world curling media
March 20, 2024
Traveling from the opposite aspect of the world, New Zealand might have geographically made the longest journey to Sydney for the BKT Tire Women’s World Championship.
On the ice, Team New Zealand believes their journey has simply begun.
Last 12 months, he had a rocky debut in Sandviken, Sweden, the place he was hampered by sickness and was unable to win a single match. But now the New Zealanders have taken a historic step by defeating Scotland 8-6 of their first match.
New Zealand celebrates first ladies’s world title © World Curling / Stephen Fisher
As skip Jessica Smith says: “It’s big for us to beat Scotland and get our first win. We got here out final 12 months and clearly did not win the sport. So… It was an enormous step ahead for us to get our first win and hopefully we will launch one other one someday within the week.”
Third participant Brigitte Becker added: “Last 12 months’s expertise is helpful now.” “It’s not that overwhelming. Last 12 months we did not know what was going to occur. Coming into this 12 months, we felt just a little bit extra assured and just a little bit extra comfy.”
Bridget admitted that the previous 12 months has been a bit powerful.
“We’ve been sick and issues have not gone properly. This time, we’re all wholesome and all the things goes just a little bit the best way we needed it to. Once we get by way of this… Hopefully we will solely proceed to maneuver upwards.”
Jess Smith © World Curling / Stephen Fisher Keep enhancing
But behind all this effort, Bridget represents a standard sentiment amongst curlers in any respect ranges in all international locations. “Curling is at all times enjoyable. If you do not have enjoyable, why curl?”
The group, like others in Sydney, has its sights set on the 2026 Winter Olympics, despite the fact that it faces actual aggressive challenges. Jess admits: “The Olympics are on our agenda however we have now to be within the prime eight on the earth to get the funding, so we’re virtually there.”
That being stated, they’re conscious of the challenges they are going to face of their Olympic bid. “We stay throughout New Zealand and he solely practices possibly 1 / 4 of the instances different groups do collectively,” Bridget says.
Given the recognition of New Zealanders within the curling world, it is not simply the group themselves who can be completely happy to see them proceed to enhance.