TEAM USA TAKES TO THE ICE AT THE MIXED WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Photo: Bob Weder Photography
[EAGAN, MN, October 11, 2023] — The first World Championship of the curling season is set to begin on Saturday as Team USA will head to Aberdeen, Scotland to compete in the 2023 World Mixed (Fours) Curling Championship running October 14-21.
The U.S. will send a team with a mix of experience and youthful energy, as the foursome of Jed Brundidge (Chaska Curling Club), Bella Hagenbuch (Windy City Curling Club and Waltham Curling Club), Cameron Rittenour (Fergus Falls Curling Club), and Mae Hagenbuch (Windy City Curling Club and Waltham Curling Club) will battle it out with 33 other teams at the Mixed Worlds.
Bella and Mae Hagenbuch are two of the youngest athletes from the US to compete at a World Championship open to adults in some time. In a discipline with no age restrictions, the sisters defeated a bevy of curlers their senior at the Mixed Nationals in Denver last spring, winning the right to represent their home country. The win was especially rewarding as Team Brundidge had to settle for the silver medal at those same Nationals just a year prior.
“Representing our country is an honor that most people don’t get,” remarked Bella Hagenbuch who, along with her teammates, is making her first appearance at a World Championship. “I know I speak for my whole team when I say that we are beyond excited to wear the stars and stripes this coming week. All I can hope for is that we make the US proud.”
Brundidge and Rittenour, the elder statesmen on the team, have enjoyed successful careers in their own right. The pair were part of the foursome that won the silver medal at the 2021 U.S. Men’s Curling Nationals and competed at the 2021 Olympic Trials. Their experience in high stakes events will prove valuable to a team with two players still eligible for juniors.
Team USA kicks off their championship with a game against Italy at 10am CT on Saturday. Pool play will continue throughout the week, with the US also set to face Austria, Brazil, Estonia, Germany, India, and Spain. The top three teams in each pool at the Mixed Worlds will advance to the knockout round, with the finals taking place Saturday, October 21st.
Streaming will be available throughout the competition through a partnership between the World Curling Federation and Curling Stadium. More information can be found here.
About USA Curling
Founded in 1958 and headquartered in Eagan, Minnesota, USA Curling is the National Governing body for the Olympic sport of curling and the Paralympic sport of wheelchair curling in the United States. The mission of USA Curling is to grow, strengthen, and advocate for the Olympic and Paralympic sport of curling in the United States by prioritizing accessibility and programmatic development from grassroots to podium. USA Curling is sponsored by Columbia Sportswear, Twin Cities Orthopedics, Training HAUS, Toyota, ISS (Ice, Sports & Solar), Rock Solid Productions, IHG, and Laurie Artiss. USA Curling is a proud member of the World Curling Federation and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. To learn more, visit usacurling.org.
