2021 WORLD WOMEN’S CURLING CHAMPIONSHIP BEGINS THIS FRIDAY
(l-r) Aileen Geving, Tara Peterson, Becca Hamilton, and Tabitha Peterson pose with the US Women’s National Championship trophy following their 2020 National Championship victory. Photo by Rich Harmer.
From April 30 – May 9, Team USA, consisting of Tabitha Peterson (St. Paul, Minn.), Nina Roth (McFarland, Wis.), Becca Hamilton (McFarland, Wis.), Tara Peterson (Eagan, Minn.), and Aileen Geving (Duluth, Minn.), will be competing against the best women’s curling countries in the world at the 2021 World Women’s Curling Championship.
Canada Olympic Park, the same bubbled environment where John Shuster and his men’s team qualified the United States for Beijing 2022 at the 2021 Men’s World Curling Championship just four weeks ago, will also serve as the host site for the 2021 World Women’s Curling Championship.
While the Championship is set to begin in just two days, Team Peterson has already been in the bubble for almost three weeks as they first touched down in Calgary on April 8th to begin quarantining to play in two Grand Slam of Curling Events that were also held in Canada Olympic Park.
In a season that lacked competition, the Team saw the two Grand Slam of Curling events as a great opportunity to become reacquainted with playing together in highly competitive games before entering the World Championship.
“Yes, we wanted to win each of the Slams, but we were mostly focusing on our processes and the little things like communication,” said Tabitha Peterson, skip of Team USA. “It had been so long since any of us had actually competed outside of scrimmages, so we just tried to have some fun out there and gain any little thing we could from each game to bring with us into the World Championship.”
Nina Roth, vice on Team Peterson. Photo by Rich Harmer.
The Team’s shared passion for achieving their competitive dreams has been a large contributor to Peterson, Roth, Hamilton, Peterson, and Geving remaining “all-in” amid uncertainty.
“We’ve had many plans that have had to be reworked multiple times, but we have remained consistent with connecting via team calls where we check in, discuss strategy, read books, update each other with how we have been doing in the gym and with training,” said Peterson. “We’ve also been practicing together every other weekend since the beginning of the year where we’ve been able to play in some scrimmage games. It’s been a lot about doing what we can with what we’ve been given.”
With seasons of experience competing together, the Team fully embraces their dynamics.
“This fivesome has been together for a while now and we’ve all filled in at different positions,” said Becca Hamilton, second of Team USA. “We think we can play with any lineup and we all have the mentality that we can mold to anything thrown at us to make the team the best it can be.”
The 2021 World Women’s Curling Championship will serve as an opportunity for Team Peterson to qualify the United States for a spot at the 2022 Winter Olympics by finishing top six in the field. However, Tabitha Peterson and her Team have much bigger plans.
“Our ultimate goal is to win the World Championship,” said Peterson.
Click here to view more information on the LGT World Women’s Curling Championship 2021.
USA Curling is sponsored by Toyota, Goldline, Twin Cities Orthopedics, Training HAUS, Brakebush, ISS (Ice, Sports & Solar), Sitrin, Traveler’s Choice, and Volt, and is partnered with IHG, Rock Solid Productions Inc., 12th End Sports Network, Laurie Artiss Ltd. – The Pin People, and United Airlines.
