Greats contract gold fever

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This article was published 05/11/2009 (6101 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

They stood there, two of the all-time greats in Manitoba curling history, and spoke freely and openly of the one glaring omission on their resumés.

Kerry Burtnyk and Jeff Stoughton have both worn the Canadian maple leaf on their backs and hoisted world championship trophies. They’ve represented Manitoba at the Brier and won countless — and we mean countless — bonspiels all over the globe.

But if there is one thing left to do on their curling wish list, it would be this: wear Canada’s colours at the Vancouver Olympics next February.

And the chase for that berth begins next Tuesday for Burtnyk and Stoughton — along with fresh faces Jason Gunnlaugson and Mike McEwen — in Prince George, B.C., at the Road to the Roar.

A dozen men’s and a dozen women’s teams will gather there for the final eight spots (four men, four women) up for grabs for the Olympic curling trials — the Roar of the Rings — in Edmonton in December.

Jennifer Jones is the only Manitoba rink that has qualified for the Olympic trials. No Manitoba-based women’s teams have qualified for the Road to the Roar next week.

"Most of the guys that are chasing this have won Briers and won worlds and things like that," Burtnyk said Wednesday at a Curl Manitoba press conference. "But the one thing that most of the guys haven’t done is win Olympic gold. That makes it huge. Obviously, where I am in my curling career I’m only going to do so much more so to have a chance at this is really exciting and I’m looking forward to the challenge."

Burtnyk and Stoughton head to Prince George among the favourites to earn a ticket to Edmonton — Stoughton is the top seed, Burtnyk is fifth — and are likely using two different emotions as motivational tools. Both, quite obviously, are excited to have another shot at glory. But both also experienced the pain of being so close before — Burtnyk lost to Kevin Martin in the 2001 trials before the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics; Stoughton lost to eventual gold-medal winner Brad Gushue in the final of the 2005 trials before the 2006 Games in Turin, Italy.

"I think it’s missing from everyone’s resumé except for the guys who won a gold medal," said Stoughton. "Kevin Martin’s been there (the Olympics) and Mike Harris before (the 1998 Olympics) and never came away with the gold medal. That’s what Canadians expect. Even at world championships, if you don’t come away with the gold medal people are a little disappointed.

"It’s one thing I’d love to get. I’d love to get to an Olympics, love to medal, love to win a gold medal. But right now we’re not even close to being their yet.

"But once in a while," Stoughton added, grinning, "you do think about it and it’s pretty damn exciting."

Interestingly, Burtnyk doesn’t have to look too far to be reminded of the 2001 disappointment. His third, Don Walchuk, was a member of Martin’s rink that represented Canada — and won silver — in Salt Lake City. That whole experience, and the desire to live it one more time, also drew Burtnyk back to the game after a brief retirement at the time of the last Olympic trials in 2005-06.

"We joke about it on a regular basis," Burtnyk said. "I think about it a lot. It’s probably the single-biggest moment in my curling career. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out the way I wanted. But it was something that was great to experience, being that close. It’d be nice to get the chance to try it again and that’s what we’re going to try to work on next week.

"Watching (the 2005 trials) and watching the playdowns and the bonspiels and such… as the year went on I really started to miss it. But it was really the Olympic trials and that carrot of me getting to the Olympics that probably made me come back."

Burtnyk opens next week against Gunnlaugson, the 12th seed; Stoughton, as the top seed, will face the winner of the Bob Ursel-Ted Appelman contest in the second draw.

McEwen, seeded fourth, also opens in the second draw against the winner of the Burtnyk-Gunnlaugson matchup.

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

 

THE ROAD TO THE ROAR

What it is: 12 men and 12 women’s teams are fighting to secure the last four berths at the Olympic Curling Trials in Edmonton in December.

When: Nov. 10-14.

Where: CN Centre, Prince George, B.C.

How it works: A triple-knockout format. A and B event winners and C finalists qualify for the trials.

The prize: a spot among the field at the Roar of the Rings in Edmonton Dec. 6-13.

The field, by seed: Men: 1. Jeff Stoughton (Winnipeg.); 2. Wayne Middaugh (Toronto); 3. Brad Gushue (Newfoundland); 4. Mike McEwen (Winnipeg.); 5. Kerry Burtnyk (Winnipeg.); 6. Joel Jordison (Moose Jaw, Sask.); 7. Jean-Michel Ménard (St. Romuald, Que.); 8. Ted Appleman (Edmonton); Bob Ursel (Kelowna, B.C.); 10. Pat Simmons (Davidson, Sask.); 11. Greg McAulay (Richmond. B.C.); 12. Jason Gunnlaugson (Beausejour).

Women: 1. Kelly Scott (Kelowna, B.C.); 2. Sherry Middaugh (Coldwater, Ont.); 3. Marie-France Larouche (St. Romuald, Que.); 4. Michelle Englot (Regina); 5. Heather Rankin (Calgary); 6. Rachel Homan (Ottawa); 7. Crystal Webster (Calgary); 8. Cathy King (Edmonton); 9. Krista McCarville (Thunder Bay, Ont.); 10. Amber Holland (Kronau, Sask.); 11. Sherry Anderson (Saskatoon); 12. Eve Belisle (Montreal).