Canadian skip Kevin Koe reacts during his game against Norway at the men's world curling championship in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy on Thursday. The Edmonton rink dropped an 9-8 decision to Norway's Torger Nergard in a game that meant little in the standing.VALENTIN FLAURAUD/Reuters
For the second time in less than two months, a skip from Edmonton is set to match wits with a rival from Norway in a battle for world domination in men's curling.
Kevin Koe will attempt to follow in Kevin Martin's Olympian footsteps when he faces Norway in the gold medal game at the Capital One World Men's Curling Championship on Sunday. Koe, the clean-shaven upstart, won the Brier in his very first attempt last month.
"It's quite hard to believe that we're one game away from being world champions," Koe said. "I honestly don't think that we realize that yet. Maybe come the summer we can look back and say, 'that was a great run,' but meanwhile we're playing one of the best teams in the world."
Koe was an interested spectator at the semi-final match-up between Norway and Scotland on Saturday, as Norway won 9-7 to qualify for Sunday's gold medal final. That win means the championship game will be the third time the two countries have met this week, with each winning once.
Koe's team thumped the Norwegians 11-5 in a one-versus-two Page Playoff game, which gave the Canadian rink a direct pass to the final. Norway earned a 9-8 over Canada in the final round robin game.
"We've had a good week and it's going to be a tough game," Koe said. "It's not going to be anything like the Page game for sure, that's not what we're expecting. But we're playing well and I like our chances."
The 35-year-old is nearing the end of what has been a breakout year. Koe led the charge against a previously undefeated Ontario rink in the final game at the Brier, edging Glenn Howard 6-5 in a dramatic extra end in Halifax.
It was Koe's first trip to the national championship, having struggled to climb from the shadows cast by Martin and Randy Ferbey in Alberta. Martin struck gold at the Vancouver Olympics with a win over Norway in the final game.
"One of the benefits we have is that we come from Canada and have played in the Brier final, and this has been an unbelievable end to it all," Koe said. "It's no offence to this event, but it just doesn't get the same hype as a Brier final. I think that'll help us tomorrow."
Koe and Martin might have shared a common rival, but they will not face the same skip. Martin won Olympic gold over Thomas Ulsrud, but Koe will face off against Torger Nergard.
Scotland will face the United States in the bronze medal game.
"You get a chance to be a world champion, it doesn't get any better than that," Koe said. "No matter what, it's been a great season. That Brier win was just outstanding the way it unfolded, but if we can top that off and call ourselves world champs, you can't ask for more."