Jockeying to represent Canada in team curling at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing escalates Wednesday in Ottawa with a pair of events designed to complete the trials and pre-trials fields this winter.
Five men香蕉视频直播檚 teams are chasing two berths and five women香蕉视频直播檚 foursomes will compete for three spots in November香蕉视频直播檚 Tim Hortons Curling Trials in Saskatoon.
Regina香蕉视频直播檚 Matt Dunstone, Saskatoon香蕉视频直播檚 Colton Flasch, Glenn Howard of Penetanguishene, Ont., Winnipeg香蕉视频直播檚 Jason Gunnlaugson and Mike McEwen will vie to join Edmonton香蕉视频直播檚 Brendan Bottcher, Toronto香蕉视频直播檚 John Epping, Brad Gushue of St. John香蕉视频直播檚 N.L., and Calgary香蕉视频直播檚 Kevin Koe already qualified for the men香蕉视频直播檚 trials Nov. 20-28 in Saskatoon香蕉视频直播檚 SaskTel Centre.
Charlottetown香蕉视频直播檚 Suzanne Birt, Corryn Brown of Kamloops, B.C., Edmonton香蕉视频直播檚 Kelsey Rocque and Laura Walker and Casey Scheidegger of Lethbridge, Alta., seek to join Kerri Einarson of Gimli, Man., Tracy Fleury of East St. Paul, Man., Ottawa香蕉视频直播檚 Rachel Homan and Winnipeg香蕉视频直播檚 Jennifer Jones in Saskatoon.
The men香蕉视频直播檚 and women香蕉视频直播檚 champions in Saskatoon will wear the Maple Leaf in team curling in Beijing.
Another longer road to trials is entry via a pre-trials tournament Oct. 26-31 in Liverpool, N.S., which will produce the final two men香蕉视频直播檚 and last two women香蕉视频直播檚 entries for Saskatoon.
A parallel tournament running Wednesday to Sunday at Ottawa香蕉视频直播檚 RA Centre will complete that pre-trials field.
Eight teams of each gender compete in a triple knockout draw for two men香蕉视频直播檚 and women香蕉视频直播檚 berths in pre-trials.
Winnipeg香蕉视频直播檚 Abby Ackland, Jill Brothers of Halifax, Yellowknife香蕉视频直播檚 Kerry Galusha, Saskatoon香蕉视频直播檚 Ashley Howard, Ottawa香蕉视频直播檚 Lauren Mann, Jessie Hunkin of North Battleford, Sask., Laurie St-Georges of Laval, Que., and Sarah Wark of Abbotsford, B.C., comprise the women香蕉视频直播檚 field.
Winnipeg dominates the men香蕉视频直播檚 side with Corey Chambers, Jacques Gauthier, Sean Grassie, William Lyburn, Ryan Wiebe, and JT Ryan skipping squads. Saskatoon香蕉视频直播檚 Shaun Meachem and Vincent Roberge of Etchemin, Que., round out the men香蕉视频直播檚 tournament.
Fans aren香蕉视频直播檛 allowed into the RA Centre because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Curling Canada will stream games lives on its YouTube channel.
Curling Canada revised its qualifying criteria for both team and mixed doubles Olympic trials because the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the majority of 2020-21 events that would have determined those fields.
Seven duos have already qualified for the mixed doubles trials Dec. 28 to Jan. 2 in Portage la Prairie, Man.
Nine more will earn spots via bonspiels from September to December or by a high ranking in Curling Canada香蕉视频直播檚 Canadian Mixed Doubles Rankings as of Dec. 14.
Canadian champions Einarson and Gushue, runners-up Kadriana Sahaidak and Colton Lott, Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant, Jones and Brent Laing, Nancy Martin and Tyrel Griffith and Homan and John Morris, Epping and Lisa Weagle have already gained entry into the mixed doubles trials.
Morris and Kaitlyn Lawes won gold in the Olympic debut of mixed doubles in 2018.
The Canadian Press
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