The 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing begin on Wednesday with mixed doubles curling. The Canadian team of Rachel Homan of Ottawa, Ontario and John Morris of Winnipeg, Manitoba get a first draw bye before playing their first Olympic game on Wednesday night (Thursday in Beijing) against a powerful team from Great Britain.
Just how good is Great Britain? Well, Bruce Mouat and Jennifer Dodds are the reigning World Champions, and will both do double duty in Beijing. Mouat will be skipping the men’s team, while Dodds will be the second for skip Eve Muirhead.
Morris has won two gold medals in the past, and is looking for this third Olympic medal. He previously was the third on the Canadian team that struck gold at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, and then teamed up with Kaitlyn Lawes in mixed doubles at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang.
Lawes will also be seeking her third straight Olympic gold as she was the third for Jennifer Jones at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. Jones will be representing Canada again in women’s curling as the skip in Beijing, and has her same lead in Dawn McEwen that she did eight years ago. Brad Gushue and his third, Mark Nichols, are also Olympic gold medalists from the past as they were on Team Canada that won gold in men’s curling at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin. They have now teamed up with Brett Gallant and Geoff Walker to create a formidable men’s team in Beijing.
The best chance for a Canadian medal seems to be the men’s team skipped by Gushue from St. John’s, Newfoundland. The reason is they were so strong at the Boost National in Chestermere, Alberta, that they got a “Boost” by beating Team Mouat in the final. Mouat meanwhile may lack energy by playing mixed doubles immediately prior.
The men’s gold medal game is at 11pm MT on February 18. The mixed doubles gold medal game is at February 8 at 5am MT. The women’s gold medal game is at 6pm on February 19.
