Mouat and Muirhead rinks backed for Olympic glory
British Curling has announced its podium and podium potential teams for 2020/21.
And the PEAK-based Bruce Mouat and Eve Muirhead teama have been been recognised as those tipped for international success.
For Mouat and his men’s rink teammates Grant Hardie, Stirling University student Bobby Lammie and Active Stirling curling co-ordinator Hammy McMillan, it had promised to be a particular highlight of the season, because the men’s event had been due to take place on home ice in Glasgow.
However they have now had time to come to terms with their disappointment and, having been selected for podium support on the Olympic curling programme for the year ahead, Mouat is keen that they replicate the form which saw them maintain their position as the top Scottish men’s team in the world rankings last season.
“Like everyone, we are obviously not sure what the new season will look like or when it will actually resume, but one thing we are sure of is that we will be putting all our efforts into it once it starts as we feel the way the 2019-20 season ended it left us with unfinished business,” said Mouat.
“It is always exciting to get that call that you have secured your place on the programme and I never take it for granted. The whole team are grateful to receive the support from British Curling and the staff and expertise at sportscotland that we get access to as part of that. It will be good to get going again when it is safe to do so.”
Meanwhile, Eve Muirhead, British Curling’s most consistent performer of the past decade, has turned the negative of a disappointing end to last season into a positive by seeking to ensure that she is in the best possible physical condition for the challenges to come in the last full season ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
The three-time Olympian and teammates - former Balfron High School pupil Lauren Gray, Jen Dodds and Vicky Wright - have been rewarded for their consistency during the past season, with selection as the women’s podium team for the 2020/21 season.
“We want to build on last year and it was good to get the call that we were selected as the podium team for the season ahead,” she said.
“Lockdown of course presented lots of challenges to all of the teams when we would normally have been travelling or competing together.
“However I think we will all come out stronger as a result of this and despite being physically apart we have done well touching base with each other and keeping our team goals on track.”
Team Paterson has been selected for podium potential support for the new season and skip Ross Paterson will lead team mates Kyle Waddell, Duncan Menzies and Stirling’s Michael Goodfellows.
Five time Scottish Mixed Doubles Champion Gina Aitken will be joined in the podium potential team by 2019 national champions Mili Smith and Sophie Sinclair while Rebecca Morrison completes the new line-up.
Aberdonian Morrison, 23, completed her Business Management degree at Robert Gordon University in her home city last year and now works for Active Stirling at The PEAK as a curling coach, is delighted to have made the progression through the ranks of the British and Scottish Curling pathway.
“It is a really exciting time to be moving up from foundation to podium level as the support I received last year made such a difference and really improved my curling,” observed Morrison.
“It was not just the individual technical coaching and team sessions, it was also getting access to sports psychology which was a huge benefit to us especially during competitions and I will never underestimate how much it helped.