A men’s and a women’s team will represent Great Britain in the curling discipline at the 24^th World University Games in China from 18^th to 28^th February 2009.

Kay Adams, Vicki Adams, Laura Kirkpatrick, Sarah Macintyre and Sarah Reid will play in the women’s event and there’s plenty of experience in the team.

The two Sarahs and Laura Kirkpatrick all played in the 2007 Universiade in Italy.

Sisters Kay and Vicki Adams are from Stranraer and were members of the team which won the World Junior Championship in 2008, Kay has a bronze medal from the 2005 European Youth Olympic Festival.

Locxkerbie is home for Laura Kirkpartick , she’s competed twice at World Junior Championships and has the experience of World University Games from 2007.

Sarah Macintyre comes from Inverness, she too has the experience of international curling at top level, she won gold at World Junior Curling Championships in 2007 and 2008 and played in the 2007 World University Games. In 2008 she was awarded the title Athlete of the Year by Strathclyde University.

Ayrshire’s Sarah Reid has had success at international events as well, she was the World Junior Curling Champion in 2007 and played in the World Univeristy Games the same year.

 

The Great Britain men’s team is Ian Copland, Michael Goodfellow, Andrew Craigie, John Hamilton and Tom Pendreigh.

John Hamilton and Andrew Craigie represented Great Britain at the World University Games in 2007 in Italy getting the silver medal, Andrew has a gold medal from the 2005 European Youth Olympic Festival.

22 year old Andrew Craigie from Inverness, graduated last year from Strathclyde University with a degree in computer science. Andrew has been curling since he was nine years old. “I can’t wait, especially after experience in 2007, we came so close to gold, I want to go one step better. It’s going to be the one to be at. I saw Harbin on the Wild China programme on TV, the ice festival looked phenomenal.”

Ian Copland from Edinburgh is 18, he comes from a curling family. Ian is studying law at Glasgow University. He has been curling since he was eight years old, he has won the Under 17 Grand Slam, and took fourth spot in the  Scottish Junior Championship last two years. This is his first international experience. “ I am really looking forward to it. We know some of the teams, the Chinese team for example got  fourth place at their first World Men’s Curling Championship in 2008. It will be a great experience hopefully we will win a gold medal. I am proud to represent Great Britain.”

19 year old Tom Pendreigh has been  curling since he was eight, Civil Engineering is his course at Strahclyde University. “I have  spoken to the university and it’s up to me to do what I can can or catch up.” Tom has been second, third and fourth in Scottish Junior Championships  and ranked fourth in the new European Junior Curling Tour this year. His ambition?  “To win gold in Harbin. I am really excited about China, it will be a great experience, and a different culture.”

John Hamilton is 26 and comes from Edinburgh, he’s studying health science at Napier University. John, from a curling family, has been curling 15 years. He has been fifth in the Scottish Men’s Championship twice,runner up juniors 2001, and runner up at everything else. “This is the year for finishing first.”

John got a silver medal in the 2007 World University Games, he says “While experience in Italy was great, China will be such a different culture, so many people there, it will different from everything else.”

20 year old Michael Goodfellow from Stirling has been curling for 10 years, he is studying history at Strathclyde University. He has been fourth in the Scottish Junior Championship. “It’s going to be a great experience going to a country like China, and playing against the top players from other countries.

 

Official website www.harbin2009.org

 

Curling was a discipline at the World University Games in 2003 and 2007, Great Britain men took fourth place in 2003 and second in 2007. Great Britain women were not represented in 2003, they finished 10^th in 2007.