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WCF Olympic Celebration Tour

The World Curling Federation (WCF) Olympic Celebration Tour - Road to the Olympics, is a series of instructional tours with curling Olympians intended to attract interest and promote curling within WCF Member Associations (MAs).

The first year of the Tour began in September 2013 and will continue to be conducted throughout the 2014/15 curling season, with seven tour stops already planned, with further Tour stops still available to interested MAs.

As part of the Tour, one Olympic athlete and at least one qualified WCF Instructor will visit a Member Association to give curlers the opportunity to develop their skills whilst also get up close and personal with some of the top athletes in the sport.

The WCF's goal is to see over 100 curlers, new and experienced, attend each Tour stop.

The Olympic Celebration Tour is part of the World Curling Federation's ongoing Development Programme designed to capitalise on the increased interest in the sport of curling both prior to, during and after the 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

2014/15
2013/14
Tour Programme and Timetable
Apply
Contact

Tour Locations

2014/15

USA, 2015
23-25 January: Evergreen Curling Club in Portland, Oregon with Sweden's 2014 Olympic bronze medallist and 2013 world champion Viktor Kjäll.

For more information visit: http://blog.evergreencurling.com/?p=2470

23-25 January: Charlotte Curling Association in Charlotte, North Carolina with 2006 Olympic gold medallist Jamie Korab from Canada

For more information visit: http://www.charlottecurling.com

20-22 February: Coyotes Curling Club, Tempe, Arizona with Canada's 2010 Olympic silver medallist Carolyn McRorie.

For more information visit: www.coyotescurling.com

2013/14

USA, 2013
October: San Francisco Bay Area Curling Club with 2010 Olympic silver medallist Carolyn McRorie from Canada.

November: Detroit Curling Club with 2006 Olympic gold medallist Jamie Korab, also from Canada.

Slovenia, 2013
December: Ljubjana with 1998 Olympic Winter Games silver medallist Mike Harris.

New Zealand, 2014
March: Auckland, Dunedin and Naseby, all with 2010 Olympic silver medallist Cheryl Bernard.

Japan, 2014
April: Hiroshima and Aomori with 2006 Olympic bronze medallist Shannon Kleibrink from Canada.

Denmark, 2014
April: Esberg with 2010 Olympic gold medallist, Marc Kennedy, from Canada.

Hungary 2014
April: Budapest with 2002 Olympic gold medallist, Rhona Howie, from Great Britain.

Tour Programme and Timetable

One Olympic athlete and at least one qualified WCF Instructor (recommended by the WCF Competitions & Development Staff) will visit the Member Association on a weekend to conduct a series of three introductory clinics.

These clinics, along with a 'Meet & Greet' and closing Funspiel, will allow new and experienced curlers the chance to meet our curling celebrities and be introduced to the game of curling.

Suggested Timetable:
Friday pm: Clinic #1 - Adults
Saturday am: Clinic #2 - Junior Curlers
Saturday pm: Clinic #3 - All curlers
Saturday pm: Meet the Olympian - Social Evening
Sunday am: Curling refresher for all, Hot Shots Competition and closing Funspiel

The clinics will be set up to allow all levels and ages of curlers to participate, with special emphasis on Saturday morning for junior curlers.

For this group, the host Member Association and local organising committees will be encouraged to reach out and partner with at least one local organisation that provides support to disadvantaged children and invite them to participate.

During the clinics and more so during the 'Meet and Greet', the Olympian will have a chance to speak with the participants about how sport has changed his or her life and how being an Olympian is voluntary - you have to make the choices, you have to have the discipline, you have to make the right decisions.

Apply

If you are interested in hosting an Olympic Celebration Tour stop, please download the application form at the bottom of this page and return it completed to Darrell Ell, via the Contact details provided below.

Contact

If you have any questions about the Olympic Celebration Tour, please Contact Darrell Ell, WCF Competitions and Development Officer via darrell.ell@worldcurling.org

Photos: Courtesy of Foundation for Global Sports Development: www.globalsportsdevelopment.org and several other contributors.