Scotland Denies US a Medal, Claims Bronze at World Curling Championship

Scottish skip Ross Whyte's four-point ninth end secures bronze for Scotland, dashing US hopes of a medal.

Apr. 5, 2026 at 7:51pm

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The Scottish curling team, led by skip Ross Whyte, secured the bronze medal at the 2026 World Men's Curling Championship in Ogden, Utah. After losing in the semifinal to Canada, the Scots bounced back to defeat the United States 9-5 in the bronze medal match, scoring four points in the decisive ninth end to pull away. American skip John Shuster acknowledged it was difficult to overcome Scotland's strong start, but was proud of his team's comeback to tie the game at 5-5 in the fifth end. The result marks the end of the competitive careers for US vice skip Christopher Plys and second Colin Hufman, who are retiring from elite curling.

Why it matters

This result is a significant achievement for the Scottish curling team, who have long played in the shadow of the dominant Bruce Mouat rink. The bronze medal performance could help boost their chances of being selected as Scotland's national team representative going forward. For the US, the loss denies them a medal, but the team led by John Shuster can still be proud of an overall strong season that saw them reach the playoffs in every tournament.

The details

In the bronze medal match, Scotland jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first end. The US was able to battle back and tie the game at 5-5 in the fifth end, but Scotland regained the lead with a two-point seventh end. The decisive moment came in the ninth end, when Scottish skip Ross Whyte used his final stone to score four points and put the game out of reach for the Americans.

  • The bronze medal match took place on Saturday, April 5, 2026 at the Weber County Ice Sheet in Ogden, Utah.
  • Scotland lost to Canada 9-7 in the semifinal on Friday, April 4, 2026.

The players

Ross Whyte

The Scottish skip who led his team to the bronze medal at the 2026 World Men's Curling Championship.

John Shuster

The American skip whose team was denied a medal after losing to Scotland in the bronze medal match.

Christopher Plys

The US vice skip who announced he is retiring from competitive curling after this season.

Colin Hufman

The US second who is also stepping away from elite curling competition after this season.

Bruce Mouat

The Scottish curler whose team is currently ranked number one in the world, and has been the men's national team representative for Scotland in recent years.

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What they’re saying

“We just chilled out and then kind of talked and said, 'Look, that game's done now. We have to win a medal. We've played way too well this week to not win a medal here.'”

— Ross Whyte, Scottish skip

“I'm super proud that we battled back and got the thing tied.”

— John Shuster, American skip

“We got to the place we wanted to always be and thought we could get to — knew we could get to — and for it to be over is a bummer.”

— John Shuster, American skip

“I feel like I did everything, everything I wanted to. I don't think I left anything out, you know, in the practice room or at home.”

— Colin Hufman, US second

“It's like, I want to make sure that for those guys, and you know, maybe for myself, that we really lock in”

— John Shuster, American skip

What’s next

Neither Shuster nor lead Matt Hamilton have announced plans for next season. Shuster said he hasn't yet made a decision on whether he will step back from competitive curling.

The takeaway

This bronze medal performance by the Scottish curling team could help boost their chances of being selected as Scotland's national team representative going forward, challenging the dominance of the Bruce Mouat rink. For the US, the loss marks the end of the competitive careers for vice skip Christopher Plys and second Colin Hufman, but the team led by John Shuster can still be proud of an overall strong season.