Fr om October 11 to 16, the Russian Curling Cup for women's and men's teams (deaf sports) was held in Moscow at the “New League” curling club. This year’s event featured 10 men's and 8 women's teams from different regions of the country, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Udmurt Republic, Tomsk, Chelyabinsk, Novosibirsk, and Kaliningrad Oblasts.
The opening ceremony was attended by a delegation from the All-Russian Sports Federation of Sports of the Deaf, including President Dmitry Rebrov and Vice-President Vladimir Veselli. They greeted the participants, wishing them luck and a fair fight in this “ice chess”.
The Russian Curling Cup kicked off with round-robin stages. The men's competition was divided into two groups of five, while the women's event had four teams. Moscow was strongly represented, with “Moscow-1” and “Moscow-2” topping both groups.
The top four teams from each group continued the fight in the next stage of the competition according to the Olympic system: quarter-finals, semi-finals, finals, and play-off for 3rd place.
As a result, all teams from Moscow and both teams from the Tomsk Oblast - men's and women's - reached the semi-finals. In the men's competition, St. Petersburg defeated Novosibirsk Oblast to secure a semi-final spot, while the Kaliningrad Oblast claimed a strategic victory over St. Petersburg in the women's event.
The men's final saw two Moscow teams face off. The first team triumphed over their younger counterparts, proving that experience plays a vital role in sport. However, the younger team gained valuable experience from the match as they were able to learn from their older rivals and see wh ere they needed to improve.
In the third-place play-off, Tomsk Oblast beat St. Petersburg to take the bronze medal.
The situation was different for the women's curling team. In the semi-finals, the first team from Moscow was defeated by the Kaliningrad Oblast and ended up in third place. However, the second Moscow team emerged victorious against the Kaliningrad Oblast in the final, becoming Russian Cup champions!
Final standings:
Women:
1st place - Moscow-2
2nd place - Kaliningrad Oblast
3rd place - Moscow-1
Men:
1st place - Moscow-1
2nd place - Moscow-2
3rd place - Tomsk Oblast
Evgeny Tavirikov, Head Coach of the Russian National Curling Team, said: “The important thing is that the competition has grown, all the regional teams have improved their skills. The Russian Cup serves as a qualifier for the 2025 Russian Championship, and this year, it came down not just to the last game but to the very last stone”.
At the Closing Ceremony, the winners and medallists were awarded trophies and medals, wrapping up the Cup of Russia in a warm and friendly atmosphere.
Results of the Russian Curling Cup
But that was not all! The spotlight now turns to the Russian Mixed Doubles Curling Cup, also being held in Moscow. Stay tuned for more thrilling matches and achievements!
PHOTO and VIDEO
Text: Nurlan Tazhigulov, Maria Mazhenina
Photo: Olga Zakharova
Translation: Daria Kudelina
