Vernon father-daughter curling team one step closer to Olympics

A Vernon curling team is in the running for the chance help Canada secure a spot in the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Italy.

Jim and Jaelyn Cotter are a father daughter duo who will be competing against 15 other mixed doubles curling teams in Liverpool, N.S. later this month at the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials.

The trials take place Dec. 30, 2024 to Jan. 4, 2025 and the winning team will go on to compete at the 2025 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship in Fredericton, N.B. from April 26 to May 3.

“Performance at this event and results from the 2024 World Mixed Doubles Championship will determine whether Canada secures one of the eight spots available for the mixed doubles competition at the Olympics,” reads a release from Curling Canada.

Canada’s spot in mixed doubles curling at the Olympics is not yet confirmed.

The final eight of 16 teams competing at the trials later this month were confirmed at a recent direct-entry qualifying event in Banff and Canmore, Alta. They join eight teams who previously secured spots through either championships, standings or other recent direct-entry events.

The 16 teams will be divided into two pools of eight for a round robin and the top three teams from each pool advance to a six-team playoff.

The playoff begins Jan. 2 and the gold-medal match takes place on Jan. 4.

Curling Canada will have streaming available on its YouTube Channel. More details and updates are available online.

The 16 teams include athletes from across the country:

• Kadriana Lott/Colton Lott (Gimli, Man.)
• Laura Walker/Kirk Muyres (Edmonton/Humboldt, Sask.)
• Jocelyn Peterman/Brett Gallant (Chestermere, Alta.)
• Nancy Martin/Steve Laycock (Wakaw, Sask./Saskatoon)
• Jennifer Jones/Brent Laing (Barrie, Ont.)
• Brittany Tran/Rylan Kleiter (Calgary/Saskatoon)
• Rachel Homan/Brendan Bottcher (Beaumont, Alta./Spruce Grove, Alta.)
• Jennifer Armstrong/Tyrel Griffith (Rothesay, N.B./Kelowna, B.C.)
• Riley Sandham/Brendan Craig (Guelph, Ont.)
• Lisa Weagle/John Epping (Ottawa/Toronto)
• Taylor Reese-Hansen/Corey Chester (Kitimat, B.C./Victoria)
• Anne-Sophie Gionest/Robert Desjardins (Alma, Que./Saguenay, Que.)
• Melissa Adams/Alex Robichaud (Fredericton, N.B.)
• Jessica Zheng/Victor Pietrangelo (Niagara Falls, Ont.)
• Paige Papley/Evan Van Amsterdam (Edmonton)
• Jaelyn Cotter/Jim Cotter (Vernon, B.C.)