Sweden's Niklas Edin shouts instructions to teammates during the men's curling final match between Britain and Sweden at the Beijing Winter Olympics Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022, in Beijing. Olympic champion Edin of Sweden has been named interim president of the new Curling Players' Association. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Brynn Anderson
Olympic champion Niklas Edin of Sweden has been named interim president of the new Curling Players’ Association.
The international group was organized by Curling Live streaming service co-founder Rylan Hartley, the association said Thursday in a release.
Executive group members include representatives from Europe (Switzerland’s Silvana Tirinzoni, Edin), Canada (Tyler Tardi, Emma Miskew), the U.S., (Korey Dropkin, Tabitha Peterson), Pacific-Asia (Japan’s Anna Ohmiya and J.D. Lind) and Next Gen (Canada’s Tanner Horgan and Mackenzie Zacharias).
A number of elite players have agreed to join the association by signing an initial letter of support, the association said. The group plans to hold seminars next year and canvass active competitive curlers around the world over the next two months for their support.
There was no immediate word on a date for a formal vote by the players.
In its release, the association said it planned to work with the World Curling Federation and its Athlete Commission and will strive to have a positive relationship with national sport organizations.
Early objectives include improving communication between curlers, associations and event organizers and facilitating co-ordination with athletes on planning of new events and competition scheduling, the group said.
The association also plans to review the existing points system, negotiate player benefits and create a set of standards to be applied to all professional events.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 22, 2022.
