Hungary crowned world mixed doubles curling champions in Sochi

Hungary have won the World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship in Sochi ©WCF/Alina Pavlyuchik

Hungary have secured the World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship gold medal after overcoming a strong Sweden 6-5 in the final at the Ice Cube Curling Centre on Sochi’s Olympic Park.

Sweden, who have now featured in the gold medal game at the last four editions of the tournament but always walked away with silver, initially looked on course for a win after scoring two points in the first end, before Hungary’s Zsolt Kiss took two in the next end.

The victors took another point in the third end when Sweden’s Per Noreen attempted a cross-house double take-out but got his angles wrong and Hungary stole again in the fourth end to make it a 4-2 lead.

Sweden made a hit for one point in the fifth end and then levelled in the sixth at 4-4 as they stole one point.

However, Kiss drew through a tight pack to tap out a Swedish stone and score two points for a 6-4 lead and Sweden could only take one point from the last end.

“It’s great,” said Kiss, who alongside team mate Dorottya Palancsa takes his second world mixed doubles title after their 2013 victory in Fredericton, Canada.

“It is always great to win a championship, especially if it's a World Championship.

“We are happy that we could repeat the win as we came first two years ago.

“I hope everybody is happy at home."

Sweden take home the silver medal after their 6-5 defeat in the final ©WCF/Alina Pavlyuchik

Norway, meanwhile, won the bronze medal after claiming a 9-4 victory over Canada.

The results of this Championships sees Sweden topping the latest mixed doubles world rankings, with Hungary in second and Switzerland being knocked off their top spot to third.

Norway have moved up five places into fourth position.

Elsewhere in Sochi, the United States men and Canadian women claimed the gold medals in the World Senior Curling Championships which concluded at the Iceberg Skating Palace Training Arena.

The US men secured a 9-4 win over Canada for the title as New Zealand defeated Denmark 6-4 for the bronze medal, while the Canadian women overcame Italy 6-2 in the final, with the US taking bronze thanks to their 6-4 win over Sweden.

The Canadian women claimed the gold medal at the World Senior Curling Championships at the Iceberg Skating Palace Training Arena ©WCF/Céline Stucki 2015

Kate Caithness, President of the World Curling Federation, closed the two competitions and reiterated her hopes of mixed doubles curling becoming part of the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Winter Games programme, with the International Olympic Committee set to make a decision on the matter at its Executive Board meeting in Lausanne in June.

“Our Russian hosts have done an exemplary job in organising these Championships, at what is an important time for the development of our sport and particularly the discipline of mixed doubles,” she said.

“I was delighted to be able host International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach accompanied by President of the Russian Olympic Committee Alexander Zhukov personally here at the Ice Cube during this event so that President Bach could see first-hand what an exciting addition mixed doubles curling could be to the Olympic programme.”

During the closing ceremony it was announced that the Swedish city of Karlstad will host next year’s World Mixed Doubles and World Senior Curling Championships at the Kobbs Arena and Karlstad Curling Arena respectively from April 16 to 23.