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Saturday 20 January 2018

Curling will be working overtime at Pyeongchang Olympics

JIMMY GOLEN Mixed doubles will make its he’s going to come into the that will represent Canada en’s team has ever done
AP Sports Writer Olympic debut , followed men’s team and not miss a in Pyeongchang — and all that,” Courtney said. “We
The bobsledders may push on the ice at the Gang- beat.” four women — are Olympic love the pressure, we love
harder. The speedskaters neung curling center by Jenny Perret, who will com- rookies. having expectations. I think
may go faster. The ski jump- the more familiar, single- pete in mixed doubles and “No matter who goes from that’s a great thing.”
ers certainly will soar higher. gender discipline. The Unit- also is an alternate on the Canada in any year, no HOME ICE
Yet no one will work longer How big is the home-ice
hours at the Pyeongchang advantage in curling?
Olympics than American Shuster remembers going
curlers Matt and Becca to his first Olympics in Italy,
Hamilton. a country that like South
By qualifying for both the Korea has very little curling
new mixed doubles dis- tradition.
cipline and the tradition- After receiving a berth as
al, single-gender curling the host nation, rather than
event, the siblings from Mc- the qualification process,
Farland, Wisconsin, could skip Joel Retornaz led Italy
be on the ice for as many to a 4-2 record in afternoon
as 50 hours — by far the lon- and evening matches
gest anyone will be in live “when they packed the
competition at the Winter place full of screaming Ital-
Games. ians “ and 0-3 when they
No one is saying that’s played in the less-lively 9
harder than, say, the 50-ki- a.m. session.
lometer cross-country race. “The Koreans are certainly
But even the skiers will be going to have that advan-
back in the lodge sipping tage,” said Hebert, who
cocoa after a couple of rode the crowd enthusiasm
hours. to the top of the podium in
Depending on tiebreakers 2010. “To have the crowd
and whether they can get behind your back — it was
a bye in the semifinals, the In this March 23, 2017, file photo, United States’ Becca Hamilton releases the stone during a match amazing to have hundreds
Hamiltons could be com- against Switzerland in the Women’s World Curling Championship in Beijing. of people you know there,
peting for 18 straight days. Associated Press plus all the Canadian fans
“No curler’s ever done cheering for you.
that,” Becca Hamilton said. ed States was one of the Swiss women’s team, is the matter if it’s the worlds or “It’s no different than hav-
“Not many curlers are go- few countries that allowed only other curler working the Olympics, you always ing the home-field advan-
ing to be able to get the athletes who qualified in double duty. have a target on our back,” tage in football or hockey.
opportunity.” traditional curling to also try O, CANADA said lead Ben Hebert, who You feed off of it.”
A 600-year-old niche sport out in mixed. Canada has been curling’s with vice-skip Marc Kenne- While the South Korean
that catches the world’s That gives the Hamiltons an most dominant country, dy won gold in Vancouver. teams would have been
attention every four years unprecedented chance to and they’re among the “The first time, we did what included as the host na-
— the sweeping, the shout- claim two curling medals favorites in all three events we were supposed to do,” tion anyway, the women
ing, the pants! — curling at the same Winter Games. again. he said. “Eight years, it’s earned their spot by finish-
will be ever-present in Py- Or, if they falter in the The country is the three- been a long time and a ing eighth in the qualifica-
eongchang. Athletes will mixed doubles, get a sec- time defending Olympic long journey. You never tion standings.
be throwing stones from ond chance to claim only men’s champion, winning know if you’re going to get (The men were 15th for
the day before the torch is the second Olympic curling silver in the two other Win- back.” the 10-team field, and the
lit until just hours before the medal in U.S. history. (The ter Games since curling The Canadian women’s mixed team was 10th in
closing ceremony. Americans claimed bronze was returned to the pro- team is the defending an eight-team field.)”That
“The Olympics have done in Turin in 2006 with a four- gram in 1998. The Canadi- world champion, going un- should be pretty cool for
awesome things for curl- some that includes current an women have two golds, defeated at the worlds. the home country,” Shuster
ing,” Canadian second skip John Shuster.) a silver and two bronzes at “That’s the first time a wom- said.q
Joanne Courtney said. “It’s a great chance to the Olympics.
“And it’s just great to be a throw rocks we’re going Canada is also the defend-
part of it.” to be playing,” Shuster ing men’s and women’s
Here are some things to said. “I’m sure it’s going to world champion, while
look for in the 2018 Olympic be mentally daunting for finishing second in mixed
curling tournaments: them. But if he gets it roll- doubles.
DOUBLE TIME ing through mixed doubles, But two of the four men