Niklas EDIN

Historical Results

Nik. “Niklas is too difficult for Anglophones.” (Athlete, 13 Dec 2017)

Training, watching movies, pool. “I play a lot more pool than curling, to be honest. That challenges me more than curling, because curling is so known to me, so to speak.” (Athlete, 25 Oct 2021)

Athlete

Studied English at Karlstad University for six months before starting his curling career.

Father, Boerje. Mother, Agneta. Younger sister, Sonja.

Swedish, English

Karlstads CK

Team: Fredrik Lindberg (SWE)

Fourth

Right

Competes in nine-ball pool tournaments. Qualified for the quarter-finals at two Swedish lower-tier tour events in 2019.

Competed in tennis from age nine through 13 (see Major Injuries). Also competed in soccer, orienteering, distance running (3-7 km) and table tennis (see Other Information).

2006 World Championships in Lowell vs. Canada (5-4 Loss)

Stopped competitive tennis career at age 13 due to hernia injuries, which were not properly diagnosed due to his age. Could not train or compete in any of the five different sports he enjoyed for 18 months.

Underwent 10 surgeries in the past 10 years. “It’s been a little messy for the past decade. Lots of injuries. Most of them are joints, so there’s definitely something going on there, something hereditary.” (Athlete, 25 Oct 2021)

2021: Right ankle surgery, ruptured meniscus.
2018: Right elbow surgery (two procedures).
2018: Lower back, hernia surgery plus scar tissue removed dating to age 13/14.
2017: Lower back, compression surgery, removed portions of vertebrae.
2016: Left shoulder surgery, trapped nerve.
2012: Lower back surgery, multiple herniated discs. Competed at World Championship prior to surgery but shared skip duties with teammate Sebastian Kraupp.
2011: Left knee surgery, ruptured meniscus.
2010: Left knee surgery, ruptured meniscus.
2010: Lower back surgery, multiple herniated discs.

During his 2018 back surgery, doctors discovered a piece of bone sticking straight into a nerve. He was reportedly days or even hours away from sustaining permanent damage to his right foot, which would have ended his curling career. His 2012 surgery also revealed similar potential for permanent damage, but to the left foot.

Received a cortisone injection for his right elbow one month prior to PyeongChang 2018 but the effects wore off during competition. Was treated by the Swiss Olympic team’s chief medical officer, the same doctor who treated his lower back at the 2012 World Championships in Basel. He could barely hold the handle of the stone in Korea, and used an out-turn grip on his in-turns. “I couldn’t get the stone to move with an in-turn grip. Especially on peels, that was really difficult. That kind of mentally screws with you, because I started the Olympics with my normal technique and had to change it.” (Athlete, 25 Oct 2021)

Watched curling at the 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, and discovered his mother had gone to school with Anna Hasselborg’s father and uncle. His mother then phoned three of his friends to take them curling in Harnosand, and invited him to join them. “I said, what the hell? That’s so embarrassing. Okay, I guess I have to go now. So the four of us started to play, and two years later three of us went into the Swedish Curling Academy.” (Athlete, 25 Oct 2021)

“Back then it was a physically easier sport to practice. And it was more of a thinking game. It was a good sport at the time, and it was good timing because of all of the injuries, otherwise I wouldn’t have gone back to sport anytime soon.” (Athlete, 25 Oct 2021)

“Early on, I said I want to win more than any curler ever has. At the time that meant five world championships and the Olympics. I’m getting there.” (Athlete, 25 Oct 2021)

Trains over a thousand hours a year but does more mental and theoretical training than his teammates. “My back is what steers my physical training. If there’s a day when it doesn’t feel right, I won’t risk it. I do as much training as I can when I can but it’s a lot less than I used to.” (Athlete, 25 Oct 2021)

Winning the 2004 World Junior Championship. His team lost their first match against Korea, making their international debut as a nation, had a meeting, and won the rest of their games. “That’s where it all started, and it’s closest to my heart.” (Athlete, 25 Oct 2021)

Sister. “She’s up super early, working all the time. Two kids, two horses, four dogs, studying while working, and running marathons. She’s going 30 hours a day, she’s a big inspiration.” (Athlete, 25 Oct 2021)

Father. “He’s a farmer, a hard worker. He used to play soccer, then he did orienteering for his whole life. Now he’s hitting the gym three times a week at 71.” (Athlete, 25 Oct 2021)

“I usually like to put the rocks in place and keep everything clean where I am. So, if I’m on a sheet playing curling, I usually make sure the rocks are in their corner.” (World Curling TV YouTube, 1 Dec 2016)

“Be the best when it matters the most. I can be absolutely useless in practice or training. I kind of need the bigger games. I think that’s why we’ve won so much more than we probably should have.” (Athlete, 25 Oct 2021)

Olympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony flagbearer (2018)
Collie Campbell Memorial Award (2013)
Swedish Curling Hall of Fame (2009)
World Curling Federation Junior Sportsmanship Award (2007)