We now know the 16 Canadian mixed doubles curling teams that will be vying for the Canadian Olympic spot for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing according to the Canadian Press on Wednesday. Canada will be looking to defend its gold medal from the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang, where Kaitlyn Lawes and John Morris of Winnipeg, Manitoba won gold. It was the second career curling gold medal for Lawes and Morris, as Morris won gold with Kevin Martin at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver in men’s curling and Lawes won gold with Jennifer Jones at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi in women’s curling.
The Canadian Olympic Mixed Doubles Curling Trials will take place in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba from December 28 to January 2. Morris will be set to try and return to the Olympic Winter Games in mixed doubles again, however this time with women’s world champion, Rachel Homan of Ottawa, Ontario. Some of the other high profile teams include Kerri Einarson of Gimli, Manitoba and Brad Jacobs of Sault. Ste. Marie, Ontario; Selena Njegovan of Winnipeg, Manitoba and Brent Laing of Horseshoe Valley, Ontario; Lisa Weagle of Ottawa, Ontario, and John Epping of Toronto, Ontario; Val Sweeting and Marc Kennedy of Edmonton, Alberta; Laura Walker of Edmonton, Alberta, and Kirk Muyres of Regina, Saskatchewan; and Chelsea Carey of Calgary, Alberta, and Colin Hodgson of West St. Paul, Manitoba.
Other teams include Nancy Martin of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and Tyrell Griffith of Kelowna, British Columbia; Kadriana Sahaidak and Colton Lott of Gimli, Manitoba; Laurie St-Georges and Felix Asselin of Laval, Quebec; Shannon Birchard of Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Catlin Schneider of Regina, Saskatchewan; Clancy Grandy and Patrick Janssen of Pickering, Ontario; Kim and Wayne Tuck of Strathroy, Ontario; Emilie and Robert Desjardins of Chicoutimi, Quebec; Brendan Bottcher and Bobbie Sauder of Edmonton, Alberta; and Lauren Wasylkiw and Shane Konings of Stouffville, Ontario. Sahaidak and Lott went to the final of the 2021 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials in Calgary before losing 9-6 to Brad Gushue of St. John’s, Newfoundland and Einarson. Gushue and Einarson finished fourth at the 2021 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship in Aberdeen, Scotland.
