The Olympic Process y all accounts the phrase “shoot- B ing for the rings” has taken on entirely new dimensions for cutlers all across Canada this year. in 1998 in Nagano, Japan, curling will formally join the programme of the Winter Olympic Games and thus the Olympic rings have become the new target for which many teams are shooting. Two years ago, 66 In 1998, curling afer ; io} extensive will formally Join review and the Olympic consultation Games 99 with top level curlers ; from every region of Canada, the CCA put in place a process to determine Canada’s Olympic Tepresentatives for 1998. It first established some guiding principles to drive the process as fundamental priorities: - Olympic teams would be selected by winning a competition among candidate teams. — - team membership would have no age testriction, or provincial boundaries or same club membership requirements other that as dictated by the nature of a specific qualification event + there would be a variety of routes to qualify for the final Olympic Trials but a team could only secure one berth : - the process would be open and accessi- ble to all areas of Canada "+ qualification for the fine! Olympic Trials would adhere to a “Win to be in” principle - no team was to be placed in the new Trials by virtue of past accomplishment alone. _ The CCA High Performance Committee consisted of athletes Pat Ryan, Neil Harrison, Joan McCusker, Anne Merkinger, Penny LaRocque and National Team Coaches Lindsay Sparkes (an Olympic gold Medallist . in Calgary in 1988) and Jim Waite along with CCA Director of High Performance Gerry Peckham, Nationa! Devclopinent Coach Ron Meyers and CCA Olympic chairperson Pat Reid. SAT., Feb 22 SUNDAY, Feb 23 MONDAY Feb 24 TUESDAY, Feb 25 WED., Feb 26 THURS., Feb 27 TIE BREAKERS MI-FINALS FINAL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS On-ice action takes place at the Agrodome, PNE 12:30 PM 6:00 PM 8:30 AM 12:30 PM 6:00 PM 8:30 AM 12:30 PM 6:00 PM 8:30 AM 12:30 PM 6:00 PM 8:30 AM 12:30 PM 6:00 PM 8:30 AM 12:30 PM 6:00 PM ONE DRAW TWO DRAWS THREE DRAWS 1 TIE BREAKER DRAW THREE VS FOUR ONE VS TWO 2 TIE BREAKER DRAWS ONE VS TWO THREE VS FOUR 3 TIE BREAKER THREE VS FOUR ONE VS TWO r Defending Champions: Team Canada do it again but anyone who knows Marilyn tealized it was just a matter of time until she occupied center stage again as Canadian and World Champion. _ Colourful, outspoken and gregarious, Marilyn Bodogh is often credited with I: took her ten years to eA Bay NFLD VS BC ONT VS MAN CAN VS SASK ALTA VS NFLD CAN VS Y/NWT NS VS ONT NB VS ALTA ' QUE VS PE! SASK VS NS PEI VS SASK SASK BS MAN Y/NWT VS QUE ONT VS ALTA NFLD VS Y/NWT NS VS NB NB VS SASK ALTA VS NS MAN VS NFLD BC VS MAN PEI VS Y/NWT ONT VS BC BC VS QUE PEI VS ONT Y/NWT VS BC MAN VS CAN NB VS Y/NWT NFLD VS NB CAN VS NFLD NS VS CAN NELD VS PEI ALTA VS QUE SASK VS BC MAN VS NS 8:00 AM FRIDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY 9:00 PM 8:00 AM THURSDAY FRIDAY FRIDAY 9:00 PM 8:00 AM 12:30 PM FRIDAY FRIDAY 12:30 PM 6:00 PM FRIDAY FRIDAY FRIDAY 12:30 PM 12:30 PM 6:00 PM FRIDAY FRIDAY 6:00 PM 6:00 PM SATURDAY 10-20 AM SUNDAY elley Owen, skip of K= B.C. finished he ten team round tobin play off - at the provin- cial Scott Tournament of Hearts on top with an impressive 8-1 record. Kelley had won the provincial championship on three other occasions, in 1990 skipping a team from Haney and then in 1992 and NB VS QUE BC VS CAN PEI VS ALTA Y/NWT VS NS MAN VS NB NFLD VS SASK ONT VS QUE Y/NWT VS MAN PEI VS BC BC VS NS NB VS BC MAN VS PEI QUE VS NFLD ALTA VS CAN CAN VS ONT NS VS PEI NFLD VS ONT CAN VS NB Y/NTW VS ALTA QUE VS CAN SASK VS QUE ONT VS SASK QUE VS NS SASK VS ALTA NS VS NFLD ALTA VS MAN CAN VS PEI PEI VS NB QUE VS MAN ONT VS Y/NWT NB VS ONT BC VS ALTA starting the ball rolling that » put women’s curling firmly “on the map in terms of public awareness and media attention. She speaks her mind but she is warm and friendly and attracts the spotlight wherever she goes. Although she has mel- lowed in the past decade, expect to see lots of emo- tion on the ice as Marilyn endeavors to defend her Scott Tournament of Hearts title. When she returned in 1987 as Team Canada, her teain’s performance was less than expected and they wound up winning only four of their eleven games. Don’t expect that to hap- pen this year. The team has had an active winter touring Canada and Europe under the watchful cyes of award winning Coach, Mary Gellard. This young team is no stranger to the pressures of competition. Third, Kim Gellard and second, Corie Beveridge are two time junior world champions. The team has a new cheer- leader with them - four month old, Gabriel, son of fead, Jane Hooper Perroud. Expect a few more cheer- leaders in the crowd at the Agrodome as this attractive foursome takes on the rep- resentatives from the ten Canadian provinces and the Territories. 1995 playing third for Lisa Walker and Marla Geiger from the Richmond Curling Club. With her fourth champi- onship firmly within her grasp, Kelley watched Georgina Wheatcroft score a five ender in the seventh end of the final game to go up by three. However, perseverance paid off and in the tenth end, she tied it up with a two ender and then had to steal one in the extra end to win with a score of 8-7. Marla is now playing a5 third and is looking forward to her second Scott Tournament of Hearts. She is a former World Junior Champion, playing lead on the winning team in 1988. Sherry Fraser was second on the 1995 provincial champi- on team. Lead, Christine Jurgenson was also on that team. This is Christine's fifth provincial title having won in 1980, 1983, 1986, and 1995. Christine is Marilyn Bodogh’s sister and was part of their world championship a: team in 1986. The tea: coached by Lindsay Sparke: three time Canadian champ on, 1985 world cham, and 1988 gold medal : the Calgary Olympics where curling was a demonstration * sport. The team curls out 0! the Richmond Curling Club and will have a large contin- gent cheering them on at the Agrodome (including Chris and Marilyn’s Mom‘and Da who are flying in from St. Catharines to cheer on their two daughters.)