Sportspool.com Sports News

Curling Canada is keeping an icy stare on the upcoming season, trying to come up with every way imaginable to keep the nation's teams at peak performance.

The spring season is usually a very busy time for Canadian curling champion Brad Gushue, who would normally be juggling his packed on-ice schedule with work duties as an Orangetheory Fitness franchisee.

Bonspiel organizer Gerry Geurts, who operates the CurlingZone website that manages world rankings and team point systems, said next season's uncertainty poses a significant challenge.

The time was right for Lisa Weagle to join forces with Olympic champion Jennifer Jones. Jones told CBC Sports' Anastasia Bucsis that the latest addition to her five-person rink "was like the clouds parted and the sun came out."

The World Curling Federation announced Thursday it is proposing to the International Olympic Committee that the 2021 world curling championships will determine which countries will book their tickets to Beijing 2022.

When the World Curling Federation cancelled the women's, men's and mixed doubles championships set for March and April, it said it would be discussing potential options including rescheduling the events — perhaps playing them in the fall at one venue. CBC Sports has learned that will no longer be the case.

Six-time Scotties winner Colleen Jones is not a fan of Canadian curling rinks making sweeping changes to their team.

Let go last week after a decade-long run with skip Rachel Homan's Ottawa-based rink, lead Lisa Weagle has joined Team Jennifer Jones, which will operate with five members.

John Morris will play second for the Kevin Koe's team for at least the next 18 months heading into the Olympic trials in 2021.

In the span of a few days, Canada's curling landscape has shifted dramatically. The country's past women's and men's Olympic teams and last year's women's world champion team have all split.