Mixed Doubles Time

Now that the Curling Today blog has been going for more than a year, events are coming round which I have talked about before. Although it does seem like yesterday, it was in fact a full twelve months ago that the inaugural Scottish Mixed Doubles Championship was held at Murrayfield. The event was won by Kelly Wood and Logan Gray, as described here. That's Logan and Kelly in the photo above from the final last year.

A lot has happened in the interim. Kelly was not allowed to go to the World Championship in Vierumaki because of her other commitments representing Scotland, and Logan felt it the correct thing to do to pull out himself, rather than recruit another player with whom he had not competed before. Dillan Perras and Judith Carr, who had been runners-up in the championship, accepted the invitation to don the Scottish shirts in Finland. I was fortunate enough to be able to be there for part of the event and if you want a bit of nostalgia you can look back at the blog posts in March of this year.

I must say I enjoyed the format of this new game. Vierumaki turned me from a sceptic into a big fan! It has everything that pairs curling has, and more! I really do believe that the WCF has got it right, and that it could... just maybe.... become another Olympic curling discipline somewhere down the line. It needs a bit more publicity and positive PR though. It is only four months to the World Championship in Cortina, Italy, April 18-26. So, where's the event website? There's nothing. "Site coming Soon," it says on the WCF website. So is Christmas.

But hold on, what's this here? Something is happening in Italy, even if the WCF is keeping it a secret! The World Mixed Doubles is being considered as a test event for the Men's World Championship which will be held in Italy in 2010.

If I can just take a quote from the Italian website, "Mixed Doubles, a new formula in the curling scene, is a new discipline that made a successful début in 2008 with the World Championships at Vierumaki, in Finland, where the title was assigned to the Swiss team of Irene Scori and Toni Muller: a fresh and exhilarating competition that witnessed a challenge on the ice rink between giants of the curling world and new teams of the emerging nations. Technique, pure shotmaking and high-scoring action: these are the paradigms of a discipline capable of arousing and engaging the enthusiasm of the public."

Purple prose - I love it! (And I think that is the first time that the word 'paradigms' has appeared in this blog. We're moving upmarket!)

Has Canadian curling embraced mixed doubles curling this season? They did not last time, and sent two of their Mixed Championship winning team to the World MDs. That wasn't a great success. This season the CCA is again sending two of the winning Mixed Championship team to Cortina, but in the interim they are funding the two players (apparently) on a visit to watch the mixed doubles games at the Continental Cup which are being played, co-incidentally, as I'm writing this (see the results here).

Now, I believe I had a purpose when I began this blog, and it was to highlight the fact that the 2008 Scottish Mixed Doubles Championship gets underway tomorrow (Friday) at 4pm at Murrayfield. Logan Gray will be trying for another title, with his sister Lauren this time. The brother and sister meet a father and daughter combination, Jennifer Dodds and her dad Trevor, in their first game.

The results will be here on the Royal Club website, and Mike Haggerty's preview of the event is here.

I hope the fourteen pairings have fun, because, as I see it, it is an enjoyable, and skilful discipline. And if you would like to be 'aroused and engaged' then hold the Christmas shopping and get yourself along to Murrayfield this weekend. You can always buy your last minute gifts at the rink's shop!

More romance, that's what curling needs!! Mind you I doubt I'll get a photo like this at Murrayfield. This is what you do when you are waiting for the Canadians to decide what shot to play. That's Gyorgy Nagy and Ildiko Szekeres (yes, they're married) of Hungary in the background. And yes, they did beat the Canucks when they met in the round robin at Verumaki.

Pics by Bob.

World Mixed Doubles

I must say that I like Mixed Doubles curling. I enjoyed the Scottish Mixed Doubles Championship at Murrayfield last season, and I was fascinated with the inaugural World event at Vierumaki. Concerns that it would not be fun to watch were quickly dispelled, and I am really glad I was there.

Curling Today has already flagged up (here) that the second World MDs event is headed for Cortina d'Ampezzo in Italy next April. The official WCF press release was issued today. Find it on the WCF website here.

It's a long way off yet, and the number of countries entering will not be known until November. Last time twenty-four countries took part. There could well be more in Cortina! The event will stand on its own next season. In Vierumaki it ran alongside the World Seniors, particularly difficult for the ice crew and the organising committee.

Interesting to note that the Italian venue will host the World Men's Championship in 2010. Photos of curling in Cortina, and of the Stadio del Ghiaccio, can be found on the Curling Cortina website here.

Top: Canada v Hungary at Vierumaki. Bob's pic.

Looking ahead to next season

When WCF President Les Harrison concluded the presentation ceremony at the inaugural World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship in Vierumaki (above), he tantalisingly did NOT confirm where the second event was going to be held. It was an open secret though that Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, was the venue that was being considered, and this apparently was confirmed at the WCF AGM in Grand Forks. Italy here we come!

The dates for the second World MDs, a standalone event next time, will be April 18-26, and that should mean that whoever qualifies to represent Scotland from the Scottish Mixed Doubles Championship at Murrayfield on December 19-21 will have no conflict with other international events this time! Except of course the World Seniors which are scheduled for April 24-May 3, in Dunedin, New Zealand.

Canada have again elected to send to the Mixed Doubles two of the team which wins their Mixed Championship to be played this November in Iqaluit, Nunavut, in northern Canada.

What other international dates are in the curling calendar? The European Mixed is set for Kitzbuhel, Austria, September 22-27.

The European Championships are in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden, December 6-13. There is an announcement on the ECF website (here) on how the B Division will be played if more than 20 countries enter this year.

The Continental Cup is December 18-21, Camrose, Alberta.

World Junior B Qualifying Competition, is in Copenhagen, January, 3-7, 2009. A Scottish Junior Men's team will be looking for one of two qualifying places for the Junior Worlds in Vancouver.

The World University Games are in Harbin, China, February 18-28, 2009.

The World Wheelchair Championship is February 21-28, 2009, in Vancouver, BC.

The same venue will host the World Juniors, March 5-15.

The World Women's is March 21-29, Gangneung, Korea.

Moncton, New Brunswick, will host the Ford World Men's Curling Championship at the Coliseum, April 4-12.

Canada's Dean Ross and Susan O'Connor, neither of whom had played the Mixed Doubles discipline before going to Vierumaki, lost out to Anne Malmi and Jussi Uusipaavalniemi of Finland in the second qualifying round.

Sweden's Goran Carlsson sweeps a stone with the WCF's Mixed Doubles Banner in the background.

Photos by Bob.

World Mixed Doubles update

As promised here is the presentation pic of the winners of the first World Mixed Doubles Championship, held in Vierumaki, Finland, last week.

Switzerland's Irene Schori and Toni Mueller. A well deserved victory too! They played like champions all week.

Anne Malmi is in the head, and the Swiss behind. Is that not Alan Stephen in the pic too?

Jussi Uusipaavalniemi sweeping. Where will the banner be raised next? We will hear officially after the WCF meeting next week.

So, who are Katja's friends watching the Mixed Doubles Final?

World Mixed Doubles: Swiss win Gold

Switzerland took on Finland in the final of the inaugural Mixed Doubles Curling Championship at Vierumaki today.

Toni Mueller and Irene Schori had been impressive all week. Against the home side of Jussi Uusipaavalniemi and Anne Malmi, the Swiss began well, making a two and stealing a single. That was the difference in an entertaining game. Mueller and Schori were two up coming home with the last stone. Switzerland was the first winner of the World Mixed Doubles.

I'M SHOUTING THIS. MIXED DOUBLES IS THE BEST THING TO HIT CURLING THIS CENTURY!

The event website is here with the link to all the results.

Presentation pics later.

Friday Mixed Doubles: The Semifinals

There was jubilation for the home nation today in World Mixed Doubles curling as Anne Malmi and Jussi Uusipaavalniemi eliminated the Canadians in the second qualifying round in Vierumaki.

Perhaps a quick explanation is in order about how the event was organised. There were three sections with eight teams in each. The top qualifiers in each section went into the semis, and the idea was that the three second placed teams in each section would fight it out for the fourth semifinal spot. In two of the sections there was no problem. Norway and Switzerland were the top teams, with Finland and the Czech Republic in second place. In the third section, three teams were tied. Sweden went through on ranking using the Draw Shot Challenge.

Canada's Dean Ross and Susan O'Connor, neither of whom had played this discipline before coming to Vierumaki, survived a tiebreaker against Hungary, to be placed second in the group. It was now three teams fighting for the reamining semifinal place. The two with the worse DSC distances played off first, and Canada won this against the Czech Republic.

But the second game against the Finns was a thriller which went to an extra end, with Malmi and Uusipaavalniemi stealing the win.

So Norway's pair of Tormod Andreassen and Linn Githmark, a father-daughter combo known to many Scots fans of the sport, lined up against Toni Mueller and Irene Schori, who had looked really good all week. It was no contest. After two ends the Norwegians were 6-0 down. In Mixed Doubles large deficits can be overcome, but in this case the Swiss pair were too strong and ran out well ahead.

Sweden's Goran Carlsson and Marie Persson faced the Finns. The local favourites ran out to a 5-0 lead by the break, and although the teams played out the full eight ends in front of an excited crowd, it is a Finland v Switzerland match for the Gold tomorrow.

You can find all the linescores here, and also the WCF reports here.

Jussi Uusipaavalniemi

Tormod Andreassen and Linn Githmark

Irene Schori

Anne Malmi, with Goran Carlsson and Marie Persson behind, and a raft of Swedish supporters.

Pics by Bob.

Mixed Doubles: Thursday review

Dillan Perras and Judith Carr finished their World Mixed Doubles campaign on three wins and four losses. This morning's last round robin game was not one to be remembered. They were grannied by the Czech Republic! But such is the nature of this new competition. Anything can happen. It needs new skills. But make no mistake, it is great fun to play and very interesting to watch. Mixed Doubles is here to stay.

The teams have been invited to a meeting with WCF representatives tomorrow to discuss the way ahead for this championship and if there needs to be any tweaking of the rules.

So where are we in the event? There were three sections with eight teams in each. The top qualifiers in two of the sections were Norway (yet to lose a game) and Switzerland. In the third section three teams were tied with 5-2 records: Sweden, Hungary and Canada. Sweden went through on ranking - the Draw Shot Challenge distance was used as they all beaten each other. A tiebreaker is now necessary between Canada and Hungary to decide the second placed team in this section.

The winner of the Canada-Hungary game then has to play off with the other two second placed teams (Finland and Czech Republic) to get one more team for the playoffs. These three teams will be ranked with the Draw Shot Challenge. The two with the worse DSC will play and the winner of that game goes forward to play the team with the best DSC.

The way that the semis are lined up are:
Norway v Switzerland
Sweden v the qualifier

I hope that is clear? My head does hurt a little from trying to work it all out. I may be wrong. Perhaps you might like to keep up with it all on the results page here.

Mixed Doubles Wednesday: Scotland v Latvia

This was the game that Dillan and Judith had to win to be in with any shout of making the playoffs.

Down 3-1 in the third end, there was a slim chance of a big end after the Latvians played a great last stone to lie shot with three Scottish second counters. But Judith's last stone clipped the guard, Latvia stole a single, and there was no coming back.

Scotland has three wins from six games, with one more still to play against the Czech Republic.

World Mixed Doubles Tuesday: Scotland v Spain

The first raising of this banner! I am thrilled to say that the new Mixed Doubles is proving to be a real success. The players love it, and there is just so much to see in every match.

And it's very special that a fifteen year-old and a thirteen year old from Spain can give the Scottish team a hard time. Sergio Vez Labrador and Irantzu Garcia were 5-0 up on Dillan Perras and Judith Carr before the Scots fought back to win in the last end!

The handshakes at the end of the game.

Dillan Perras

Judith Carr

And this member of the team could not travel to Finland to support his Dad and Gran (this time)! Luke Morgan Perras was born just a week before the Championship began! Claire Perras is doing OK is the word from home. And for those who like such details, the new curler made first appearance on Sunday March 2, weighing in at 7 lb 1 oz, in Aberdeen Maternity.
Congratulations to parents and grandparents!

Hello Vierumaki

Made it. It's Monday evening. Dillan Perras and Judith Carr just lost their game against France in the Mixed Doubles.

Graeme Adam and his team faced the home country Finland without Alan MacLennan, a victim of the sickness and diarrhoea bug that seems to have struck down a number of players. Jim Jamieson stepped into the breech.

Tied 6-6 coming home, Adam needed to thread a port to remove the Finnish counter, but it didn't curl, and the Finns stole the game. It was Scotland's first loss.

Our senior women lost today to Canada. You can find all the results from the two Championships here and here.

Seniors action. Pic by Bob.

Vierumaki: The Scots are coming

One hundred and sixty curlers from twenty-eight countries are headed for Vierumaki for the inaugural World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship AND the World Senior Curling Championships.

Do you think I should go? Are there any moose there?

L-R: Kirsty Letton, Judy Mackenzie, Pat Orr and Anne MacDougall. The team flew out this morning, with manager/coach/fifth player Margaret Gibb.

L-R: Graeme Adam, Ken Horton, Stuart Naismith and Alan MacLennan. Jim Jamieson is the Team Fixer, gopher and stand in if required!

Dillan Perras and Judith Carr. Congratulations on Dillan becoming a dad, and Judith a grandmother just recently!

Dillan's wife Claire (nee Robertson) has had a little boy. Can anyone update on details? Congratulations to all concerned! Hope all are well.