Jordon McDonald of Winnipeg, Manitoba has been the big story so far at the 2024 PointsBet Invitational Curling Tournament at Markin MacPhail Centre in Calgary, Alberta. After beating 2023 Brier finalist and fourth seed Matt Dunstone of Winnipeg 8-5 on Wednesday in the sweep 16, McDonald, the 13th seed, upset two-time world champion and fifth seed Kevin Koe of Calgary, Alberta 8-4 in the elite eight.
Koe only had three curlers after dropping Jacques Gauthier at the beginning of the week. McDonald’s team consisted of third Dallas Burgess, second Elias Huminicki, and lead Cameron Olafson. The turning point in McDonald’s win over Koe came in the fourth end as he stole two points to take a 5-2 lead. McDonald will now face Brad Gushue of St. John’s, Newfoundland in one semifinal, with Mike McEwen and Brad Jacobs in the other semifinal.
On the women’s side, there was another upset as Calgary’s Kayla Skrlik, the Alberta champion from 2023, beat Winnipeg’s Chelsea Carey 8-6. The other semifinal has Ottawa’s Rachel Homan versus Winnipeg’s Kaitlyn Lawes.
There is some significant news in curling. In an impactful interview between Curling Canada Chief Executive Officer Nolan Thiessen and Cathy Gauthier of TSN, Thiessen discussed the recent four year suspension of curler Brianne Harris. The lead of Kerri Einarson tested positive for Ligandrol in February prior to the 2024 Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Calgary, with an appeal currently taking place with a decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport expected some time in October according to Gregory Strong of the Canadian Press. What Thiessen stated in the interview which was newsworthy is the fact that in the future, an entire team could face discipline if a player tests positive for a banned substance. At this time there will be no discipline to Einarson, third Val Sweeting or second Shannon Birchard. Meanwhile, Thiessen also stated the final of the 2025 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials in Halifax, Nova Scotia and the 2025 Canadian Olympic Curling Pre-Trials in Wolfville, Nova Scotia will be a best of three for the first time ever.
(This article was revised thanks to Curling Canada who informed me that there will be no discipline for Harris’s teammates).
