Trials qualifier excitement is palpable
From past Olympians to those with less than five years of experience, a wide array of curlers are hitting the ice at Curl Mesabi for a chance to play at the U.S. Mixed Doubles Olympic Trials.
When curlers, especially in the United States, share their love of rocks with their family, friends, and colleagues, the reaction is generally predictable.
“You are a curler?! When can we expect to see you at the Olympics?”
The question gets old pretty fast, but it also serves as a quick reality check. It’s a regular reminder of the skill, dedication and commitment it takes athletes to compete at the highest level.
For most curlers, the “Olympic dream” is just that—a dream. However, for a group of curlers now in Eveleth, Minnesota, the Olympic dream might feel a little more real.
As of tonight, 48 duos are on the ice at Curl Mesabi for the Last Chance Mixed Doubles Olympic Trials Qualifier. The winner will claim one of the final spots at the nation’s Mixed Doubles Olympic Trials at Rock Creek Curling in Lafayette, CO in February.
“We know the power of the Olympic dream,” said Dean Gemmell, CEO of USA Curling. “Part of the thought process was to give the entire curling community a connection to that dream, and we hope this helps harness support for any of the teams that wind up representing the United States in Cortina.”
Two-time women’s fours Olympian Nina Roth stepped back from the game after Beijing 2022, but she will compete in Eveleth and has experienced it all firsthand.
“Having an Olympic dream has truly defined my life,” said Roth. “It’s brought me such great joy, and a lot of character-building moments, but it was a great ride.”
In May, USA Curling announced the creation of the qualifier, and curlers from around the country were clearly excited about the opportunity. Ninety-six curlers representing 17 different states signed up for a chance to earn a berth in February’s Trials.
The competitors at this event offer a wide range of motivation, experience, and expectations.
Roth is playing with Kroy Nernberger, the founder of brush manufacturer End Game Curling. Neither of them are strangers to Olympic Trials, and they’d certainly fit in at Lafayette.
“Earning an Olympic Trials spot would be great,” Nina shared. “Especially after fighting through such a big field, but I’m just excited to play in competitive games and make some great shots with Kroy.”
Tyler Despins and Susan Horsman, members at the Curling Club of Rochester, have a very different pedigree than Roth/Nernberger. In fact, they have never curled together at a mixed doubles event.
Their goals? “Learn, learn, learn,” said Tyler, a fourth year curler.
Susan, who started curling thanks to Team Shuster’s gold medal run in 2018, responded with her goal: “Curl our best, have fun, and watch some excellent curling in person. If we win a game, that would be pretty nice too.”
Olympians like Roth and John Shuster have inspired many others to do more than pick up a brush. They’ve inspired them to picture themselves at the Olympic Winter Games.
Lois Buckingham remembers how it all started for her. She grew up around the Madison Curling Club and was there to welcome Roth as well as Matt and Becca Hamilton back home.
“Seeing what curling looked like on that stage and then getting photos with all of them right after they got back, those moments kicked off my dreams of the Olympics.”
The last time we saw Lois, she was on the ice as the lead for Team Schroeder at the Everest North American Club Curling Championships.
Just a few months later, she gets to share the ice at a competitive event with someone who has been such a big part of her story.
“To go to this event with both (Roth) and Kroy being there is really exciting! It’s pretty cool because we have the same draw times, and we’re typically on the sheet next to one another.”
Before today’s first stones, USA Curling was already considering a similar type of qualifier for other championships, depending on feedback received from this event.
“The expectation is that it's something we'll likely do again,” said Gemmell. “Whether we do it for four-person Trials is open for debate. If that is the case, it wouldn’t happen until the 2030 Games.”
The men’s and women’s fours Olympic Trials will be held at Sioux Falls in November 2025, and will each feature only four teams vying for the coveted spot in Italy.
The fourth team will emerge from a Pre-Trials event, open to any squad in the top 100 of the World Curling Team Rankings, limiting the potential Trials field to a select few.
“I think having an open tournament with an Olympic Trials spot on the line is amazing and totally unique to our sport,” said Roth.
“It’s a great opportunity. It reminds me of when I was first starting out, and I got to play both with and against Olympians, and it just grew my love for the game and sparked that dream of being an Olympian.”
For now, though, the Olympic dream lives on with mixed doubles nearly 100 players in Eveleth.
After this weekend, 94 will continue dreaming while two can start considering the possibility of a new reality.