There’s not many positions better to be in seven months out from an Olympic Games than being reigning world champion, clear world number one and red hot favourite to win Olympic gold.
It’s a standing few athletes can even dream about but for Bruce Mouat and his Team Mouat teammates, it’s exactly where they are.
30-year-old Mouat and his teammates of Grant Hardie, Bobby Lammie and Hammy McMillan have, over the past year in particular, established themselves as the standout men’s curling team on the planet.
Their most recent season, which came to a close at the end of April, was literally history-making.
Team Mouat became the first curling team ever to win four Grand Slam of Curling titles in one season and added to that, they became world champions for the second time, reclaiming the title they won in 2023.
“It’s an incredible thing to have people talk about how successful our season was but for us, the season was actually a bit of a blur. We went from event to event and just kept winning,” the skip from Stirling says.
“To keep coming away with titles was just incredible - we were riding this amazing wave of momentum and confidence. We had a bit of a blip at the Scottish Championships (where Team Mouat lost in the final to compatriots, Team Whyte) but apart from that it was pretty close to a perfect season for us.
“We were taking so much self-belief and self-confidence into each game and every tournament, we knew that if we played our best, our chances of winning were pretty high, which is a nice feeling to have.”
With his medals from last season safely tucked away in his trophy cabinet, Mouat’s sights are now set on filling the one last gap in his résumé.
Having won multiple European, World and Grand Slam titles, as well as Olympic silver, the only thing missing from Mouat’s CV is Olympic gold.
That’s something he’s hoping to rectify in the very near future.
The four members of Team Mouat, plus alternate Kyle Waddell, have become the first athletes selected for Team GB for the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, which will take place in February of next year.
Such early confirmation of the fact they’re heading to their second Olympic Games gives Mouat and his teammates the luxury of being able to focus purely on how to be at their best when the most prestigious event in the curling calendar rolls around.
Heading into Olympic season as clear favourites for Olympic gold is a high-pressure position in which to be but it’s one in which Mouat feels entirely comfortable.
“Being selected this early takes a little bit of the pressure off and gives us seven months of planning to get it right so we can make sure we peak just when we need to,” he says.
“Knowing that we're going to our second Olympics is, in itself, very exciting but we're going there to try and win. Olympic gold is the one thing we're missing so hopefully we can play our best when it matters.
“Having the number one ranking does put a target on your back but it's also nice to know that we have the ability to beat all the teams we play against - that’s a comforting feeling.
“We feel fine about the pressure on us. What's a nice feeling is knowing that we have the upper hand mentally because all the other teams know they'll have to play one of their best games ever to beat us - I always like going into games knowing that.”
With Team Mouat having won silver in their last Olympic outing, at Beijing 2022, Mouat is determined to go one better this time around and with selection for the mixed doubles at Milan-Cortina alongside Jen Dodds looking likely, he’ll be in the unique and fortunate position of having the potential of winning two Olympic gold medals and replicating two of his very earliest Olympic memories.
“My first Olympic memory is Dame Kelly Holmes winning her two Olympic golds in 2004. By 2008, I was really into swimming so I remember watching Rebecca Adlington win her two gold medals in the pool,” he says.
“It's amazing to think I could potentially have the same success as they had. Obviously winning two golds is the absolute dream but I know how much work it will take to get to that point. I'm very willing to do the work over the next six months, though, and I am hoping to emulate their achievements and do what I dreamt of as a kid."
Mouat has never been one to get ahead of himself but with the prospect of winning Olympic gold certain to be very much be in the forefront of his mind over the coming months, he has allowed himself to ponder what it would feel like to call himself and his teammates Olympic champions.
“When we first got together as a team, our long-term goal was always to win the Olympics,” he says.
“We got very close last time and came away disappointed that we didn't get over the line so we put a plan in place for the next four years to go one better and now we know we have the opportunity to do that.
“We've won two world titles to get to this point and we've put ourself in the right place to achieve Olympic gold. It would mean everything to become Olympic champions, and it'd feel like the last eight years has been worth all the blood, sweat and tears.”
