32 Teams in 32 Days

We’re profiling 32 teams — one per day — as we get ready for the start of the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season at the Masters.

Day 29: Team Matsumura

Lineup: Yuta Matsumura (skip), Tetsuro Shimizu (third), Yasumasa Tanida (second), Shinya Abe (lead)

Hometown: Kitami, Japan

Matsumura captured gold at the 2018 Pacific-Asia championships to earn a spot in the 2019 Champions Cup in Saskatoon where he made his Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling debut. His team went 1-3 through pool play and missed the playoffs.

They earned silver at the Pacific-Asia championships the following year falling to South Korea’s Team Kim 11-2 in the gold-medal game.

Matsumura was the alternate for Japan’s Team Morozumi at the world championship in 2015 and skipped his own squad at the worlds in 2019 and 2021. They just missed the podium in 2019 losing to Switzerland’s Team de Cruz in the bronze-medal game. During the 2021 worlds in the Calgary bubble, they went 6-7 through round-robin play and missed the playoffs.

Shimizu previously played on Team Morozumi and has made a total of eight appearances at the world championship.

The Masters kicks off the 2021-22 Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season and runs Tuesday through to next Sunday at Sixteen Mile Sports Complex in Oakville, Ontario. Full event and weekend passes plus single draw tickets are now available, visit masters.goigniter.com to purchase yours today.

Can’t make it to Oakville? Tune to Sportsnet and Sportsnet NOW (Canada) or Yare (international) for live broadcast coverage beginning Thursday at 11 a.m. ET.

Missed a day in our 32 teams in 32 days profile series? Get all caught up below.

Day 1: Team Hasselborg

Day 2: Team Jacobs

Day 3: Team Einarson

Day 4: Team Epping

Day 5: Team Fleury

Day 6: Team Mouat

Day 7: Team Tirinzoni

Day 8: Team Gushue

Day 9: Team Jones

Day 10: Team McEwen

Day 11: Team Homan