The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Team Muirhead ‘gelling well’ ahead of Stockholm
Curling: Newlook rink clicking nicely after reaching finals in Canada
Perthshire curling ace Eve Muirhead has been delighted with her new-look team’s impressive start to the new season.
The Courier colmunist’s rink reached two finals during their season’s opening trip to Canada – a surefire sign that their hard work during the close season has made them stronger than ever before.
Team Muirhead – the dominant force in the domestic women’s game in recent years – made significant changes to their line-up and management in the summer and were forced into emergency measures after No 3 Anna Sloan suffered a serious knee injury late last season.
Sloan’s enforced absence saw Kelly Schafer drafted in as their ‘super sub’, while Lauren Gray joins Muirhead and Vicki Adams as the team’s new lead.
They also have a new coaching set-up with Canadian great Glenn Howard taking over as their tactical coach.
“The start we have made to the season has definitely got us off and running in the way I hoped we would,” said Eve.
“Those initial competitions can be a bit daunting, not knowing how you and your team are going to perform, not knowing for certain how other teams have developed or whether we have we done the correct things during the summer to get the upper hand.”
She believes that their first objective, to ensure that the other leading teams in the world game are aware that of how effectively they have been working to become ever more competitive, has been achieved as they prepare for their first European event of the season at the Stockholm Ladies Cup this weekend.
“We want to be in a position where other teams are looking at us and seeing the improvements we’ve made, not only on ice, but as a tight unit,” said Eve.
“Going into Stockholm the results we have had consequently gives us great confidence, knowing we are in a good place producing results this early in the season.”
She has been particularly pleased with the way a new group has come together to build on the team’s past achievements as they focus this season on qualifying for the 2018 Winter Olympics.
“The team has gelled really well in such a short period of time,” she said.
“As a team we have a vast range of experience. Usually known as one of the ‘younger’ teams on tour I now like to think we’ re also one of the‘ experienced’ teams… We are still young though!” she laughed.
“Between us we have several Scottish titles, world titles, European titles and Olympic medals. That doesn’t come without time and dedication to being a professional team.”