With the Olympic places at stake, the intensity increases in curling events | The Canadian News

Vice-robber Darren Molding has played in Olympic qualifiers, Grand Slams, the tour’s main events, as well as national and world championships for the Edmonton-based Brendan Bottcher team.

When it comes to intensity, he says nothing compares to Tim Hortons’ Canadian curling tests.

“The camaraderie between the curlers goes away a bit,” he said. “It is probably the most competitive event I have ever played in.”

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Bottcher’s track is one of nine men’s teams entered in the 2021 trials starting Saturday at the SaskTel Center. A nine-team women’s event is also available, as the country’s best curlers face off with Beijing Games places up for grabs.

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“Normally when you play a Slam or even a Brier, you are a bit more friendly with the other teams,” Molding said. “There is a little more laughs and jokes and that doesn’t happen in court.

“For about a week, I don’t want to say they hate us, but definitely some of the friendships are put aside for a week.”

As reigning Brier champions, Bottcher’s team will be one of the favorites to use the Maple Leaf in China this February. They will be joined by a who’s who of curling talent for a trials event that is considered the deepest national competition of the quadrennium.

Olympic champion skip Brad Gushue (2006) of St. John’s and Brad Jacobs (2014) of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, is back along with Kevin Koe of Calgary, who will attempt to return to the Games after missing the podium at 2018 in Pyeongchang.

Regina’s Matt Dunstone will enjoy the advantage of playing at home as the only inning based in Saskatchewan. John Epping of Toronto and Mike McEwen of West St. Paul, Man., Complete a field that includes pre-test winners Jason Gunnlaugson of Morris, Man., And Tanner Horgan of Kingston, Ont.

Practice sessions are scheduled for the Friday before the first round-robin on Saturday afternoon.

“It’s more intensity,” Molding said in a recent interview. “The normal ‘hello’ and the smile that you would get from someone, you are not going to get in court. It’s just little things like that that I really notice. “

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“I think the respect remains,” he added. “… I think it’s more of an intensity mentality and a little dog eats dog.”

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Koe made a winning draw to beat McEwen at the 2017 Ottawa trials. McEwen edged out Gushue in the semi-final, while Bottcher settled for fourth place.

Ottawa’s Rachel Homan, who beat Chelsea Carey four years ago to clinch the Olympic spot, is returning as one of the headliners in the women’s draw.

Reigning national champion Kerri Einarson of Gimli, Man., Will also be a favorite along with Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg and Tracy Fleury of East St. Paul, Man., Who are ranked first in the world rankings. Carey serves as a backup for Fleury’s team.

Kelsey Rocque of Edmonton, Casey Scheidegger of Lethbridge, Alta., And Laura Walker of Edmonton are also on the field with pretest winners Krista McCarville of Thunder Bay, Ontario, and Jacqueline Harrison of Dundas, Ontario.

“I think it’s one of the toughest events to win,” said Lisa Weagle, a former Homan leader who is now on Jones’ five-man squad. “The field in Canada is very deep. We have a lot of great teams.

“To be able to win the tests is a great achievement, but you also know that the work is not finished yet. You have a job to do at the Olympics. “

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The top three teams in the men’s and women’s draws will advance to the playoffs next weekend. The finals are scheduled for November 28.

The SaskTel Center seats about 14,000 people for curling. All athletes, volunteers, media, event staff, contractors, and fans over the age of 12 must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to attend or participate in the event.

The Canad Inns mixed doubles events are scheduled for December 28 – January 28. 2 at Stride Place in Portage la Prairie, Man. Canadians John Morris and Kaitlyn Lawes won gold in mixed doubles in 2018 when the discipline made its Olympic debut.

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