Nova Scotia wins Canadian senior men's curling championship
Team skipped by Paul Flemming will play in world championships in Sweden
A Nova Scotia team skipped by Paul Flemming has won the Canadian senior men's curling championship in Vernon, B.C.
Flemming and teammates Peter Burgess, Marty Gavin and Kris Granchelli defeated Saskatchewan's Bruce Korte 4-3 in the final on Saturday.
Team Nova Scotia advances to the world championships to be played in April in Sweden.
It is only the second Canadian senior men's title for a Nova Scotia team and the first since 2014 when Alan O'Leary won in Yellowknife.
Flemming had an open hit for the win on his final stone after Saskatchewan rallied from three points behind to tie the game 3-3.
In a media release from Curling Canada, Flemming said he never got ahead of himself.
The trophy with the champs 🏆 <a href="https://twitter.com/NSCurl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NSCurl</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSCC2023?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CSCC2023</a> <a href="https://t.co/V413mHMeQI">pic.twitter.com/V413mHMeQI</a>
—@CurlingCanada"I never even looked over at that table once out there," Flemming said about the medals on display during the final.
"The last thing you want to do is look too far ahead and think of results. It's just one end at a time and try to manage control of the curling game."
Flemming had to overcome a chest infection during the week that required a trip to the hospital.
It is his third Canadian title, having won mixed championships in 1999 and 2003.
He has competed in 11 Briers for Nova Scotia and came close to the championship in 2005. That Nova Scotia team skipped by Shawn Adams lost in the final to Alberta's Randy Ferbey.
"Over lots of years and lots of decades, things tend to even out," Flemming said in the release. "We've been on the losing side of these things over the years as well. It feels good to be on this side of it."
The Ontario team skipped by Susan Froud won the women's gold medal and will join the Nova Scotia men's team in Sweden.