Curling celebrates world medals

Tuesday 16 April 2002

Fresh from their success at the World Championships in Bismarck, North Dakota, USA, the Scottish women's and men's curling teams, led by Jackie Lockhart and Warwick Smith, will arrive back in Scotland today with their gold and bronze medals respectively.

Following hot on the heels of Team Martin's Olympic success, Scotland is now in the privileged position of having both women's world and Olympic champions - yet two different teams, demonstrating the strength in depth that is developing in the sport.

Many organisations and individuals have been instrumental in helping both teams achieve their world medals. Most of the women are supported through the Area Institutes of Sport (Jackie Lockhart - Grampian, Katriona Fairweather & Edith Loudon - Tayside and Fife, Sheila Swan - West of Scotland). All the men are Scottish Institute of Sport athletes and are supported by sportscotland's Talented Athlete Programme funding.

This is an exciting time for curling in Scotland at all levels. The Royal Caledonian Curling Club is working hard to promote the sport through their junior 'Curling's Cool' programme, sponsored by Bank of Scotland, and more than 10,000 school children have been introduced to the sport since it started in 1997, aiming to help the next generation of young curlers follow in their heroes foot steps.