USA CAPTURES BRONZE AT WORLD SENIOR MEN’S CURLING CHAMPIONSHIP
Photo by: World Curling
[EDEN PRAIRIE, MN, May 5, 2025] — The World Senior Curling Championships were contested in Fredericton, NB, Canada, this past week, and Team Farbelow (Mike Farbelow, Rich Ruohonen, Bill Stopera, Darren Lehto) earned a bronze medal for the United States.
Farbelow and his teammates came into the 31-team international championship as strong contenders after finishing second in last year’s event. But after securing their spot in the semi-finals, they were defeated by Scotland’s Tom Brewster (Tom Brewster, Frazer Hare, Robbie Stevenson, Don Frame), dashing American hopes for another shot at gold in 2026.
The team bounced back, however, and avenged an earlier loss in the event by beating Finland (Tomi Rantamaki, Jermu Pollanen, Teemu Vrsalo, Ville Lehmuskoski) in the bronze medal game.
While disappointing, it was another impressive performance for Farbelow and his teammates in this high-level event for curlers 50 years of age and older. Farbelow and Ruhonen are both from Minnesota and the Saint Paul Curling Club, Stopera hails from New York and the Ardsley Curling Club, while Lehto calls Seattle and the Granite Curling Club home.
In women’s play, Team Smith (Margie Smith, Norma O’Leary, Shelly Kinney, Shelly Kosal) also turned in a strong performance. After finishing 3-2 in the qualification round, the Americans were defeated 9-5 by eventual silver medalists Canada in the quarter-finals.
First held in 2002, the World Senior Curling Championships are open entry, and brings together top curlers from around the world. A World Curling event, it is run concurrently with the World Mixed Doubles Championship.
About USA Curling
Founded in 1958 and headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, USA Curling is the National Governing body for the Olympic sport of curling and the Paralympic sport of wheelchair curling in the United States. The mission of USA Curling is to grow, strengthen, and advocate for the Olympic and Paralympic sport of curling in the United States by prioritizing accessibility and programmatic development from grassroots to podium. USA Curling is sponsored by Columbia Sportswear, the Dale’s family of beers, Twin Cities Orthopedics, Training HAUS, Ice, Sports & Solar (ISS), Rock Solid Productions, Jet Ice, and Laurie Artiss. USA Curling is a proud member of World Curling and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. To learn more, visit usacurling.org.
