Team Mouat's Candid Approach Powers Olympic Curling Campaign
Team Mouat, Great Britain's premier men's curling squad, have identified unflinching honesty as their critical advantage while competing for Olympic gold at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games. The team enters the tournament as one of Britain's strongest medal prospects, fresh from a record-breaking 2025 season that established their global dominance.
An Unprecedented Season of Dominance
The Scottish-based rink, skipped by Bruce Mouat, made sporting history last year by securing victory in four of the five prestigious Grand Slam curling events, an accomplishment never before achieved in the sport. This remarkable feat was complemented by their successful recapture of the world championship title, solidifying their position at the summit of the world rankings and placing them far beyond the reach of any immediate challengers.
Bobby Lammie, the team's second and often described as its quietest member, highlighted a significant shift in team confidence that has propelled their success. He emphasised the foundational role of transparent communication within the squad. "I think one key area would be just being open and honest with each other, and always kind of looking for that extra edge and any way we can improve," Lammie explained.
"We're not afraid to tell each other if we think something's lacking, whether that's team dynamics or shot-making or technique or anything like that. We're always open to helping each other and always open to feedback also. We are a team that all have our input, and we all try and do everything together."
Learning from Defeat: The 2024 Catalyst
Interestingly, the pivotal moment for Team Mouat was not their silver medal finish at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, where they narrowly lost to Swedish rivals Team Edin in an extra end. Instead, it was the disappointment of the 2024 World Championships that served as the true catalyst for change. Failing to secure any medal after a semi-final defeat by Canada and a subsequent loss in the bronze medal match forced a profound team reassessment.
Grant Hardie, the team's vice-skip, reflected on that pivotal week. "It wasn't a bad week," he noted, analysing the critical moments. "Even the semi-final against Canada, we were in a great position in the sixth end, with hammer, and we gave up a steal of three. The ice conditions changed quite a lot, and the other team picked up on it a lot quicker than we did, and we let that game kind of get away from us."
He continued, describing the bronze medal game: "Then, in the bronze medal game again, we were in complete control, we played really well. Well, Bruce played really well; he kind of kept us in the game for most of it. And he had a shot to win that he makes nine times out of 10, it was very unlike him to miss that shot."
Character-Driven Responses to Setback
The individual reactions to this defeat revealed the team's collective character. Hardie, an engineering graduate, immediately sought counsel from British Curling's performance director, Nigel Holl, to strategise on avoiding future disappointment. Meanwhile, the team's vocal supporter, Hammy McMillan Jr—Hardie's cousin and son of a two-time Olympian—was quick to offer reassurance to skip Bruce Mouat, reminding him of his many match-winning contributions.
Following a summer break, the quartet reconvened at the National Curling Academy in Stirling, established in 2017 with support from UK Sport funding. There, they engaged in necessary, difficult conversations aimed at refining their partnership. This dedicated training environment, where all performance programme athletes train together on the ice and in the gym, proved instrumental in their resurgence.
The Final Prize: Olympic Gold in Cortina
The strategic overhaul has yielded extraordinary results, transforming Team Mouat into the undisputed best in the world. Now, their focus is entirely on claiming the one major title absent from their illustrious collection: Olympic gold. Bruce Mouat, whose journey is supported by the National Lottery and UK Sport's World Class Programme, acknowledged the missing piece. "There's definitely one thing missing, maybe two if we're counting both the mixed doubles and the men's," he stated.
Reflecting on his career, Mouat added, "But I'm very happy with what I've done in my curling career so far. I would love to come away with a couple more medals and hopefully the right colour in Cortina. If I don't, then I'll move on, but I'm going to be going and working my ass off to try and make sure we do."
As the Milano Cortina Games proceed from February 6 to 22, Team Mouat's campaign is powered by a culture of candid feedback and relentless pursuit of improvement, setting the stage for their ultimate test on the Olympic ice.
