Kerri Einarson and Brad Gushue will skip Canada's teams at the upcoming Pan Continental Curling Championships. Einarson, right, and Gushue celebrate defeating Team Schmiemann/Morris in the semifinal at the Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Championship in Calgary, Alta., Thursday, March 25, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
KELOWNA, B.C. – Kerri Einarson and Brad Gushue will skip Canada’s teams at the upcoming Pan Continental Curling Championships.
The announcement from Curling Canada was expected after Gushue, from St. John’s, N.L. won a second consecutive Canadian men’s curling title earlier this year while Einarson, of Gimli, Man., won her fourth straight Canadian women’s title.
Einarson and Gushue also represented Canada at last year’s inaugural Pan Continental tournament in Calgary, with Gushue winning gold and Einarson claiming bronze.
The event will determine which nations from the Americas, Asia and Pacific regions will compete at the 2024 world women’s and men’s curling championships.
The top five finishers in the men’s event will earn their country a berth at the men’s world championship, while the top four outside of Canada in the women’s event will qualify their countries for the women’s championship
Canada is guaranteed a spot in the 2024 women’s championship in Sydney, N.S., as host, but Einarson’s team, which includes vice-skip Val Sweeting, second Shannon Birchard, lead Briane Harris and coach Reid Carruthers, have something to play for. The team will look to avoid relegation from the tournament’s A Division in order to give Canada a chance to earn a berth at the 2025 women’s championship at next year’s Pan Continental event.
Team Gushue, which includes vice-skip Mark Nichols, second E.J. Harnden, lead Geoff Walker and coach Caleb Flaxey, must finish in the top five to qualify Canada for the 2024 men’s championship in Schaffhausen, Switzerland.
Canada’s representative at the women’s world championship will be determined at the 2024 Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Calgary. Should Gushue earn a spot for Canada at the men’s worlds, it will be filled by the winner of the 2024 Montana’s Brier in Regina.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 6, 2023.
