World Curling Federation president Beau Welling has received reelection as president of the worldwide curling group.

The 55-year-old golf architect defeated a problem from former two-time World Curling vice-president Hugh Millikin of Australia at in the present day’s World Curling Congress vote in Bratislava, Slovakia. 

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It was a stable victory for the American, who scored a three-quarters majority of the vote.

Millikin, 69, was first elected to the board in 2014 and departed two years in the past on the Congress in Montreal.

He’s credited with shepherding blended doubles into prominence on the Olympic Video games and for dealing head-on with the Broomgate scandal of 2015, which might have threatened the existence of the game throughout the Olympic motion.

World Curling has seen its main supply of funding – quadrennial payouts from the Worldwide Olympic Committee – steadily drop since Beijing 2022.

When coupled with escalating prices and a good to weak portfolio of sponsorship entities, World Curling’s backside line is crimson in color.

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The variations between the 2 candidates was revealed of their candidacy movies.

Welling’s effort featured a number of nonetheless photos of the chief at competitions and conferences around the globe, and on the latest Cortina Video games with high-ranking Olympic government board members, together with president Kristy Covington.

Millikin’s video was stark, with the candidate standing in entrance of a wooden background. A single font panel appeared halfway via.

Each Welling and Millikin spoke of continuous to extend curling’s profile throughout the Olympic household and of the determined want to alter what has develop into a dismal monetary outlook.

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“Over the present Olympic cycle, World Curling has incurred substantial losses,” mentioned Millikin. “Prices proceed to rise, our largest funding supply has declined in actual worth, and the outlook for the subsequent cycle exhibits little enchancment.

“The present scenario will not be sustainable.”

Welling’s four-year reign hasn’t been freed from controversy. Along with the rise of Broomgate 2.0 in 2025 and the Olympic finger-poke debacle from final February, a Chinese language males’s group overtly cheated at a latest world championship… and bought away with it.

Welling’s video message to voting delegates pointed to his accomplishments earlier than providing a frank evaluation of what’s wanted shifting ahead.

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“It’s crucial that we enhance our monetary stability,” mentioned Welling. “Nobody is pleased with the monetary outcomes of the previous 12 months. Now we have to develop into extra entrepreneurial and we have now to steadiness our budgets. 

“We will monetize our occasions significantly better, (there’s) little doubt our industrial potential has not been totally realized. We should have a look at a brand new sponsorship technique and be ready to ask for the worth that our sport is definitely price.”

Welling closed his presentation with a heartfelt plea.

“I am very proud to imagine that I’ve really helped advance the notion of curling on the IOC. I am considered as one that’s revered, I am considered as a frontrunner, I am considered as one which’s very ahead trying. It should be essential, greater than ever, for us to proceed to have sturdy illustration on the IOC. I believe its of paramount significance that I proceed to signify us with all this transformation that is happening within the Olympic motion. 

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“I am ready to do this; I am completely dedicated to doing that. This sport means the world to me.”

In different elections/bulletins: 

• Scotland’s Rob Niven was a first-ballot winner for director. He was first elected in 2021.

• Karen Wauters of Luxembourg, a Canadian, was elected second director.

• Two Swedes have been then eradicated for the third director place, Helena Lingham and Michael Markland, earlier than Eoin McCrossin or Eire misplaced to Canada’s Roselle Goncalves for the ultimate board spot. 

• Estonia’s Harri Lill, chair of the Athlete Fee, is now the athlete rep on the board.

• Argentina and Singapore have been upgraded from conditional to provisional membership standing.