2015 Continental Cup of Curling explained

Year:2015
Sponsor:World Financial Group
Host City:Calgary, Alberta
Arena:Markin MacPhail Centre
Dates:January 8–11
Winner:North America
Na Score:42
World Score:18
In Progress:N
Discipline1:Team Round 1
Na Score-1:2
World Score-1:1
Discipline2:Mixed Doubles Round 1
Na Score-2:2.5
World Score-2:0.5
Discipline3:Team Round 2
Na Score-3:2.5
World Score-3:0.5
Discipline4:Team Round 3
Na Score-4:1.5
World Score-4:1.5
Discipline5:Singles
Na Score-5:3.5
World Score-5:2.5
Discipline6:Team Round 4
Na Score-6:3
World Score-6:0
Discipline7:Mixed Doubles Round 2
Na Score-7:2
World Score-7:1
Discipline8:Team Round 5
Na Score-8:3
World Score-8:0
Discipline9:Team Round 6
Na Score-9:2
World Score-9:1
Discipline10:Skins Round 1
Na Score-10:10.5
World Score-10:4.5
Discipline11:Skins Round 2
Na Score-11:9.5
World Score-11:5.5

The 2015 World Financial Group Continental Cup of Curling was held from January 8 to 11 at the Markin MacPhail Centre International Arena in Calgary, Alberta.[1] The Continental Cup featured team events, mixed doubles events, singles competitions, and skins competitions, and the brunt of the points were in the skins competitions. TSN broadcast the event, as it has in previous years.[1]

The total attendance for the event was 22,606. Team Canada collected CAD$52,000 winners cheque and CAD$13,000 skins bonus. Team Europe collected CAD$26,000 losers cheque.

Competition background

In their 2013-2014 Annual Review,[2] the World Curling Federation reported that they can no longer justify further involvement in the Continental Cup, and that the Canadian Curling Association will operate the event starting in 2015.[3]

This edition of the Continental Cup would be the first in which the new system of competing teams would be implemented. It was intended that in this and future editions of the Continental Cup, Team North America would be replaced by an all-Canadian team entry, where team Canada would compete alternatively against Team Europe in odd years and Team World, made up of teams from the United States and non-European curling nations, in even years. However, this format would only last for the 2015 event. In this edition of the Continental Cup, six teams from Canada competed against six teams from Europe.[4]

The same competition format as that of the previous year was used. Out of the sixty total points available, a majority of points would be needed to win the cup. The mixed doubles, singles, and team games were worth one point each, and ties were worth one half point each to both teams. The skins games were worth a total of five points. Six mixed doubles and six singles games were played, along with eighteen team games and six skins games.

Teams

The teams will be selected from the top teams in each region. Six teams from each region will compete against each other in the competition. The teams from Canada earn the right to represent Team Canada by virtue of winning certain events, namely the Canada Cup of Curling and the Canadian National Championships (the Brier and the Tournament of Hearts). The final two teams are the teams who represented Canada at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

For Team Europe, the teams participating include Olympic bronze medallist Eve Muirhead, Olympic silver medallist Margaretha Sigfridsson, world bronze medallist Anna Sidorova, Olympic bronze medallist Niklas Edin, two-time world champion David Murdoch, and two-time European champion Thomas Ulsrud.[5]

Team Skip Third Second Lead Locale
Team
Canada

Ottawa, Ontario
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Edmonton, Alberta
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Calgary, Alberta
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Coach: Rick Lang, Captain: Randy Ferbey
Team
Europe

Vicki Adams Stirling
Moscow
Maria Prytz (fourth) Margaretha Sigfridsson (skip) Umeå
Karlstad
Stirling
Oslo
Coach: David Hay, Captain: Peja Lindholm

Events

All times listed are in Mountain Standard Time (UTC−7).[6] The draws for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday were released on Wednesday night,[7] and the draws for Sunday were released on Saturday afternoon.[8]

Thursday, January 8

Draw 1

Team8:30 am[9]

Draw 2

Mixed doubles1:30 pm[10]

Draw 3

Team6:30 pm[11]

Friday, January 9

Draw 4

Team8:30 am[12]

Draw 5

Singles1:30 pm[13]

Draw 6

Team6:30 pm[14]

Saturday, January 10

Draw 7

Mixed doubles10:00 am[15]

Draw 8

Team2:00 pm[16]

Draw 9

Team6:30 pm[17]

Sunday, January 11

Draw 10

Skins11:30 am[18]

Draw 11

Skins6:30 pm[19]

Statistics

The statistics for team play, including team skins play, are listed below.[19] The percentages are calculated for each player by rating their shots in each game. Each shot the player attempts is scored out of four based on how well the shot is made.

Player percentages

Men

valign=top
Leads %
88
86
85
85
83
76
valign=top
Seconds %
87
86
83
81
83
78
valign=top
Thirds %
85
85
84
83
81
75
valign=top
Skips %
84
82
80
78
67
66

Women

valign=top
Leads %
90
85
81
80
77
75
valign=top
Seconds %
88
83
77
76
74
68
valign=top
Thirds %
83
83
80
79
75
71
valign=top
Skips %
82
80
80
77
76
70

Team percentages

Men

Team %
85
84
82
85
78
78

Women

Team %
82
81
80
79
78
74

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Canadian curling's first Triple Crown headed to Alberta!. 11 December 2013. Canadian Curling Association. 13 November 2014.
  2. Web site: Annual Review 2013-2014 Season. World Curling Federation. the WCF invested almost $2,000,000 USD [...] and unfortunately it has not really caught on beyond the North American TV market.. 11.
  3. Web site: Continental Cup of Curling continues reinvention. The Canadian Press. January 7, 2015. [CCA] has taken over complete control.
  4. Web site: New direction set for curling's WFG Continental Cup. 11 December 2013. Canadian Curling Association. 13 November 2014.
  5. Web site: Team Europe confirmed for 2015 WFG Continental Cup!. 19 September 2014. Curling Canada. 13 November 2014.
  6. Web site: 2015 World Financial Group Continental Cup of Curling – Draw Schedule. Canadian Curling Association. 14 January 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150109203919/http://www.curling.ca/2015continentalcup-en/draw-schedule/. 9 January 2015. dead.
  7. Web site: Early matchups set at World Financial Group Continental Cup. 7 January 2015. Canadian Curling Association. 14 January 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150110222415/http://www.curling.ca/2015continentalcup-en/2015/01/07/early-matchups-set-at-world-financial-group-continental-cup/. 10 January 2015. dead.
  8. Web site: Canada builds 20-7 lead at Continental Cup with afternoon sweep. 10 January 2015. Canadian Curling Association. 14 January 2015.
  9. Web site: Archived copy . 2015-01-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150922091931/http://cloudfront10.curling.ca/2015continentalcup-en/files/2015/01/Draw-1-Media-Report.pdf . 2015-09-22 . dead .
  10. Web site: Archived copy . 2015-01-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150922101743/http://cloudfront8.curling.ca/2015continentalcup-en/files/2015/01/Draw-2-Media-Report.pdf . 2015-09-22 . dead .
  11. Web site: Archived copy . 2015-01-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150922103659/http://cloudfront7.curling.ca/2015continentalcup-en/files/2015/01/Draw-3-Media-Report.pdf . 2015-09-22 . dead .
  12. Web site: Archived copy . 2015-01-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150112234653/http://cloudfront10.curling.ca/2015continentalcup-en/files/2015/01/Draw-4-Media-Report.pdf . 2015-01-12 . dead .
  13. Web site: Archived copy . 2015-01-13 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150922101607/http://cloudfront8.curling.ca/2015continentalcup-en/files/2015/01/Draw-5-Media-Report.pdf . 2015-09-22 . dead .
  14. Web site: Archived copy . 2015-01-13 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150922091935/http://cloudfront10.curling.ca/2015continentalcup-en/files/2015/01/Draw-6-Media-Report.pdf . 2015-09-22 . dead .
  15. Web site: Archived copy . 2015-01-13 . 2015-09-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150922092306/http://cloudfront9.curling.ca/2015continentalcup-en/files/2015/01/Draw-7-Media-Report.pdf . dead .
  16. Web site: Archived copy . 2015-01-13 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150922101613/http://cloudfront8.curling.ca/2015continentalcup-en/files/2015/01/Draw-8-media-report.pdf . 2015-09-22 . dead .
  17. Web site: Archived copy . 2015-01-13 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150922093921/http://cloudfront5.curling.ca/2015continentalcup-en/files/2015/01/Draw-9-media-report.pdf . 2015-09-22 . dead .
  18. Web site: Archived copy . 2015-01-13 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150922094008/http://cloudfront10.curling.ca/2015continentalcup-en/files/2015/01/Draw-10-media-report-CORRECTED.pdf . 2015-09-22 . dead .
  19. Web site: Archived copy . 2015-01-13 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150922094152/http://cloudfront8.curling.ca/2015continentalcup-en/files/2015/01/Draw-11-media-report.pdf . 2015-09-22 . dead .