Canadian teams ready for Olympic curling competitions

One team is in Beijing, and two others are en route later this week, to represent Canada in curling competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics, which begins Friday with the Opening Ceremony at the iconic Bird’s Nest Stadium.

But prior to the Opening Ceremony, the Canadian mixed doubles team of Rachel Homan (Beaumont, Alta.) and John Morris (Canmore, Alta.) along with coach Scott Pfeifer (Sherwood Park, Alta.) will have played four games. Mixed doubles competition kicks off on Wednesday, and Canada will take on Great Britain’s Jennifer Dodds and Bruce Mouat in its opener Wednesday at 8:05 p.m. ET.

Curling will be staged at the National Aquatics Centre in Beijing, which also hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics aquatic competitions. CLICK HERE to see a video of the venue being transformed from a swimming pool to curling ice.

The mixed doubles, along with the men’s and women’s four-player competitions, will feature 10 countries in pursuit of four playoff berths, with the traditional Olympic semifinal system of first vs. fourth, second vs. third, being used. There will be no tiebreakers at the Olympics.

Canada will be looking for back-to-back mixed doubles gold medals at the Olympics after Morris teamed with Kaitlyn Lawes to win the inaugural Olympic mixed doubles curling competition four years ago in PyeongChang, South Korea.

Here is Canada’s mixed doubles schedule (all times Eastern):

• Wednesday, 8:05 p.m. — Canada vs. Great Britain
• Thursday, 7:05 a.m. — Canada vs. Norway
• Thursday, 7:35 p.m. — Canada vs. Switzerland
• Friday, 12:35 a.m. — Canada vs. China
• Saturday, 1:05 a.m. — Canada vs.Sweden
• Saturday, 7:05 a.m. — Canada vs. U.S.A.
• Sunday, 1:05 a.m. — Canada vs. Czech Republic
• Sunday, 7:05 a.m. — Canada vs. Australia
• Sunday, 8:05 p.m. — Canada vs. Italy
• Monday, 7:05 a.m. — Semifinals
• Tuesday, Feb. 8, 1:05 a.m. — Bronze-medal game
• Tuesday, Feb. 8, 7:05 a.m. — Gold-medal game

Once mixed doubles competition concludes on Feb. 8, four-player men’s and women’s round-robin will start on Feb. 9.

Canada’s teams were decided at the 2021 Tim Hortons Canadian Curling Trials, presented by AGI, in November in Saskatoon, with Team Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg prevailing in the women’s event and Team Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., winning in the men’s event.

Both teams bring Olympic experience with them to Beijing. Jones, vice-skip Kaitlyn Lawes and lead Dawn McEwen claimed gold in 2014 in Sochi, Russia, and stands as the only Olympic women’s curling team ever to win with an unbeaten record. Lawes is going for her third gold medal after her mixed doubles triumph with Morris in 2018. The team is rounded out by second Jocelyn Peterman, alternate Lisa Weagle, team coach Viktor Kjell and national coach Elaine Dagg-Jackson.

Gushue and vice-skip Mark Nichols, meanwhile, were gold-medallists in 2006 at Torino, Italy, and Team Gushue alternate Marc Kennedy won gold as a member of Kevin Martin’s unbeaten team in 2010 at Vancouver. Gushue’s team also includes second Brett Gallant, lead Geoff Walker, team coach Jules Owchar and national coach Jeff Stoughton.

Here are the schedules for both teams (all times Eastern):

Men

• Wednesday, Feb. 9, 7:05 a.m. — Canada vs. Denmark
• Thursday, Feb. 10, 1:05 a.m. — Canada vs. Norway
• Friday, Feb. 11, 7:05 a.m. — Canada vs. Switzerland
• Saturday, Feb. 12, 1:05 a.m. — Canada vs. Sweden
• Saturday, Feb. 12, 8:05 p.m. — Canada vs. U.S.A.
• Monday, Feb. 14, 1:05 a.m. — Canada vs. Italy
• Monday, Feb. 14, 8:05 p.m. — Canada vs. China
• Tuesday, Feb. 15, 7:05 a.m. — Canada vs. Russian Olympic Committee
• Wednesday, Feb. 16, 8:05 p.m. — Canada vs. Great Britain
• Thursday, Feb. 17, 7:05 a.m. — Semifinals
• Friday, Feb. 18, 1:05 a.m. — Bronze-medal game
• Saturday, Feb. 19, 1:05 a.m. — Gold-medal game

Women

• Thursday, Feb. 10, 7:05 a.m. — Canada vs. South Korea
• Friday, Feb. 11, 1:05 a.m. — Canada vs. Japan
• Friday, Feb. 11, 8:05 p.m. — Canada vs. Sweden
• Sunday, Feb. 13, 1:05 a.m. — Canada vs. Switzerland
• Sunday, Feb. 13, 8:05 p.m. — Canada vs. Russian Olympic Committee
• Monday, Feb. 14, 7:05 a.m. — Canada vs. Great Britain
• Tuesday, Feb. 15, 8:05 p.m. — Canada vs. U.S.A.
• Wednesday, Feb. 16, 7:05 a.m. — Canada vs. China
• Thursday, Feb. 17, 1:05 a.m. — Canada vs. Denmark
• Friday, Feb. 18, 7:05 a.m. — Semifinals
• Saturday, Feb. 19, 7:05 a.m. — Bronze-medal game
• Saturday, Feb. 19, 8:05 p.m. — Gold-medal game

For live scoring, team lineups and standings for the three Olympic curling competitions, CLICK HERE.

All of Canada’s games will be broadcast on a variety of platforms by CBC, the official Olympic rights-holder in Canada. CLICK HERE for the CBC broadcast schedule.