By Aadi Nair
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy, Feb 22 (Reuters) – Sweden’s women’s curling team is stronger than they have ever been, skip Anna Hasselborg said on Sunday after leading them to their second Olympic gold medal.
Sweden claimed a 6-5 victory over Switzerland to become the first women’s team to win three Olympic medals overall, adding to their gold at the Pyeongchang Games in 2018 and bronze in Beijing in 2022.
“Everything we’ve been working for the last four years – we’re going a little bit harder without the hammer, going aggressive, really putting rocks in play – everything just came together this weekend,” Hasselborg said.
“Technically, we’re so strong, but I think the key one thing is our team spirit, and the trust we have for each other, and all the fun we’re having…
“Eight years later (after Pyeongchang), I think this is the strongest we have ever been, mentally, technically, strategically and just that we have believed in each other for the whole way. It’s never been a doubt. It’s just unreal.”
Despite their previous successes at the Olympics, Sweden were far from favourites at these Games.
Major life changes in the past Olympic cycle led to a difficult spell on the ice as they dealt with lineup variations, with three team members including Hasselborg having pregnancies in 2023.
However, they slowly built up some form ahead of their campaign in Cortina, winning a third European Curling Championships title in November.
They had a strong round-robin campaign and were the first team to qualify for the semi-finals, where they beat Canada, the top-ranked women’s team in the world and two-times world champions, before going on to win gold.
Prior to the Games, Hasselborg had described her team as a “circus”, travelling with a large entourage of family members, and the 36-year-old said her victory carried extra meaning since her children were in the stands watching and cheering her on.
“It’s everything I ever dreamt of. Becoming a mother, it’s not always easy to find that balance and motivation, because becoming a mom is so much more important than everything else,” she added.
“But we found that, we found that at the right time. We just found the balance that was perfect… I think they (children) have had a really fun weekend. They were also taken by the moment. They understood there was something big happening.
“Especially my daughter, who is a little bit older. I’m so proud to be able to show them that anything is possible, with the support of the family. You can do anything.”
(Reporting by Aadi NairEditing by Toby Davis)
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