Canada's top mixed doubles curling teams to compete in Manitoba for Beijing Olympics

WINNIPEG -

Canada’s top mixed doubles curling teams are heading back to Portage la Prairie.

On Tuesday, Curling Canada announced The Canad Inns Canadian Mixed Doubles Trials are returning to Manitoba in late December.

Sixteen teams will compete to represent Canada at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

The first mixed doubles curling trial was held in Portage la Prairie in 2018. The team of Winnipeg’s Kaitlyn Lawes and partner John Morris won the inaugural event and went on to capture the first-ever gold medal in mixed doubles curling at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Six teams have already qualified for the Olympic trials including Gimli’s Kerri Einarson and teammate Brad Gushue. They took home gold at the 2021 Home Hardware Canadian Mixed Doubles Championship in March. Selkirk’s Kadriana Sahaidak and Colton Lott, who finished second at the event, have also qualified for the trials.

Einarson and Gushue went on to a fourth-place finish at the 2021 World Mixed Doubles Championship in Aberdeen, Scotland, where they secured Canada’s spot in the Beijing Olympics.

Portage la Prairie was scheduled to host the Canad Inns Classics in October 2020, but the event was cancelled due to the pandemic.

“There was so much uncertainty in the world at that time, but one thing remained certain – Portage la Prairie is an outstanding curling city with a group of dedicated volunteers,” Curling Canada’s chair Amy Nixon said Tuesday. “We knew we’d be back again soon.”

The event will be held at Stride Place from December 28 to January 2.

“We look forward to welcoming curling fans and curlers from across Canada in December,” said Portage la Prairie Mayor Irvine Ferris in a statement.

In late November, the Canadian men’s and women’s teams will be decided at the Tim Horton Curling Trials in Saskatoon.