added. 'That was the big thing for me, figuring out what I wanted to do for the next four years, readjusting my goals and getting that purpose. 'I want these girls to experience what I experienced in Beijing. It doesn't matter if you win one gold medal or 100 gold medals, they are all so special because it is such a rare and hard thing to achieve.'
New Straits Times
a day ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Never mind the summer, British curlers set for Winter Olympics
LONDON: With temperatures set to soar and sports fans focused on a coming feast of tennis and cricket, Britain named 10 curlers on Friday as the country's first picks for next year's Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics. Beijing 2022 silver medallist Bruce Mouat will captain, or skip, the men's team of four after a dominant season that brought a second world championship title. Mouat leads an experienced line-up of fellow Olympic silver medallists Grant Hardie, Bobby Lammie and Hammy McMillan with Pyeongchang 2018 Olympian Kyle Waddell as alternate. "Team Mouat have had an outstanding run of form this past year, becoming the first-ever rink to win four Grand Slam titles in one season, and I know they will be wanting to better the silver medal they won in Beijing," said Team GB Chef de Mission and Olympic champion skip Eve Muirhead. Olympic champion Jennifer Dodds partners Mouat in mixed doubles. Team Morrison replaces Team Muirhead, the only British gold medallists in Beijing, in the women's competition with Rebecca Morrison, Sophie Jackson, Dodds, Sophie Sinclair and Fay Henderson as alternate. Curling team leader Nigel Holl said the early announcement of the teams was only possible because of the form and performances shown in the past season. "The early selection allows British Curling to run the Olympic season for these athletes and teams with Milano Cortina as the only priority, so giving them the ultimate chance to perform when it counts in 2026," he said.
