David Murdoch facts for kids

Quick facts for kids David Murdoch MBE
Curler
Born	(1978-04-17) 17 April 1978 (age 47) Dumfries, Scotland
Team
Curling club	Curl Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland
Career
World Championship appearances	8 (2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2017)
European Championship appearances	11 (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013)
Olympic appearances	3 (2006, 2010, 2014)
Medal record Curling Representing  Great Britain Olympic Games Silver 2014 Sochi Representing  Scotland World Championships Gold 2006 Lowell Gold 2009 Moncton Silver 2005 Victoria Silver 2008 Grand Forks Bronze 2010 Cortina d'Ampezzo Bronze 2013 Victoria European Championships Gold 2003 Courmayeur Gold 2007 Füssen Gold 2008 Örnsköldsvik Silver 2006 Basel Bronze 2005 Garmisch-Partenkirchen Bronze 2013 Stavanger World Junior Championships Gold 1995 Perth Gold 1996 Red Deer Silver 1998 Thunder Bay

David Matthew Murdoch (born 17 April 1978) is a Scottish curler who is now retired from playing. He was born in Dumfries, Scotland. David was the captain, or "skip," for the Scotland curling team. He and his team won the World Curling Championships twice, in 2006 and 2009.

David also represented Great Britain at three Winter Olympics. He competed in Torino in 2006, Vancouver in 2010, and Sochi in 2014. In Sochi, he won an amazing silver medal. After his playing career, David became a coach for British Curling. In 2023, he became the high-performance director for Curling Canada.

David Murdoch: A Curling Champion

Early Days and Junior Success

David Murdoch started his curling journey early. He became a World Junior Curling Champion twice. The first time was in 1995, as a backup player. The next year, in 1996, he won again as a lead player. In 1998, he earned a silver medal at the World Juniors. He was playing as a third player then.

By 1999, David became a skip, leading the Scottish junior team to fifth place. A few years later, in 2003, he led Scotland to win the European Championship. They beat a strong Swedish team in the final.

Becoming a World Champion

In 2005, David Murdoch competed in his first World Championships. His Scottish team won a silver medal. They lost to Canada in the final game. This strong performance helped his team get spots on the Great Britain squad for the 2006 Winter Olympics. David was the skip for the team.

At the 2006 Olympics, David's team finished fourth. They lost the bronze medal match. However, just two months later, David's team won the gold medal at the 2006 World Men's Curling Championship. They beat Canada in the final. He then won a silver medal at the European Championships in 2006. He followed this with gold medals in 2007 and 2008 at the European Championships.

In 2008, David's team played for Scotland again at the World Championships. They won another silver medal, losing to Canada in the final. But in 2009, David Murdoch led Scotland to another gold medal at the World Men's Curling Championship. This was held in Moncton, Canada.

In 2010, David's team made history. They became the first non-Canadian team to win the TSN Skins Game. They won a lot of money for this victory. After the 2009–10 season, David's Olympic team changed.

Olympic Dreams and Medals

In 2012, David joined a new team. They won the Edinburgh Invitational and the German Masters in 2013. With David as skip, they won bronze at the 2013 World Championships. They also took bronze at the 2013 European Championships.

In October 2013, David was chosen to skip the Great Britain team for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. There, he won a silver medal. His team lost to Canada in the final. During the Sochi Olympics, David made some incredible shots. One shot against Norway was called the "shot of the century." It helped his team reach the semi-finals. Another last shot against Sweden secured their silver medal. This was the first Olympic silver medal for the Great Britain men's curling team since the 1924 Games.

After the 2014 Olympics, David's team faced some challenges. They didn't qualify for some major championships. In 2017, David's team helped Great Britain qualify for the 2018 Winter Olympics. However, another team was chosen to compete instead. On 13 July 2017, David Murdoch announced he was retiring from playing. He decided to start a coaching career.

Life After Playing

David Murdoch has also worked as a curling commentator for Eurosport and Channel 4. He has appeared on many TV and radio shows. These include Sport Relief 2014, Daybreak, and A Question of Sport. He even announced the National Lottery draw live on TV.

David supports many charities. He often helps give out Duke of Edinburgh awards. He also supported the PDSA with his dog. He took part in a charity curling calendar. David and his team also supported Sport Relief events.

Family and Personal Life

David Murdoch comes from a very talented curling family. His sister, Nancy Murdoch, is an Olympic coach. His brother, Neil Murdoch, is a former European Champion. Their mother, Marion Murdoch, is also a curling coach. She received an award in 2015 for her coaching work. David says his mother was a big reason he became a competitive player. She also helped other Olympic medalists.

When David was ten years old, he lived in Lockerbie. He was an eyewitness to the crash of Pan Am Flight 103 there.

David's father, Matthew Murdoch, was also a Scottish curling champion. He passed away shortly after watching David win his silver medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

David is married and has a daughter. In 2022, he was given the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) award. This was for his great contributions to curling.

Awards and Achievements

• WJCC All-star lead: 1996
• WJCC All-star third: 1998

See also

In Spanish: David Murdoch para niños