News Champions Cup

Russia’s Anna Sidorova and Sweden’s Niklas Edin captured the 2015 Le Gruyere European Curling Championships titles Saturday in Esjberg, Denmark.

Sidorova and Edin have now also earned berths to the season-ending Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling event, the Champions Cup. Running April 26 to May 1, 2016, in Sherwood Park, Alta., the brand new event features all of the top winners over the course of the season in one final tournament.

Sidorova scored a 6-4 victory over Scotland’s Eve Muirhead in the women’s gold medal game. Team Sidorova finished with an impressive 10-1 overall record, sustaining their lone loss to Norway’s Kristin Moen Skaslien in the round robin.

Finland’s Oona Kauste defeated Denmark’s Lene Nielsen 10-8 for the bronze.

Meanwhile, Edin successfully defended the men’s European title edging Peter de Cruz of Switzerland 7-6 in the extra end.

Team Edin, the reigning world champion, finished the round robin with a 5-4 record and needed an 8-7 victory over Scotland’s Kyle Smith in a tiebreaker to qualify for the playoffs.

Edin handed Norway’s Thomas Ulsrud his first loss of the tournament 8-7 during the semifinals. Ulsrud beat Finland’s Aku Kauste 7-4 in the bronze medal match.

Calgary’s Kevin Koe, Winnipeg’s Mike McEwen and Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., booked their Champions Cup spots as winners of Pinty’s GSOC men’s events while Silvana Tirinzoni of Switerzerland and Ottawa’s Rachel Homan are in on the women’s side.

Soo-Hyuk Kim of South Korea and Satsuki Fujisawa of Japan have also earned berths by winning the Pacific-Asia Curling Championship men’s and women’s titles, respectively.

Early bird packages are available for the Champions Cup, but only until Monday! Click here for more details on how you can purchase your pass today.