Schmirler curling legend lives on

The Fed – the World Curling Federation – has just announced that Sandra Schmirler is the posthumous winner of the 2009 World Curling Freytag Award.

The award is given in two categories – Curler and Curler/Builder – and Schmirler, the three-time world champion and 1998 Olympic champion who died in 2000 at age 36 – is the first Canadian competitor to be inducted since Ernie Richardson, who received his award just days after Schmirler’s death that year, at the Brier in Saskatoon.

What is very cool, apart from the continued recognition of the Schmirler legacy (which of course includes the Foundation named after her) is that immediate surviving family members Shannon England – her husband – and daughters Sara and Jenna will receive Schmirler’s award at the 2009 Ford Worlds in Moncton.

Moncton just happens to be the 50th anniversary bash celebrating the world men’s championships, and a whack of famous names are being jetted in for the opening weekend, which will climax with a rather remarkable opening ceremony.

It says here that this event is not one to miss.

Have you ever thought about a present day with Sandra Schmirler still with us? What would the curling world look like if, in fact, she hadn’t passed away so tragically at such a young age?

Would she still be the best women’s curler of all time?

Would Colleen Jones have won fewer Scotties and World titles?

Would some of her teammates moved on, and tried their hand without her? According to the eulogy delivered by Brian McCusker, the husband of second rocker Joan McCusker, the asnwer is no way... the team would still be competing together “50 years from now.”

But who can say? Perhaps Schmirler would now be leading a team of young guns, as so many veteran skips seem to do these days.

Would she be the female TV commentator at CBC or TSN, as opposed to teammate McCusker? Remember, Schmirler had already appeared on CBC a few times prior to her death and was generally acknowledged to be, well, pretty good with a microphone.

There would have been books, no doubt (here and here) but would there be a park named after her in Biggar, Saskatchewan? Would there exist any of the not one but two TV documentaries? Would the official plaudits and awards be just starting to trickle in now, as she approached age 45?

One thing is certain. Schmirler’s nomination and confirmation for this award comes at a good time. And it will be simply tremendous to see her family – with the daughters now aged 11 and 9 – accept the award at the 50th anniversary Worlds.

“Back in Regina there are tons of good teams and I don’t know why we’ve been chosen to do this... And to play with your best friends is probably the best feeling in the world.”
– Sandra Schmirler, Maclean’s, February 23 1998


Elsewhere:


• Here’s another look at Joan McCusker’s 10-year anniversary blogpost on Nagano and the Schmirler curling memories, published almost a year ago ...

• As for ex-teammates Jan Betker and Marcia Gudereit, they made a surprising early exit from playdowns last weekend ...

• Another big women’s name to fall out of Scotties contention is 2007 world champion Kelly Scott of Kelowna, who has been eliminated prior to the B.C. provincial ...

• Women of Curling calendar girl Christine Keshen – with her very nice hat – is starting a junior program at her home club in Invermere. Now that’s giving back to the sport! Congrats to Kesh on her recent engagement, too ...

• Speaking of the calendar, it got a write-up and cover-paste on Rod Pedersen’s popular sports blog ...

• Curling got grazed by a couple of goombahs over the holidays. First came this Simple One who claims to be now “scarred for life” by curling, and then came Sportbilly24 and his declaration that curling “has gained a strong ding as one of the weirdest sports using a household appliance”. How original ...

• Here’s a look at the up-and-down season of Sherry Middaugh ...

• And finally, CBC curling host Scott Russell ranks Brad Gushue at no. 3 on his list of young Canadian athletes to watch in 2009 ...

Canada has Hart

EDMONTON – A nice piece by Vicki Hall in most of today’s CanWest Global newspapers, including the National Post, spotlighting Team Canada’s Richard Hart (photo by CurlingZone) and his Olympic experience of nine years ago... not quite 10, Richie!

Hart gets another chance to win a global curling crown tomorrow, as the Canadians take on Germany’s Andy Kapp, a 6-4 semi-final winner over Todd Birr of the United States.

Germany dominated the first half of the game, but held only a 3-2 lead at the midway point.

The second half turned into a tactical battle of wits, as Kapp chose to play a defensive style – also the usual American strategy – in the final three frames.

Kapp declined to chase a deuce in the eight end, settling for one, and paved the way for Birr to blank the ninth and hold last-rock advantage in the 10th, trailing 5-4.

In the final frame, a key miss by U.S. third Bill Todhunter left Germany in command of a crowded house, and Birr’s last-rock double-takeout attempt removed only one German stone, handing Kapp the win.

“It’s fun for us to make the final,” said Kapp.

“Ten years after losing the final, it’s really good for us.”

Kapp lost the 1997 global finale 6-3 to Sweden’s Peja Lindholm, who finished this 2007 shootout in fifth place. Germany eliminated the Swedes in the tiebreakers.

After a 6-5 won/loss record in the round-robin, Kapp has reeled off four straight wins, three of them in one day.

“You get so many games for less entry fee,” Kapp quipped.

For Birr, his two playoff losses brought a solid week to a disappointing close. After dropping their first two games, the United States won seven of their next eight matchups, only to run into roadblocks against Canada and Germany.

“We played better today but we didn’t play as well as we had all week,” said the soft-spoken Birr.

The Americans grabbed 10 qualifying points towards the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, a very strong total from a team quietly dismissed as out of their league by many observers one week ago.

Howard’s Canadian unit has a powerful resume full of championship trophies, but all four team members have also finished second in numerous finals.

“We want to win it all, bad,” declared Howard, the 1987 and 1993 world champion.

“We don’t want to finish any less than first. It’s been 14 years since I was here. I treat this like it’s the last time I’m going to get here.”