P.E.I.’s Robert Campbell and Rebecca-Jean MacDonald are shown at the Charlottetown Airport on Thursday prior prior to leaving for the world mixed doubles curling championship in St. Paul, Minn.(Guardian photo)
P.E.I.’s Robert Campbell and Rebecca-Jean MacDonald will be competing next week at the world mixed doubles curling championship
They are for two members of the 2011 Canadian mixed championship team which earned the berth in the worlds.
Campbell was skip, while MacDonald played third.
Second Robbie Doherty and lead Jackie Reid were the other members of the team that are also P.E.I. champions.
Mixed doubles differs from traditional curling as there are two players — one male and one female — instead of four.
Playing time is shorter.
Teams throw six stones instead of eight and one of the six stones is prepositioned on the centre line before each end of play starts.
“We only know a couple of names playing in the event, but we do know that the some countries play this doubles format all the time,” said Campbell about what he expects from the format. “There are a lot of countries involved and from watching the world men’s and women’s the level of play varies.”
Russia is the defending champion.
Canada opens against Denmark on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. AT.
Tiebreakers, if needed, are Friday, April 22, while the semifinals, and bronze- and gold-medal games are Saturday, April 23.
The world senior curling championship goes at the same time in St. Paul.