Saskatchewan curlers disappointed by Olympic qualifying process
One of Canada’s top curlers won’t get a chance to represent the nation at the 2022 Olympic Games.
Skip Chelsea Carey, who represents a rink out of Regina’s Highland curling club, hasn’t met the criteria to earn a spot in the Canadian curling trials or any of the pre-trials in the lead up to the Olympic qualifying event.
“It’s like a knife in the heart to not have a shot at that,” said Carey.
In 2017, Carey lost 6-5 to Team Rachel Homan for a spot at the 2018 Olympics. She had a chance to tie the game in the 10th end but failed to make a double take-out.
Following the 2020 curling season, Carey’s foursome from Alberta broke up. In 2021, the two-time Scotties Champion announced she was joining Jolene Campbell, Rachel Erickson, Stephanie Schmidt and Jennifer Armstrong.
“Just impossible to say no,” said Campbell when Carey inquired about joining the team. “All four of us had the same mentality. You’re bringing on a championship, a two-time Scotties winner, that just makes you an automatic contender.”
The team announced Carey’s addition in May. They immediately set a goal of winning the provincial Scotties to represent Saskatchewan at the Tournament of Hearts. They also hoped they’d get a chance to vie for a spot at the Olympics.
However, Curling Canada criteria required Olympic trials eligible teams to be formed before 2021. The announcement was made in February of 2021, which the Regina curlers felt was unfair given the complications of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We knew we were coming in with not a lot of [Canadian Team Ranking System] points. We were hoping that they [Curling Canada] might have some route in this season so we could play a couple of events early and top up the points that we had because we didn’t have the opportunity to play last year,” Carey said.
Campbell has represented Saskatchewan at the Tournament of Hearts four times, most recently in 2016. The third didn’t compete in 2020 and was expecting to play in events in 2021 that would enable the team to gather qualifying points.
“You know go out the first few weekends, play everything, we were willing to go play everything on the calendar,” Campbell said.
Nine teams will compete at the Canadian Olympic trials in Saskatoon at the end of November. Four teams, Rachel Homan, Kerri Einarson, Jennifer Jones and Tracy Fleury qualified directly for the trials based on winning events and CTRS points.
Three teams, Casey Scheidegger, Kelsey Rocque and Laura Walker, qualified this past weekend in Ottawa at the direct trials entry. The final two rinks will be determined in Nova Scotia at the end of October. Of the 23 teams that were involved in the pre-trials competition, Team Carey didn’t qualify for any.
“It’s hard not to feel sometimes who you are and who the team is because we’ve seen over the years the rules be altered and tweaked,” Campbell said.
Curling Canada says teams needed three of four teammates from declared 2020-21 lineups to be considered for pre-trials qualifying events. However, the runner-up to represent Canada at the 2018 Olympics will now be watching from the sidelines.
“To dance around it and be so close and now have to sit on the couch and watch other teams with a chance, it’s a knife to the heart. A punch to the gut, a horrible horrible feeling,” Carey said.
The Olympic trials are scheduled for Nov. 20 to 28 at Sasktel Centre in Saskatoon.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada outlines national action plan to fight auto theft
The federal government is launching what it calls its 'national action plan' to combat auto thefts, which will include stronger penalties for thieves, and increased information sharing between police agencies, government officials and border enforcement.
U.S. Supreme Court rejects appeal from former Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by a Canadian-born former Guantanamo detainee who was seeking to wipe away his war crimes convictions, including for killing a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan.
What is BORG drinking, and why is it a dangerous trend? An expert explains
If you've been to a party lately and haven't seen someone drinking a BORG, you're likely not partying with college students.
Iran's president and foreign minister die in helicopter crash at moment of high tensions in Mideast
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the country's foreign minister were found dead Monday hours after their helicopter crashed in fog, leaving the Islamic Republic without two key leaders as extraordinary tensions grip the wider Middle East.
Michael Cohen says he stole from Trump's company as defence presses key hush money trial witness
Former Donald Trump attorney Michael Cohen admitted Monday to jurors in the Republican's hush money trial that he stole tens of thousands of dollars from Trump's company as defence lawyers seized on the star witness' misdeeds to attack his credibility.
The world's best airline is paying staff a bonus of 8 months' salary
Singapore Airlines will reward its employees with a bonus worth nearly eight months of salary, a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Friday.
Woman, 35, in critical condition after her truck collided with a Via Rail train near Montreal
A 35-year-old woman is in critical condition after the pick-up truck she was driving was struck by a Via Rail passenger train Monday morning in Quebec's Monteregie region.
Canucks' Brock Boeser out for decisive Game 7 vs. Oilers: coach
Canucks star Brock Boeser will miss Game 7 of Vancouver's second-round playoff series Monday against the Edmonton Oilers, according to reports.
Investors watching posts from 'Crypto King' in the wake of fraud, money laundering charges
Former investors of the self-styled “Crypto King” say they are watching his social media accounts and worried his displays of wealth are signs he’s spending their money, even now, as another large expense tied to Aiden Pleterski has triggered a previously unreported lawsuit.