Swedish curling legend Niklas Edin is hanging up his broom at the Olympic level—but don't expect him to disappear from the ice entirely.

The 40-year-old skip, who boasts a complete Olympic medal set (gold, silver, and bronze) alongside a record eight world championships, announced his retirement from international competition in a heartfelt social media post. Calling it "a tough and scary decision," Edin explained his reasoning with characteristic straightforwardness: "To quit while ahead and have time to explore what else is out there!"

While his days representing Sweden on the world stage are over, Edin isn't done competing. He plans to join the new Rock League, a professional circuit that allows players from different countries to team up. The league's inaugural season launched in April 2025, with a second season already on the calendar for early 2027.

Edin's curling journey began at age 12, when Sweden's women's team won bronze at the 1998 Nagano Olympics—curling's return to the Games after a long hiatus. That moment sparked a fire that would define his life. In his retirement post, he recalled a curling academy teacher asking about his long-term goals back in 2003. His answer? "Win 5 World Championships at skip, the record is 4!" The teacher likely rolled his eyes, Edin admitted, "but also saw a drive and motivation that was through the roof. The 7 years to come the boy lived, breathed, ate and s—- curling 365 days a year."

That relentless dedication paid off. Edin claimed his first world title in 2013—the first of eight—and his first Olympic medal (bronze) in 2014. The 2018 PyeongChang Games brought heartbreak, as his Swedish team was stunned by John Shuster's U.S. squad in the gold-medal game after Shuster scored five points with a spectacular double take-out in the eighth end. But Edin bounced back in 2022, defeating Bruce Mouat's Great Britain to capture Sweden's first Olympic men's curling gold and complete his medal collection.

His fifth and final Olympics this past February didn't go as planned—Sweden went 2-7 in round-robin play, missing the playoffs amid controversy when teammate Oskar Eriksson accused Canada's Marc Kennedy of an illegal double touch. But Edin, ever the competitor, rebounded in style, winning his eighth world championship in April by defeating Shuster in the semifinals and a different Canadian squad in the final.

At 40, Edin's body has paid the price for his success. He revealed in April 2025 that he had undergone 15 surgeries throughout his career. Now, he's ready to explore life beyond the Olympic grind—but don't be surprised to see him still making highlight-reel shots in the Rock League for years to come.