Robertson will savour silver

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 24/04/2012 (5157 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

They weren’t the colour they were hoping for, but Kelly Robertson’s team will certainly savour the silver medals they brought back from the World Senior Men’s Curling Championship in Taarnby, Denmark.

Robertson’s foursome, with third Doug Armour of Souris, second Peter Prokopowich of Dauphin and lead Bob Scales of Winnipeg, dropped a heartbreaking 6-5 decision to Ireland’s John Jo Kenny in the championship game on Saturday. Kenny made a miraculous raise-triple takeout with his final stone to score the winning point in an extra end after Robertson was a little heavy with his last-shot draw to the four foot.

“I was kind of disappointed when that happened and whatnot, but after you kind of sit around and talk about it, we feel good that silver is not bad, either,” Robertson said Monday after returning home from Europe late Sunday night. “It’s quite an accomplishment.”

Indeed.

Robertson, a 55-year-old farmer who was back working the fields yesterday afternoon, led his team to a perfect 8-0 record entering the final and was in good shape with the lead before surrendering a four-ender in the fourth to Ireland. Robertson’s team battled back to take a 5-4 lead before Ireland scored one with the hammer in the eighth to send the game to a decisive extra end and win the first ever world curling title for the Irish.

Robertson’s foursome, which qualified for this year’s worlds by winning the 2011 Canadian title, received silver medals and trophies made of granite from Scotland as keepsakes from their run at the worlds.

“Obviously gold would have been better, but silver is quite a thing,” Robertson said. “From last year when we won (senior provincials and nationals) to get there, I think we were 36 wins and three losses (in the senior ranks). It wasn’t good enough to win, but it’s a pretty good record …

“It really is a great accomplishment. When you are coming from Canada, especially from Manitoba, there are a lot of games that you have to play and a lot of games you have to win and whatnot in order to get yourself in a position like that. And we played solid all week there.”

Overall, competing in his first world championship was an experience Robertson will always cherish.

“Just the experience of playing against other countries is so much different than playing here in Canada,” he said. “There’s different languages and different ways that they cheer their teams and it’s quite an experience … We had a lot of family and friends over there to witness it and I know there were a lot of people emailing and whatnot and checking up with our website, so it’s a good feeling. In a couple of years when we look back on it, it’s going to be a really special time for our four guys.”

While the 2011 Canadian champions haven’t had a chance to talk about their future together, Robertson thinks the foursome will probably try to take another run at a title next season.

“We haven’t really talked about that because everybody had different plans after the final, two of us had to get back farming and two were going on to travel a bit more, but I’m pretty sure we will get back together sometime this summer and discuss what we are going to do, but I don’t see any reason why we won’t try again,” Robertson said. “That being said, it’s a long road.”

» jshewaga@brandonsun.com