They are smiling in this photo, but I bet this morning the Hannah Fleming team must be feeling disappointed (make that really gutted)! The juniors (Abi Brown, Becca Kesley, Alice Spence and Hannah Fleming, with their coach Debbie Knox, above with their silver medals) lost in the final of the Columba Cream Scottish Women's Championship yesterday to Anna Sloan, their first (only) defeat in the competition. It was a fantastic performance, and in thirty years time when they look back at their successful curling careers, I am sure it will be a one which they will happily remember with pride, despite the defeat yesterday.
David Soutar, Scott Macleod, Moray Combe and Sandy Reid with their silver medals. Great to see an unsupported team reach the final. They could easily have been Bruadar champions, losing only at the last stone to Team Brewster. If those in charge of Scottish curling needed encouragement to pay attention to the whole of the sport rather than just supporting a few top players, then surely this past week has proved that our game has quality in depth and should be cultivated. Let's all try to ensure that the 'all the eggs in one basket' approach is consigned to history!
Here's Greg Drummond, Team Brewster third player, who didn't appear in many of my photos yesterday. He gets the last word.So, that's it from the 2011 Scottish. The finals are set to be televised tomorrow (Tuesday) and Wednesday on BBC 2 at 7 pm.
Tom Brewster, Greg Drummond, Scott Andrews and Michael Goodfellow will now travel to Regina, Saskatchewan, for the Ford World Men's Curling Championship, April 2-10. Duncan Fernie will be their alternate.
Anna Sloan, Claire Hamilton, Vicki Adams and Rhiann Macleod will represent Scotland in the Capital One World Women’s Curling Championship, March 18-27, Esbjerg, Denmark. Eve Muirhead will be the alternate - and just that, not a tactical substitute. I understand that it has been made clear that it is Anna's team, and they will not need to be looking over their shoulders if they have a bad game.
I'm looking forward now to being back at the Dewar's Centre in a couple of weeks for the World Junior Curling Championships when of course Eve, Anna, Vicki and Rhiann will be playing together for Scotland then. Alice Spence from Team Fleming is their alternate at Perth. See you there?
Photos © Skip Cottage
