Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 SPORTS
Tuesday 21 November 2017

American curling siblings Matt, Becca Hamilton make Olympics

By JIMMY GOLEN
AP Sports Writer
Becca Hamilton earned an
Olympic berth as a mem-
ber of the American wom-
en’s curling team, and then
the real pressure was on.
A few hours later, her broth-
er, Matt, was competing in
the U.S. men’s trials for a
chance to join her in Py-
eongchang.
“A lot of the times, I was sit-
ting there watching Matt’s
game, biting my nails,” she
said on Sunday, a day after
the siblings each claimed
a spot in the 2018 Winter
Games. “When we won, I
was like, ‘Matt better win.’”
Matt Hamilton came
through on Saturday
night, when John Shuster
skipped his team to a vic-
tory over Team Heath Mc-
Cormick 7-5 in Game 3
of the best-of-three trials
playoff. Shuster, who won
a bronze medal in at the
Turin Games in 2006, will be
attending his fourth straight
Olympics. Countries qualify
for the Olympics based on In this March 23, 2017, file photo, United States’ Becca Hamilton releases the stone during a match against Switzerland in the
their world championship Women’s World Curling Championship in Beijing. Associated Press
performance, and then
pick the teams that will go can trials were last week in ago, as well as first-timers in the women’s trials re- The Hamiltons have also
to the Winter Games. In the Omaha, Nebraska. Tyler George and Matt lieved much of the pressure qualified for next month’s
United States, players form The men’s team will be Hamilton. he felt about competing U.S. mixed curling trials in
their own teams of four and Shuster and John Land- All four players on the U.S. later in the day. Blaine, Minnesota, and
compete as a unit for the steiner, who were team- women’s team — skip Nina “If she didn’t win ... I just have a chance to go to
Olympic berth; the Ameri- mates in Sochi four years Roth, Becca Hamilton, did not want to cross that the Olympics as a team.
Tabitha Peterson and Ai- bridge at all,” Matt said. “Having one person from
leen Geving — are first-time “It was harder to watch her a family is like the norm for
Olympians, having beaten games than it was to play an Olympics,” Matt said.
Team Jamie Sinclair at the in my own, because at “When you get two people
trials. least I have some control.” from a family, that’s like ic-
After the women’s final At 28 and one year older ing on the cake.”
in the afternoon, Matt than his sister, Matt Hamil- The siblings have already
opened his Facebook ton has been curling since been to South Korea — it
page to see his father’s up- 2004 , when a friend invited was Matt’s first trip to Asia
date: “My daughter’s an him to give it a try. Becca — when they were invited
Olympian.” began two years later; she to help the locals train for
“I was like, ‘Well, better get was named the USA Curl- the Olympics.
it now,’” he said in a tele- ing Female Athlete of the They had their first logistics
phone interview as the sib- Year for 2017, and togeth- meeting on Sunday morn-
lings drove the 6 1/2 hours er they won the American ing, when they filled out
from the trials in Omaha to championship in mixed paperwork, learned about
their home outside of Madi- curling — a coed discipline their housing and got sized
son, Wisconsin. that makes its Olympic de- up for their Team USA uni-
Still, watching his sister win but in Pyeongchang. forms and gear.q