Team withdrawn from championship
Scotland have withdrawn from the World Women’s Curling Championship in Prince George, B.C. following a number of positive COVID-19 cases within the team.
Scotland had been competing with three players after skip Rebecca Morrison and original alternate Fay Henderson had tested positive just prior to the start of the championship. Skip Morrison had been expected to return later in the week, and new alternate Beth Farmer had been flown to Canada to complete the lineup.
However, after carrying out further testing on Sunday, additional members of the Scottish delegation returned positive results and the team has withdraw for the health and safety of all those involved in the championship.
Scotland will forfeit all of their remaining games, giving their opponents automatic victories.
Michael Burns-Curling Canada“All team members are being fully supported at this time and we would like to extend our particular thanks to Beth Farmer, who due to unforeseen circumstances, will now not be able to take part in the championship,” said a statement published by Scottish Curling.
Gina Aitken, Sophie Sinclair and Sophie Jackson are the other members of Team Morrison.
Henderson already missed out earlier this season when the World Junior B Championships were called off due to COVID protocols. “It’s been a tough season of disappointments for Fay Henderson and her team capped off by this,” said British Curling’s Executive Performance Director Nigel Holl.
Arrangements are currently underway to organize the team’s return to Scotland as soon as it is safe and possible for them to do so.
At last year’s world women’s championship in Calgary, Daniela Jentsch’s German team had two players test positive just before competition began. The team played a tough week with just three players—as the 0-3 Scots had been doing prior to their withdrawal—and curling fans sent care packages to the German athletes as they isolated in their hotel rooms.
Mark Nichols, the third for Canada’s Team Brad Gushue, famously tested positive as the recent Brier playoffs began and watched his team’s unlikely run to the title while in isolation.