Kevin Martin, nicknamed "The Old Bear" and "K-Mart", is a Canadian retired curler from Edmonton, Alberta, an Olympic, World and four-time Canadian champion and a member of the World Curling Hall of Fame. He is considered by many commentators and former and current curlers to be the greatest curler of all time. He is also known for his rivalries with Randy Ferbey/David Nedohin, the best Alberta provincial rivalry ever as the two teams were generally regarded the best in the world from 2002 to 2006; his rivalry with Jeff Stoughton, perhaps the most famous all prairies rivalry ever which spanned over 2 decades from 1991 to 2014; with Glenn Howard from 2007 to 2014, perhaps the best two team rivalry in Canadian curling history, and his rivalry with Sweden's Peja Lindholm from 1997 to 2006, perhaps the best ever men's Canada-Europe rivalry.
Curling at the 2006 Winter Olympics was held in the town of Pinerolo, Italy from February 13 to February 24. It proved to be the sleeper hit in terms of television ratings in Italy. According to a CBC feature, curling at the 2006 Winter Games drew 5 million viewers, eclipsing ice hockey and figure skating. This, and the success of the Italian men's curling team created a surge of interest in curling within Italy, where there was no previous tradition of the sport and only a few hundred players.
Andreas "Andy" Kapp is a German curler from Unterthingau. After a number of several tournaments at the Junior, Olympic and World Championship levels, Kapp surprised many by winning the 1992 European championship. The next year however, he finished only 7th, but at the 1994 World Championships he and his team won the bronze medal. The next year, Kapp would go on to win the bronze medal once again. Two years later, at the 1997 World Championships, Kapp achieved his best showing at a World Championship, as he led his team to a silver medal, losing to Sweden's Peja Lindholm in the final. Kapp would also win his second European championships in December that year, soon before the first ever official medal Olympics for curling in Nagano. He would have a disappointing 1998 Olympics though where as one of the top medal favorites he went 1-6, finishing in last place in the 8-team field.
Bradley Raymond Gushue, ONL is a Canadian curler from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Gushue, along with teammates Russ Howard, Mark Nichols, Jamie Korab and Mike Adam, represented Canada in curling at the 2006 Winter Olympics, where they won the gold medal by defeating Finland 10–4. He also represented Canada at the 2022 Winter Olympics, where he won a bronze medal. In addition to the Olympics, Gushue won the 2017 World Men's Curling Championship with teammates Mark Nichols, Brett Gallant, and Geoff Walker. He is a four-time Brier champion, having won in 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2022, all with Nichols, Gallant and Walker. Their win in 2017 was Newfoundland and Labrador's first Brier title in 41 years. At the 2018 Tim Hortons Brier, Gushue set a new record for Brier game wins as a skip, breaking a three-way tie with previous record-holders Russ Howard and Kevin Martin.
Glenn William Howard is a Canadian curler who is one of the most decorated curlers of all time. He has won four world championships, four Briers and 17 Ontario provincial championships, including a record eight straight, from 2006 to 2013. Through 2017, he has played in 218 games at the Brier, more than any other curler in history. He has also won the 2001 TSN Skins Game.
The 2006 World Women's Curling Championship was held March 18–26 at the Canada Games Arena in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada.
Todd Birr is an American curler. He was a bronze medalist at the 2007 World Men's Curling Championship.
John Shuster is an American curler who lives in Superior, Wisconsin. He led Team USA to gold at the 2018 Winter Olympics, the first American team to ever win gold in curling. He also won a bronze medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. He has played in five straight Winter Olympics and nine World Curling Championships.
Andreas "Al" Lang is a German curler from Alterschrofen. He is the former third for Andy Kapp.
The 2011 World Men's Curling Championship was held in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada from April 2–10, 2011. In the final, Jeff Stoughton skipped the Canadian rink to a 6–5 victory over Scotland's Tom Brewster. The gold medal was Stoughton's second and Canada's 33rd gold medal at the world.
The 2012 World Women's Curling Championship was held at the Enmax Centre in Lethbridge, Alberta from March 17 to 25. It marked the 12th time that Canada has hosted the World Women's Curling Championship. The 2012 World Women's Championship was one of the curling events that is a qualifier for the curling tournament at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
The 2012 World Men's Curling Championship was held from March 31 to April 8, 2012 at St. Jakobshalle in Basel, Switzerland. The 2012 World Men's Championship was one of the curling events that is a qualifier for the curling tournament at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
The 2013 World Men's Curling Championship was held from March 30 to April 7, 2013 at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. This marked the twenty-first time that Canada hosted the World Men's Championship, the fifth time that the province of British Columbia hosted the World Men's Championship, and the second time that Victoria hosted the World Men's Championship. Victoria previously hosted the championships in 2005. The event was also a qualifying event for the 2014 Winter Olympics, awarding points to countries based on performance at this tournament.
Rasmus Stjerne Hansen is a retired Danish curler. He is a former world junior champion and current Danish champion. He curls out of the Hvidovre Curling Club.
The 2015 World Men's Curling Championship was held from March 28 to April 5 at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It marked the first time that a World Curling Championship had been held in Halifax, and the first time that a World Curling Championship event had been held in the province since the World Junior Curling Championships were held in Dartmouth in 1986.
The 2017 World Men's Curling Championship was a curling event that was held from April 1 to 9 at Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton, Alberta.
The 2018 World Men's Curling Championship was held from March 31 to April 8, 2018 at Orleans Arena, on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, United States.
The 2021 World Men's Curling Championship was held from April 2 to 11 at the Markin MacPhail Centre at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, Canada. The event was originally to be held in Ottawa, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the championship was moved to Calgary. The event was held in a bio-secure bubble at Canada Olympic Park, which also hosted all major Curling Canada championships leading up to the Worlds. All events were held behind closed doors with no spectators.
Canada 
Germany (Andy Kapp)
