Curlers Laura Walker and Kirk Muyres, pictured. (Twitter/Walker/MuyresMixed Doubles)

By Brady Lang/650 CKOM News

Olympic Trials

‘The way it is nowadays:’ Sask. curler reacts to cancellation of Mixed Doubles Olympic Trials

Dec 29, 2021 | 9:54 AM

St. Gregor’s Kirk Muyres was preparing to travel to Portage la Prairie, Man., Sunday afternoon for another crack at the Olympics.

He and teammate Laura Walker have been gearing up for the Mixed Doubles Olympic Trials, which were to be held Tuesday through Sunday.

On Sunday morning, Curling Canada announced the cancellation of the tournament, which would have seen the winning team head to the Olympics in Beijing beginning Feb. 4.

“A rise in positive tests for COVID-19 among athletes who were scheduled to attend, along with the risks associated with travelling, have forced Curling Canada to cancel the 2022 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials,” a press release from Curling Canada reads.

“The increasing numbers of Trials-bound athletes testing positive for COVID-19, along with the rise in cases across Canada, made it impossible to stage the event in a safe, responsible manner for athletes, staff and volunteers.”

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This news was tough to swallow for Muyres.

“It’s obviously very disappointing. It’s one of those things our teams been looking forward to (for) a few years now,” he told 650 CKOM.

“You just (have) to roll with the punches, and realize there’s (a) bigger picture at play here than just the curling.”

Muyres said that he was not one of the curlers to test positive for COVID.

Along with the announcement of the cancellation of the tournament, Curling Canada outlined how it will decide the pair who gets to represent Canada in Beijing.

“Curling Canada’s High Performance staff will consult with the Canadian Olympic Committee and Own the Podium to decide the best process to nominate a Canadian mixed doubles team that will compete in China. An announcement of the nominated team will be made when the process is complete,” it reads.

Muyres and Walker sit at number 10 on Curling Canada’s Canadian Mixed Doubles Rankings. The top team, Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant, have already punched their tickets to the games, winning as part of Team Jennifer Jones and Team Brad Gushue in November’s Olympic Trials in Saskatoon.

Muyres didn’t hold back with his thoughts on how Curling Canada will choose the rink who represents the country.

“It’s weird. It’s not ideal. But I think it’s just realistically, it’s the way it is nowadays … We’re three or four weeks from the Olympics and I don’t think another event is likely to compete. I think it’s the reality of the situation,” he said.

Recently, Muyres competed in the Olympic Trials in Saskatoon with Team Matt Dunstone, finishing in fifth with a 3 and 5 round-robin record.

He was emotional in speaking about the rough stretch for the Saskatchewan-born curler.

“The reality is, curling has given me so much in my life … opportunities, so many friendships,” he said.

“I’ll never be sour with what this game has given me … I look forward to what’s next … and keep on enjoying the game that we grew up loving.”

In its Sunday release, Curling Canada added it “remains optimistic,” that championship events will be able to run in the near future.