SWEEP SERENITY
Courtney’s performance as second has brought changes to the sport
GANGNEUNG, SOUTH KOREA The way six-time Canadian champion Colleen Jones sees it, women’s curling would not be the game it is today without two of the best seconds on the planet — Joanne Courtney and Jill Officer.
“I think Joanne and Jill have inspired a whole other level of sweepers,” Jones, now a broadcaster with CBC, said this week at the Olympic Winter Games.
“What Joanne and Jill’s great sweeping has done is it has raised the bar for every front-ender out there. People are trying to copy the style, the strength, the power the speed, which both Joanne and Jill bring to curling. I’m seeing way more young sweepers who are just phenomenal, especially with speed of brush and power on it.”
Courtney is the second on Team Canada in these Olympics and was one of the big reasons why Rachel Homan’s Ottawa team go here in the first place.
Officer is the second on the Jennifer Jones team that won a gold medal at the last Olympics. Her team also recently won the Canadian women’s championship and will represent Canada at the worlds.
Anyone asked to name the top women’s seconds in curling would point to those two in a heartbeat.
This week, it’s Courtney’s time to shine under the spotlight as Homan’s team, the 2017 world champions, tries to match the gold Jones won four years ago. The Homanrinkhasan 0-3 record after losing 9-8 in an extra end to Denmark on Friday afternoon.
None of the Canadians are playing their best right now, but usually Courtney is as consistent as they come.
“As a front-end player you want to be as strong on sweeping as possible, so on our team we try to bring everything we can to every sweep, with that high intensity,: said Courtney, a 28-year-old from Edmonton. “There’s a lot of athleticism to the actual technique of sweeping and we work really hard at it. There’s tons of great sweepers in the women’s game … you’ve seen more and more of that over the last couple of quadrennials. It’s great to see.”
Courtney, a registered nurse, lives in Edmonton. No doubt that can pose logistical problems since her team plays out of Ottawa.
“I’m very lucky, I’m a casual nurse, I don’t hold a permanent position,” Courtney said. “When I’m in town for an extended period, my unit lets me fill in where the gaps are if it’s needed. I’m able to keep up my hours so I can maintain my licence but at this point in my career, curling is definitely the priority.”
Basically, her day job is not going to get in the way of her passion, which is pursuing an Olympic gold medal in curling.