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A capsule look at the teams competing at the men’s world curling championship

A capsule look at the teams competing at the men's world curling championship | iNFOnews.ca
Sweden's Niklas Edin in action during the men's curling round robin session against the United States, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)

A look at the 13 teams competing in the LGT Men’s World Curling Championship from March 27 to April 4 in Ogden, Utah:

Canada (Matt Dunstone)

First world championship for Dunstone and third Colton Lott. Second E.J. Harnden and lead Ryan Harnden won silver with Brad Jacobs in 2013. World ranking: 4.

China (Xu Xiaoming)

Lost to Canada’s Brad Jacobs in the bronze-medal game in 2025 in Moose Jaw, Sask. Won the Pan Continental Championship in Lacombe, Alta., in 2024. World ranking: 12.

Czechia (Lukas Klima)

Klima’s sixth world championship appearance. Went 3-6 in the Milan Cortina Winter Olympic Games in February. Coached by Canada’s Craig Savill. World ranking: 28.

Germany (Marc Muskatewitz)

European champion in 2024. Went 4-5 to place seventh in Olympic Games. Coached by Canadian Ryan Sherrard. World ranking: 20.

Italy (Stefano Spiller)

Veteran skip Joel Retornaz is taking a break. Spiller, a world junior champion in 2025, takes over a veteran lineup that went 4-5 in Olympic Games. Coached by Canada’s Ryan Fry. World Ranking: 7.

Japan (Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi)

Ninth world championship appearance for the skip Yamaguchi, but first time as a skip. He skipped Japan to bronze in the 2025 Pan Continental Championship. World ranking: 16.

South Korea (Soo-Hyuk Kim)

Co-coached by Canada’s Peter Gallant, Kim makes his sixth world championship appearance and fourth as skip. First opponent is Canada’s Dunstone. World ranking: 40.

Norway (Andreas Haarstad)

Haarstad makes his debut as skip after playing lead in 2019. Has Magnus Ramsfjell, who skipped Norway to fourth in the Olympic Games, as alternate. World ranking: 48.

Poland (Konrad Stych)

World Curling suspended Poland from 2020 to 2022 “for bringing the sport into disrepute” so curling’s been rebuilding there. Stych was seventh in last year’s European championship to qualify for worlds. World ranking: 90.

Scotland (Ross Whyte)

One of the best teams in the world, but passed over for Bruce Mouat to represent Scotland in the last two world championships despite Whyte winning nationals. Beat Canada’s Brad Jacobs in the 2025 Masters final. World ranking: 5.

Sweden (Niklas Edin)

Edin has skipped teams to a record seven world championship gold and an Olympic medal of every colour. Team is coming off a 2-7 Olympic Games, however, and a spat with Olympic champion Brad Jacobs in Cortina over “double-touching” a rock. World ranking: 13.

Switzerland (Marco Hoesli)

Marco Hoesli throws third stones and brother Philipp fourth. Won Swiss nationals for the first time for world championship debut. World ranking: 18.

United States (John Shuster)

Olympic gold medallist in 2018, Shuster will skip the U.S. a ninth time in a world championship. Chris Plys has played third for eight years and lead Matt Hamilton has been Shuster’s teammate for a dozen. World ranking: 8.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 26, 2026.

A capsule look at the teams competing at the men's world curling championship | iNFOnews.ca
Team Manitoba-Dunstone, from left to right, Matt Dunstone, Colton Lott, EJ Harnden, Ryan Harden hoist the Tankard the Montana’s Brier Canadian men’s curling championship, in St. John’s, N.L., on Sunday, March 8, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Daly
A capsule look at the teams competing at the men's world curling championship | iNFOnews.ca
China’s Li Zhichao, Xu Jingtao, Fei Xueqing, and Xu Xiaoming react during the men’s curling round robin session against Italy, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)
A capsule look at the teams competing at the men's world curling championship | iNFOnews.ca
Czechia’s Lukas Klima competes during the men’s curling round robin session against Sweden at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
A capsule look at the teams competing at the men's world curling championship | iNFOnews.ca
Germany’s Marc Muskatewitz, in action during the men’s curling round robin session against China at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
A capsule look at the teams competing at the men's world curling championship | iNFOnews.ca
Italy’s Mattia Giovanella reacts after the men’s curling round robin session against Switzerland at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
A capsule look at the teams competing at the men's world curling championship | iNFOnews.ca
Japan’s skip Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi throws a stone during his country’s match against Italy at the World Men’s Curling Championship in Moose Jaw, Sask. on Friday April 4, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
A capsule look at the teams competing at the men's world curling championship | iNFOnews.ca
South Korean players, from left, Park Jong-duk, Nam Yoon-ho, Kim Tae-hwan and Kim Soo-hyuk watch their stones during a match against New Zealand during the Pacific-Asia Curling Championships at the Fei Yang Skating Center in Shanghai, China, Friday, Nov. 15, 2013. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
A capsule look at the teams competing at the men's world curling championship | iNFOnews.ca
Norway’s Magnus Ramsfjell, left, and Gaute Nepstad compete during a men’s curling bronze medal match between Norway and Switzerland, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)
A capsule look at the teams competing at the men's world curling championship | iNFOnews.ca
From the left: Scotland’s Bruce Mouat, Grant Hardie, Bobby Lammie, Hammy McMillan, Ross Whyte and team coach Allan Hannah pose during with their golf medals after the European Curling Championships gold game between Scotland and Sweden in Tallinn, Estonia, Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018. (AP Photo/Raul Mee)
A capsule look at the teams competing at the men's world curling championship | iNFOnews.ca
Sweden’s Niklas Edin gestures, during the men’s curling round robin session against Norway at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
A capsule look at the teams competing at the men's world curling championship | iNFOnews.ca
USA skip John Shuster reacts as he watches his shot as they take on Canada at the Men’s World Curling Championship in Ottawa, on Wednesday, April 5, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

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The Canadian Press

Donna Spencer

The Canadian Press is Canada's trusted news source and leader in providing real-time, bilingual multimedia stories across print, broadcast and digital platforms.

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