CANADIAN’S DARK STRUGGLE THROWS A WIN TO U.S. RINK
POSITIVE CORONAVIRUS TESTS OF TOURNAMENT BROADCAST STAFF HAMPERS CURLING’S TV COVERAGE
On another surreal day in the Calgary curling bubble, Team Canada’s Kerri Einarson shockingly lost for the fourth time in five games — and almost no one saw it happen.
Einarson, the two-time Canadian women’s champion, continued to struggle mightily Sunday in her first world women’s curling championship appearance, losing 7-6 to Tabitha Peterson of the United States to fall to a stunning 1-4 record.
“I’m a little disappointed in myself,” Einarson said. “I wasn’t sharp out there and I had opportunities that I missed. My girls played well but I missed key shots.”
Canada’s loss wasn’t even the craziest storyline of the day.
The game, already being played before an empty house at the Markin Macphail Centre as part of COVID-19 prevention protocols, was not even televised after several members of the tournament broadcast staff tested positive for the coronavirus on Sunday.
Host broadcaster TSN and web host World Curling TV were unable to show games as all of their staff went into isolation at a Calgary hotel, which is different from where the competitors are staying.
The World Curling Federation postponed Sunday’s morning draw to perform a “deep clean” on the venue and to await the results of COVID-19 testing on all competitors, coaches and officials.
Once all those tests returned negative, Alberta Health allowed play the afternoon and evening draws to proceed. However, no games will be broadcast until at least Tuesday afternoon, as further testing and contract tracing are conducted among the staff.
Einarson, who curled just 55 per cent in the loss, said the uncertainty of the day was not a distraction.
“We’re used to it,” she said. “COVID’S a thing. It’s here. It’s been thrown at us so many times.”
What may be more of an issue for Einarson is the fact that she has been in the bubble for more than 40 days since the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in February. She and her teammates, Val Sweeting, Shannon Birchard and Briane Meilleur, all played in the Scotties, the Canadian mixed doubles championship and two Grand Slam of Curling events prior to this week. Einarson played 37 games over that time — winning championships at the Scotties, mixed doubles and Players Championship — and all that time in the bubble seems to be taking a toll.
“It’s mentally draining,” Einarson said. “I’m definitely missing my family a lot more. It’s a long haul, to be away, and there are things that we sacrifice to do what we love.
“I miss my girls and my husband and my parents. It’s tough and when you’re struggling, like I am, you want those hugs. But I just keep fighting forward and I know that they’re all so proud of me.”
Canada had the evening draw off Sunday and returns to the ice Monday for games against Germany (11 a.m., ET) and South Korea (4 p.m. ET).
OLYMPIC BERTH ON LINE
Canada’s rough start has it sitting tied for 11th place in the tournament, which is a major surprise.
Only the top 6 teams in this event will automatically qualify their countries for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. Should Canada finish outside the top 6, whichever women’s team wins the Canadian Olympic curling trials next fall would have to go to a last-chance qualifier in December in Europe just to get Canada in.
The Einarson foursome has eight games left this week to try to turn things around, but their losses — coming against Sweden, Switzerland, Russia and the United States — have been costly.
“I’m seeing a lot of grit from this team,” Canada coach Heather Nedohin said. “They’re putting it all on the line. We’ve got great leadership coming from Kerri and you can see that the girls are giving everything they’ve got. Sometimes, the way they’re playing with passion doesn’t turn out on the scoreboard.”
COVID HAS PEOPLE ‘ON EDGE’
The broadcast staff, which includes on-air, camera and production people from TSN and World Curling Television, is kept at a distance from athletes within the Markin Macphail Centre during competition, so there was not a lot of concern about transmission of COVID-19 to the curlers.
The broadcast staff includes TSN commentators Vic Rauter, Cheryl Bernard and Russ Howard, as well as Canadian curling greats Kevin Martin, Mike Harris, Joan Mccusker and Jill Officer of WCTV.
“I’m fine, not one of the positives,” Officer said from her hotel room. “I know it’s none of our commentators.”
Rauter, the longtime play-byplay man on TSN, tweeted from his hotel room Sunday afternoon that he and his colleagues were doing well.
“Thanks for the good wishes,” he wrote. “We are quarantined, tested, cared for. Hope to be back Tuesday. Take care of yourselves and each other.”
A source said people inside the Calgary curling bubble, athletes, coaches, officials and event staff, were “on edge” on Sunday but remained confident that the event could continue safely.
Others were starting to wonder if the bubble, which has worked so well since opening for the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in late February, has become “soft,” with athletes and crews coming in and out for the recent Grand Slams and this World Curling Federation event.
“We’re playing with fire,” said one person, who didn’t want to be identified.
Another person inside the bubble, head ice technician Greg Ewasko, said many people were just eager to get this event over with so they can get home at the end of the week.
“We are OK,” he said. “If it’s safe, let’s get on with it.”
The broadcast crews are made up almost entirely of Canadians.