3 minute read
Good as Gold for Val Sweeting and Team Canada
Good as Gold for Val Sweeting and Team Canada
Michelle Pinon - News Advertiser
Vegreville Mayor Tim MacPhee reminded Val Sweeting that she looks better in gold after Team Canada’s decisive victory over Rachel Homan’s Ontario rink 9-7 to win the Scotties Tournament of Hearts on February 28 in Calgary.
Sweeting, spent much of her time growing up in Vegreville and playing the sport before started her competitive career, so she has captured the hearts of many people in the community and surrounding area before and since then.
Since joining Team Einarson last year she has been a part of the team’s phenomenal success. The team clinched the Scotties last February in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan and were planning to head to World’s in Prince George, BC when Covid-19 hit, and sidelined them.
But they regrouped and went into the “Bubble” to compete in the annual tournament. This is season and championship have certainly been different, full of rewards and challenges, and Sweeting touched on a few of them during a telephone interview on March 3.
Team Canada, 2021 Scotties Tournament of Hearts champions from left front, Kerri Einarson, Val Sweeting, Shannon Birchard, Briane Meilleur.Back, alternate Krysten Karwacki and Coach Heather Nedohin.
(Curling Canada/Andrew Klaver/Submitted Photo)
“It was a different feeling, just the atmosphere in the arena with no fans and it was so quiet. It was just a different feeling going into that game. They had the trophy out on the ice, and I think if it wasn’t for that I wouldn’t have really wrapped my head around the fact that it was the Scotties final. We just tried to leave it all out there and it was another exciting finish against Team Homan.”
It all came down to the wire, explained Sweeting, as the other team had to draw to the four foot in the final end, but the rock went a bit too far, which secured the win for Team Canada.
“It felt really good out there as a team. I didn’t have my sharpest of games on the Sunday, but I just tried to be there for my team and keep them going, and they didn’t seem worried so that was good. We came up with a big team shot when we needed it.
The victory didn’t really sink in until she started receiving congratulatory messages, posts and pictures. Winning the Scotties Tournament of Hearts back to back, Sweeting said, “It’s an incredible feeling. Not many teams win the Scotties, let alone two years in a row so it feels pretty cool.”
As it was the 40th Anniversary of the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, it had extra special meaning toSweeting and her teammates. “Just all that tradition and history of the game. We got to stand around the trophy and be one of the teams. It was a very cool feeling.”
Sweeting wanted to say, “Thank you for the messages and thanks for following along. I missed the people in the stands, but I really felt all that support from back home so I really appreciate that. I definitely couldn’t be out there doing what I’m doing if it wasn’t for that. So, I’m very grateful.
We’re incredibly proud of our accomplishment and we know they’ll have to have some kind of qualifier for the Olympics, so hopefully we’ll be able to play in that. But if not, I think we’ve come to terms with no world championship.
Sweeting will be back in the bubble soon as she’ll be competing in the upcoming Mixed Doubles Curling Championship that will be held at Winsport Arena at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary from March 18-25. She and Marc Kennedy will be one of 35 teams vying for a world berth.
