Howard begins final push for Olympics
The one thing missing from Glenn Howard’s impressive curling resume is an Olympic title. He’ll need to win the upcoming Home Hardware Road to the Roar PreTrials to have a chance of getting to the 2018 Winter Games.
Howard, a f our- t i me Brier and world champion, is one of the headliners in a 14- team men’s field that includes former Brier champs Pat Simmons of Moose Jaw, Jean- Michel Menard of Saint- Romuald, Que., and 2010 Olympic champion John Morris of Chestermere, Alta.
Shannon Kleibrink of Okotoks, Alta., who won bronze at the 2006 Turin Games, is in the 14- team women’s field along with Sherry Middaugh of Coldwater, Ont., Krista McCarville of Thunder Bay, Ont., and Edmonton’s Kelsey Rocque.
Play begins Monday afternoon at Credit Union Place in Summerside, P. E. I., and continues through Nov. 12.
This will be t he f i nal Olympic cycle for Howard, who turned 55 over the summer. He plans to use alternate Adam Spencer at third after vice- skip Richard Hart pulled out with a knee injury.
Hart will handle coaching duties for the team instead.
“We’re totally capable,” Howard said from his hometown of Tiny, Ont. “Are we the best team in the world right now? No. But can we beat anybody? Absolutely. I’m a firm believer of that.”
Two men’s teams and two women’s rinks from the PreTrials will qualify for the Dec. 2-10 Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings — the Olympic Trials — in Ottawa. The winning teams from the Trials will represent Canada at the PyeongChang Olympics in February.
Other entries in the PreTrials men’s field include Charlottetown r esi dent Adam Casey, Edmonton’s Brendan Bottcher, Halifax’s Jamie Murphy, Greg Balsdon of Kingston, Ont., Winnipeg’s William Lyburn, Mark Bice of Sarnia, Ont., Dayna Deruelle of Brampton, Ont., Jason Gunnlaugson of Winnipeg, Colton Flasch of Saskatoon and Charley Thomas of Edmonton.
The women’s fi eld i ncludes Winnipeg’s Darcy Robertson, Theresa Breen of Halifax, Julie Tippin of Woodstock, Ont., Winnipeg’s Shannon Birchard, Jacqueline Harrison of Mississauga, Ont., Tracy Fleury of Sudbury, Ont., Briane Meilleur of Winnipeg, Kerri Einarson of East St. Paul, Man., Karla Thompson of Kamloops, B. C., and Calgary’s Nadine Scotland.
Canada is the reigning Olympic champion in both t he men’s and women’s events.