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James Craik
Curler
Born	(2001-06-13) 13 June 2001 (age 23) Aberdeen, Scotland
Team
Curling club	Edzell CC, Forfar, SCO
Skip	James Craik
Third	Mark Watt
Second	Angus Bryce
Lead	Blair Haswell
Mixed doubles partner	Hailey Duff
Curling career
Member Association	Scotland  Great Britain
Medal record Men's Curling Representing  Great Britain World University Games 2023 Saranac Lake Representing  Scotland World Junior Championships 2022 Jönköping 2019 Liverpool 2020 Krasnoyarsk Scottish Men's Championship 2023 Dumfries 2024 Dumfries 2022 Dumfries

James Craik (born 13 June 2001 in Aberdeen) is a Scottish curler from Edzell and Stirling. Skipping his own team, Craik won gold at the 2022 World Junior Curling Championships and 2023 Winter World University Games and bronze at the 2020 World Junior Curling Championships. He also won bronze at the 2019 World Junior Curling Championships as second for Ross Whyte.

Career

2019–2022

In 2019, Craik won his first of three Scottish Junior Curling Championships as second for Ross Whyte. The team, including third Duncan McFadzean and lead Euan Kyle went undefeated to win the event, downing Callum Kinnear 10–6 in the championship game. With the win, they represented Scotland at the 2019 World Junior Curling Championships where they went undefeated in the round robin, finishing with a 9–0 record. They suffered their first loss in the semifinals following a narrow 10–9 game against Switzerland but rebounded to defeat Norway in the bronze medal game. The following year, Craik returned to skipping, leading his team of Mark Watt, Blair Haswell and Niall Ryder to victory at the 2020 Scottish junior championship. At the 2020 World Junior Curling Championships, in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, they topped the round robin with a 7–2 record, earning themselves a spot in the playoffs. The team then lost again to Switzerland in the semifinal before defeating Germany to capture the bronze medal for a second year in a row.

After being delayed to the fall due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland, Craik again defended his Scottish junior title in November 2021. With new teammates Angus Bryce and Scott Hyslop and Niall Ryder at lead, the team won all ten of their games at the national championship including a 9–6 win over Jack Strawhorn in the championship final. In preparation for the 2022 World Junior Curling Championships in May, the team competed in the 2022 Scottish Curling Championships. There, they finished 6–4 through the double round robin, finishing third and advancing to the playoffs. They then lost 7–2 to eventual champion Ross Paterson in the semifinal, earning the bronze medal. Entering the world junior championship as the highest ranked team, Craik led his squad to an 8–1 round robin record, in sole first-place possession. This time, the team advanced through the semifinal game by defeating Norway's Grunde Buraas 7–5. They then claimed the gold medal with a dominant 7–1 win over Germany's Benjamin Kapp.

2022–present

Craik and Bryce reunited with former teammates Mark Watt and Blair Haswell for the 2022–23 season, forming a team to represent Great Britain at the 2023 Winter World University Games. On the European tour, the team found success, reaching the semifinals of the 2022 Oslo Cup and 2023 Mercure Perth Masters and the quarterfinals of four other events. This set the team up for a dominant run at the University Games, going 8–1 through the round robin and beating Canada's Dalhousie University team (skipped by Owen Purcell) in the semifinal to advance to the final. There, they beat the United States' Daniel Casper to claim the gold medal, becoming the second British men's team to do so. After the championship, the team returned home to the Scottish men's championship where they again reached the playoffs with a 5–2 record in the round robin. They then beat Ross Whyte in the semifinal before coming up short to Bruce Mouat in the final, who went on to win the 2023 World Men's Curling Championship. Craik ended the season by playing in the his first personal Grand Slam of Curling event, the 2023 Players' Championship. Sparing for Bendik Ramsfjell on Team Magnus Ramsfjell, the team missed the playoffs with a 2–3 record.

Now focused solely on men's play, Team Craik began the 2023–24 season with back-to-back playoff finishes at the 2023 Baden Masters and the 2023 Euro Super Series, losing out to Joël Retornaz and Bruce Mouat respectively. In October, the team went undefeated to win the Grand Prix Bern Inter, Craik's first tour victory. With the points they accumulated throughout the 2022–23 and start of the 2023–24 season, the team rose high enough in the ranks to qualify for the 2023 National Grand Slam event. They previously competed in the 2023 Tour Challenge Tier 2 event, however, lost in the quarterfinals to Mike McEwen. At the National, the team went 2–2 in the round robin, just enough to squeak into the playoff round. They were then defeated by Yannick Schwaller 6–5 in the quarterfinals. Team Craik also had enough points to play in the next two Slams, the 2023 Masters and the 2024 Canadian Open. After missing the playoffs at the Masters, the team again went 2–2 at the Canadian Open and had a good enough draw total to reach the playoffs. This time, it was Mouat who took them out in the quarterfinal round by a 5–4 score. In February, the team had another strong showing at the national men's championship, going 6–2 in the round robin and qualifying for the 1 vs. 2 game. There, they lost 7–3 to Team Whyte but rebounded with a 9–1 win over Team Mouat to reach the final. There, they again came up short to Whyte, losing 7–6. The team ended their season at the 2024 Players' Championship Slam where they went 1–4.

Personal life

Craik studied business management at the University of Stirling. He began curling at age six. His brother Ross is also a curler and represented Great Britain at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics.

Grand Slam record

Teams

Notes

1. Craik spared for Bendik Ramsfjell on Team Magnus Ramsfjell.

References

1. ^ "Team Craik: James Craik Profile". British Curling. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
2. "2019 Scottish Curling Junior Championships Review". Scottish Curling. 28 January 2019. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
3. "Canadian men's curlers win world junior gold medal". CBC Sports. 23 February 2019. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
4. "Scottish Curling Junior Championships 2020". Scottish Curling. 26 January 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
5. "Canada retain junior men's world title in Krasnoyarsk". World Curling Federation. 22 February 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
6. Sophie Goodwin (23 November 2021). "Scottish Curling Junior champion James Craik aiming to win third successive national title at Curl Aberdeen". The Press & Journal. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
7. "2021 Scottish Curling Junior Championships". Scottish Curling. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
8. "Team Henderson and Team Craik Scottish Junior Champions 2021". Scottish Curling. 28 November 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
9. "Team Paterson are the 2022 Scottish Curling Men's Champions". Scottish Curling. 27 February 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
10. Lorin McDougall (22 May 2022). "Curling: Team Craik delight as Scotland claim World Junior men's gold medals". The Scotsman. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
11. "Scottish curlers compete at Winter Universiade 2023". Scottish Curling. 12 January 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
12. "Team James Craik: 2022–23". CurlingZone. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
13. "Great Britain men and China women win FISU World University Games". World Curling Federation. 22 January 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
14. Andrew Robson (25 January 2023). "Gold for Stirling Curler at World University Games". Brig Newspaper. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
15. "Team Mouat take fourth Scottish men's title at 2023 championships". Scottish Curling. 6 February 2023. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
16. "Scotland win World Men's gold". World Curling Federation. 10 April 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
17. Jonathan Brazeau (14 April 2023). "Tirinzoni regains momentum to stay in Princess Auto Players' Championship". Grand Slam of Curling. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
18. "Timely win tees Craik up for first crack at Tier 1 Slam". British Curling. 29 October 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
19. Jonathan Brazeau (20 October 2023). "Field finalized for 2023 KIOTI National in Pictou County". Grand Slam of Curling. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
20. Jonathan Brazeau (11 November 2023). "Bottcher escapes with win over Whyte in KIOTI National men's quarterfinals". Grand Slam of Curling. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
21. Jonathan Brazeau (20 January 2024). "Red Deer Redemption: Gushue ousts Schwaller in rematch at Canadian Open". Grand Slam of Curling. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
22. "The Hendricks Gin – Scottish Curling Men's & Women's Championship". Scottish Curling. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
23. "Team Whyte are the 2024 Scottish Men's Champions". Scottish Curling. 11 February 2024. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
24. Jonathan Brazeau (12 April 2024). "Defending champ Wrana secures bye to Princess Auto Players' Championship semifinals". Grand Slam of Curling. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
25. Eve Muirhead (10 November 2023). "EVE MUIRHEAD: Are two brothers from Angus making the Craiks the next big family in Scottish curling?". The Courier. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
26. "James Craik Past Teams". CurlingZone. Retrieved 19 December 2024.

External links

• James Craik at World Curling

• Living people
• 2001 births
• Sportspeople from Angus, Scotland
• Curlers from Stirling
• Scottish male curlers
• British male curlers
• Winter World University Games medalists in curling
• FISU World University Games gold medalists for Great Britain
• Medalists at the 2023 Winter World University Games
• Alumni of the University of Stirling
• Sportspeople from Aberdeen
• 21st-century Scottish sportsmen