The World Curling Federation has announced that the World Junior Curling Championships will return to Flims, Switzerland, next year, to the newly-opened Wildhaus Arena (above).Switzerland has hosted three previous World Junior Championships, at Grindelwald in 1978 and 1993, and at Flims in 2003. "The World Curling Federation is honoured to return to Flims and the new Waldhaus Arena for the 2009 World Juniors," said Les Harrison, WCF President.
"Swiss curling has embraced the youth game and Swiss junior teams are always close to the podium at our championships. It will be a real thrill for the 2010 Swiss champions to compete against the world's best at this magnificent new venue."
"Considering this is only the Waldhaus Arena's first season, it is a great honour for the Flims Curling Club to host such a prestigious event," said club president Edi Crameri.
Ralph Stoeckli, the 2003 world men's finalist, a 2006 Olympian and also the 2009 champion who will represent Switzerland at next month's Ford World Men's Curling Championship in Moncton, said, "Flims is a great winter sport city and the new Waldhaus Arena is a fantastic venue. It will be a real pleasure to see Flims welcome the world in 2010."
See the full press release here.
While I'm talking about junior events, I hope you have been following the progress of Scotland's teams at this year's World Junior Championships. Curlit's results and stats are here, and Mike Haggerty's reports are here. Curling Today is not (sadly) in Vancouver. However, Jim Law is there gathering material for a report in the April Scottish Curler magazine. He has his camera with him, and taking photos. Here is a selection of Jim's pics to salute our teams!
Eve Muirhead
Anna Sloan
Vicki Adams
Sarah Macintyre(Alternate Kay Adams has not been on the ice so far)
Graeme Black
Ally Fraser
Stevie Mitchell
Thomas Sloan
Alternate Glen Muirhead played against the Russians in the Scottish team's fourth round game.