James Craik
Curler
Born (2001-06-13) 13 June 2001[1]
Aberdeen, Scotland[1]
Team
Curling clubEdzell CC, Forfar[1]
SkipJames Craik
ThirdMark Watt
SecondAngus Bryce
LeadBlair Haswell
Curling career
Member Association Scotland
Medal record
Men's Curling
Representing  United Kingdom
World University Games
Gold medal – first place 2023 Saranac Lake Men's
Representing  Scotland
World Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place 2022 Jönköping
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Liverpool
Bronze medal – third place 2020 Krasnoyarsk
Scottish Men's Championship
Silver medal – second place 2023 Dumfries
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Dumfries

James Craik (born 13 June 2001) is a Scottish curler from Edzell and Stirling.[1]

Career

Juniors

As a junior curler, Craik is a three-time Scottish national champion and three-time World Junior medallist. He and his rink won gold at the 2022 World Junior Curling Championships. He also won a gold medal at the 2023 Winter World University Games.

In 2019, he won his first Scottish Junior title, throwing second for the Ross Whyte rink. The team represented Scotland at the 2019 World Junior Curling Championships, where they went undefeated in the round robin, finishing with a 9–0 record. In the playoffs however, they lost to Switzerland in the semifinal, but rebounded to beat Norway in the bronze medal game. The following season, Craik won the Scottish junior title again, this time skipping his own team of Mark Watt, Blair Haswell and Niall Ryder. At the 2020 World Junior Curling Championships, he led Scotland to a 7–2 record, tied for first place. The team lost to Switzerland (skipped by Marco Hösli) again in the semifinal, but beat Germany's Sixten Totzek in the bronze medal game to claim their second straight World junior bronze. Craik won the Scottish junior title again in 2021 with teammates Angus Bryce, Scott Hyslop and Ryder remaining at lead. After the 2021 World Juniors were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic,[2] the team represented Scotland at the 2022 World Junior Curling Championships. Craik led the team to an 8-1 round robin record, in sole first-place position. This time, they finally won their semifinal game, beating Norway's Grunde Buraas rink 7–5. In the gold medal final, they easily beat Germany's Benjamin Kapp 7–1 to win the championship.[3]

Craik, a business management student at the University of Stirling,[1] skipped the British team at the 2023 Winter World University Games. His team, which included Watt, Bryce and Haswell finished the round robin with an 8–1 record. The team beat Canada's Dalhousie University team (skipped by Owen Purcell) in the semifinal, then beat the United States, skipped by Daniel Casper, in the gold medal game.[4]

Men's

Craik, Bryce, Hyslop and Ryder played in the 2022 Scottish Curling Championships. After posting a 6-4 round robin record, they lost in the semifinal to Ross Paterson. Craik, Watt, Bryce and Haswell played at the 2023 Scottish championship, finishing the round robin with a 5–2 record. The team won their semifinal against Ross Whyte, but ended up losing in the final to Bruce Mouat,[5] who ended up going on to win that year's World championship.

On the tour, Craik won the Grand Prix Bern Inter in 2023.[6]

Craik played in the 2023 Players' Championship, sparing on the Magnus Ramsfjell rink, his first personal Grand Slam of Curling event. The team missed the playoffs. The next season, Craik's men's team of Watt, Bryce and Haswell played in their first Grand Slam of Curling event together at the 2023 National.[7] The team squeaked into the playoffs with a 2-2, but lost to Switzerland's Yannick Schwaller rink in the quarterfinals.

Personal life

Craig began curling at age six. His brother Ross is also a curler and represented Great Britain at the Youth Olympics.[1]

Grand Slam record

Key
C Champion
F Lost in Final
SF Lost in Semifinal
QF Lost in Quarterfinals
R16 Lost in the round of 16
Q Did not advance to playoffs
T2 Played in Tier 2 event
DNP Did not participate in event
N/A Not a Grand Slam event that season
Event 2023–24
Tour Challenge T2
The National QF
Masters Q
Canadian Open

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "James Craik". British Curling.
  2. ↑ "Scottish Curling Junior champion James Craik aiming to win third successive national title at Curl Aberdeen". The Press & Journal.
  3. ↑ "Curling: Team Craik delight as Scotland claim World Junior men's gold medals". The Scotsman.
  4. ↑ "Gold for Stirling Curler at World University Games". Brig Newspaper.
  5. ↑ "TEAM MOUAT TAKE FOURTH SCOTTISH MEN'S TITLE AT 2023 CHAMPIONSHIPS". Scottish Curling.
  6. ↑ "Craik wins 2023 Grand Prix Bern Inter Curling Challenge". CurlingZone.
  7. ↑ "EVE MUIRHEAD: Are two brothers from Angus making the Craiks the next big family in Scottish curling?". The Courier.
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