The World Curling Federation (WCF) has announced that Füssen in Germany will host the inaugural WCF Olympic Qualification Event where the final two men’s and women’s team spots for the curling competition at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games will be decided.
The event will be staged in the 3500 seat BLZ Arena from 11 to 15 December 2013.
“On behalf of the World Curling Federation, we are delighted to be able to confirm Füssen as the location for our first ever Olympic Qualification event,” said WCF President Kate Caithness. “In 2007, Füssen proved what terrific hosts they were for the European Curling Championships. We expect them to be able to draw on this expertise, to ensure that the qualification event is an even greater success.”
“As the president of the German Curling Association and in the name of all German curlers, we are looking forward to hosting the first Olympic Qualification Event in Füssen” said Dieter Kolb. “I am absolutely convinced that our organizing committee will build on the marvellous memories of the 2007 European Curling Championships and that we will guarantee an outstanding curling event in a magnificent arena.”
Following the 2013 Women’s World Championships, the field is now set for eight of the ten nations able to send women’s teams to the curling competition at the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.
Sweden, Switzerland, Scotland (whose points are allocated to Great Britain for Olympic purposes), Canada, USA, Denmark, Korea and Russia (as hosts) have all qualified directly for Sochi, based on points gathered for their final ranking at the 2012 and 2013 World Women’s Curling Championships.
Germany, Japan, China, Italy, Latvia, Czech Republic and Norway are the nations eligible to compete in the women’s Qualification Event in Füssen. Two nations from this event will emerge with places for the Olympic Curling Competition in Sochi.
The World Curling Federation will issue official confirmation of the Men’s team nations that have qualified directly for Sochi and those eligible for the qualifying event, following the conclusion of the Ford World Men’s Curling Championship 2013, currently underway in Victoria, BC, Canada, on Sunday 7 April.
National Olympic Committees will be required to endorse team entry for the Olympic Qualification Event by the end of May 2013. On confirmation of the number of competing teams, the competition format for the event will be made public by the WCF at the start of June 2013.
For more information about Olympic Qualification, visit: http://www.worldcurling.org/olympic-qualification