December 10…The 2007 Continental Cup of Curling, presented by Monsanto, begins Thursday at The Arena in Medicine Hat, Alberta.
This will be the fifth edition of the unique, four-day event, an international competition patterned somewhat after golf’s Ryder Cup, featuring Team North America against Team Europe. Both sides are tied at two wins each. North America took the inaugural ‘Cup’ in Regina in 2002 and the 2004 renewal in Medicine Hat, when an attendance record of 42,317 was set. Europe prevailed in 2003 in Thunder Bay and last year in Chilliwack, British Columbia.
Europe is represented by teams skipped by 2006 world champion David Murdoch of Scotland, who this past weekend won his second European championship, 2007 world men’s silver medallist Andy Kapp of Germany, 2006 European champions Andreas Schwaller of Switzerland and Liudmila Privivkova of Russia, Angelina Jensen of Denmark and Kelly Wood of Scotland, the silver and bronze medallists, respectively, at the 2007 world women’s championship in Aomori, Japan. The captain is 2002 Olympic gold medallist Rhona Martin while Rodger Schmidt is the coach.
North America is composed of teams skipped by Canada’s reigning world champions, Kelly Scott of British Columbia and Glenn Howard of Ontario, Alberta’s six-time Brier winner and four-time world champion Randy Ferbey, Manitoba’s 2005 Canadian champion Jennifer Jones, Minnesota’s Todd Birr, bronze medallist at the 2007 Ford world men’s in Edmonton and Wisconsin’s Debbie McCormick, the 2003 world champion and 2006 world women’s silver medallist. Pat Ryan, a three-time Brier winner and two-time world champion, is the captain while Elaine Dagg-Jackson is the coach.
CBC-TV will provide live coverage of the Continental Cup on Saturday, December 15 and Sunday, December 16, when the final men’s and women’s Skins Games take place. CurlTV (www.curltv.com) is also offering event coverage to its subscribers.
The competition format involves four disciplines within the sport, each worth a designated number of points - Team Games (72 points), Mixed Doubles (36 points), Singles (32 points) and Skins Games (260 points). The first side to score 201 points is declared the winner. Each member of the winning side receives $2,000, while the losing side members get $1,400 each from the $88,400 total purse.
There have been several format changes to the ‘Cup’ this year, including the introduction of two Mixed Skins Games, worth 20 and 30 points, to complement the three separate men’s and women’s Skins Games, which are now worth 20, 30 and 55 points each.
The Singles competition, which involves six basic curling shots, now requires each of the four members of the team to throw at least one of the shots. Formerly, one curler for each side threw all six shots.
Finally, Mixed Doubles will now involve only a male and female thrower for each side, who may also sweep during the game. However, unlike past Cups, no other sweepers will be provided.
The Continental Divide, the entertainment centre for ‘Cup week’, will be in the Medicine Hat Curling Club.
Draw results for the Continental Cup, a venture of the World Curling Federation, United States Curling Association and the Canadian Curling Association, will be instantly available on the CCA (www.curling.ca <http://www.curling.ca> ), WCF (www.worldcurling.org <http://www.worldcurling.org> ) and USCA (www.usacurl.org <http://www.usacurl.org> ) websites.
For ticket information, call the Box Office at 403-502-8777 or visit online at www.tixx.ca.
2007 CONTINENTAL CUP SCHEDULE (All times local - MST)
Tuesday, December 11 - Arrival of Teams
Wednesday, December 12
10:30 am Team Meeting at Medicine Hat Lodge
12:30 pm - 4:30 pm Team Practices – Arena
Europe 12:30-2:00 pm; North America 3:00-4:30 pm
5:00 pm - 6:00 pm Sponsors Reception - Medicine Hat Curling Club
6:30 pm - 7:00 pm Opening Ceremonies – Arena
8:00 pm - 10:00 pm Opening Banquet - Medicine Hat Lodge
Thursday, December 13
Draw 1 9:30 am - 12:00 pm Mixed Doubles
Draw 2 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm Women’s Team Games
Draw 3 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm Men’s Team Games
Friday, December 14
Draw 4 9:30 am - 12:00 pm Women’s Team Games
Draw 5 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm Singles
Draw 6 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm Men’s Team Games
Saturday, December 15
Draw 7 11:30 am - 2:00 pm Skins (Men’s, Women’s and Mixed - A)
Draw 8 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm Mixed Doubles
Draw 9 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm Skins (Men’s, Women’s and Mixed - B)
Sunday, December 16
Draw 10 10:30 am - 1:00 pm Final Women’s Skins Game (C)
Draw 11 11:30 am - 2:00 pm Final Men’s Skins Game (C)
2:15 pm Closing Ceremonies
3:00 pm Champions Reception -
Medicine Hat Curling Club
2007 CONTINENTAL CUP
Presented by Monsanto
December 13-16, 2007
The Arena, Medicine Hat, Alberta
TEAM EUROPE - Captain: Rhona Martin, Scotland
Coach: Rodger Schmidt, Switzerland
Women
Denmark (Tårnby CC, Tårnby)
Angelina Jensen (second stones), Madeleine Dupont, Denise Dupont, Camilla Jensen
Russia (Moskvitch CC, Moscow)
Liudmila Privivkova, Olga Jarkova, Nkeiruka Ezekh, Ekaterina Galkina
Scotland (Dun CC, Montrose & Stirling Ice Rink Sports Club, Stirling)
Kelly Wood, Jackie Lockhart, Lorna Vevers, Lindsay Wood
Men
Germany (CC Füssen, Füssen)
Andy Kapp, Andreas Lang, Holger Höhne, Andreas Kempf
Scotland (Lockerbie CC, Lockerbie)
David Murdoch, Niklas Edin (replaces injured Ewan MacDonald), Peter Smith, Euan Byers
Switzerland (CC Baden Regio, Baden-Dättwil)
Andreas Schwaller, Ralph Stöckli, Thomas Lips, Damian Grichting
TEAM NORTH AMERICA - Captain: Pat Ryan, Canada
Coach: Elaine Dagg-Jackson, Canada
Women
Canada (Kelowna CC, Kelowna, BC)
Kelly Scott, Jeanna Schraeder, Sasha Carter, Renee Simons
Canada (St. Vital CC, Winnipeg, MB)
Jennifer Jones, Cathy Overton-Clapham, Jill Officer, Dawn Askin
United States (Madison CC, Madison, Wisconsin)
Debbie McCormick, Allison Pottinger, Nicole Joraanstad, Natalie Nicholson
Men
Canada (Coldwater & District CC, Coldwater, ON)
Glenn Howard, Richard Hart, Brent Laing, Craig Savill
Canada (Granite CC, Edmonton, AB)
Randy Ferbey (third stones), David Nedohin, Scott Pfeifer, Marcel Rocque
United States (Mankato CC, Mankato, Minnesota)
Todd Birr, Bill Todhunter, Greg Johnson, Kevin Birr
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