CCA streamlines Olympic trials qualifying

By: Allan Cameron Posted: 1:00 AM CST Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2011

A shorter, more streamlined process will reward Canada's most consistent curling teams over the next two seasons in their pursuit of Olympic gold in Sochi, Russia.

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A shorter, more streamlined process will reward Canada's most consistent curling teams over the next two seasons in their pursuit of Olympic gold in Sochi, Russia.

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This article was published 26/01/2011 (5584 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A shorter, more streamlined process will reward Canada’s most consistent curling teams over the next two seasons in their pursuit of Olympic gold in Sochi, Russia.

The Canadian Curling Association unveiled its qualifying process for the 2013 Olympic trials on Tuesday and for the fifth straight quadrennial, there have been significant tweaks.

But these tweaks — in particular, shortening the process to two years from three, and cutting down on the number of teams that qualify at the last minute out of the pre-trials tournament — are drawing early praise from the 2010 Olympic men’s skip.

“You’re looking for consistent play, and I like that,” said Olympic gold medallist Kevin Martin of Edmonton. “It is a better way of qualifying your teams. I think to win Olympic medals, you can’t be the type of team that is inconsistent, or hot and cold. That’s not the team we need. We need a team that is very, very consistent, that even on their worst day they’re still a really good medal chance for us.”

Pre-qualified

As in 2009, eight teams of each gender will make the final cut for the 2013 trials — site yet to be announced — but unlike 2009, when four teams pre-qualified and four came out of the pre-trials a few weeks prior to the trials, six teams will gain direct entry, and just two will come out of the pre-trials. Those six will consist of the Canadian Team Ranking System single-season champions in 2011-12 and 2012-13, along with the two teams that have the best two-year totals, as well as the champions of the Canada Cups in 2012 (in Cranbrook, B.C.) and 2013 (site yet to be announced).

The Canada Cup format will be overhauled, dropping entries to seven from 10, meaning only the best of the best will be able to qualify. The pre-trials will involve 12 teams (determined through the CTRS and results at the Brier and the Scotties), meaning at the end of the 2012-13 season, 18 teams will still have Olympic aspirations, up from 16 in the previous cycle.

“It adds two more teams to the experience, which is as much about 2018 (giving young teams experience in the process) as it is about 2014,” said CCA high performance director Gerry Peckham.

Added Martin, “It still leaves the door open for the Cinderella story, and that’s not a bad thing. But we don’t want to leave too many spots like that.”

— Postmedia News