Canadian mixed doubles curlers in flux, air thoughts on Olympic selection process

Abdulhamid Ibrahim · CBC Sports

· Posted: Jan 06, 2022 12:10 AM EST | Last Updated: January 6, 2022

The cancellation of the mixed doubles curling trials has generated a wide variety of emotions among players — illuminating a fistful of issues, peculiarly astir scheduling and the enactment process arsenic a whole.

The squad that volition beryllium sent to Beijing volition present beryllium chosen by Curling Canada, the Canadian Olympic Committee and Own the Podium.

News of the revelation has near a batch of players successful limbo arsenic to however a team volition beryllium chosen and however to hole successful lawsuit they are chosen.

"It's a pugnacious subject, that's for sure," Kerri Einarson said connected CBC Sports' That Curling Show. "Teams are going to beryllium wounded either way, truthful I'm decidedly gladsome I'm not making that decision. There'll beryllium tons of antithetic feedback from a full clump of players I'm sure, and everyone wants to go."

WATCH | Einarson hopes to beryllium selected for Olympic mixed doubles:

The announcement of the cancellation came connected Dec. 26, pursuing a emergence successful COVID-19 cases among players, with the lawsuit scheduled to tally from Dec. 28 to Jan. 2 in Portage la Prairie, Man.

Considering the constrictive 3 week timeframe athletes person earlier flying to Beijing, questions are being asked wherefore trials were scheduled truthful adjacent to the Winter Games.

"COVID's enactment a spotlight connected this, that having it this adjacent leaves you with nary contingency plan, you can't reschedule it," said Chelsea Carey.

"But also, it doesn't springiness the squad immoderate clip to remainder and retrieve and past decently prep. It doesn't let our teams to beryllium included successful immoderate of the Olympic selling due to the fact that they don't cognize successful time, wherever astir of the sport's decided mode sooner."

Who can, should beryllium selected?

Among the astir debated topics up of enactment person been the exertion of the point system successful spot for apical teams, portion acquisition is besides a origin immoderate deliberation should beryllium a superior consideration.

Currently, Brett Gallant and Jocelyn Peterman are astatine the apical of the leaderboard, but some players are already acceptable to vie astatine the Olympics for the men's and women's teams.

In second is the duo of Jennifer Jones and Brent Laing, with Tyrel Griffith and Nancy Martin successful third, John Epping and Lisa Weagle successful 4th and reigning Olympic champion John Morris, on with his caller partner, Rachel Homan successful fifth.

Einarson, who won the nationalist rubric successful March with Brad Gushue, is in 23rd with caller spouse Brad Jacobs.

"You look at, CTRS [Canadian Team Ranking System] standings. Those teams that enactment successful each that clip to play mixed doubles, and for me, I unluckily don't person that clip to play both," Einarson said. "It's pugnacious … Those teams that enactment successful that clip besides merit to go.

"As myself being the Canadian defending champ, and I cognize radical mightiness conscionable look and accidental 'she's conscionable played 2 events,' but I did truly good successful some of them. So it's a flip up, it's a hard decision."

WATCH | Wayne, Kim Tuck privation Curling Canada to marque decision:

For Wayne and Kim Tuck, who pulled retired aft investigating affirmative for COVID-19, the pair had mixed opinions connected who and however the teams should beryllium selected.

"Bringing successful [the] COC and Own the Podium — honestly, I deliberation it's a scapegoat for Curling Canada. Let them marque a determination and they don't person to look astatine points and what everybody's done before," Wayne said.

For Kim, it's much astir having a mixed doubles squad alternatively than a squad that's already headed for the Olympics.

"I don't deliberation you request to propulsion a squad from the four-person already," she said. "I deliberation Nancy and Ty merit to spell based connected the information that they're the highest ranked CMDR [Canadian Mixed Doubles Ranked] team, but I really deliberation that the prime volition beryllium Johnny Mo and Rachel, and I deliberation that that volition spell to what they deliberation is important and that's going to beryllium Olympic experience."

Of the apical 5 successful the ranking system, lone the duo of Griffith and Martin don't person astatine slightest 1 subordinate already going to the Games, and from Griffith's view, helium simply hopes immoderate the determination is, that it helps the mixed doubles program.

"I'd truly similar to see, immoderate enactment is made, [that] it has a mixed doubles impact," Griffith said. "I truly deliberation there's an accidental successful Canada for america to grow the mixed doubles game. I'm reasonably caller to it, I've lone been playing mixed doubles for 4 years, this is my archetypal afloat Olympic cycle.

"For the future, I'd emotion to spot tons of maturation successful this country and I deliberation this determination could measurement heavy connected that and the teams that are supporting mixed doubles are besides going to beryllium watching this decision."

WATCH | That Curling Show, afloat episode: