Three time Olympian Eve Muirhead may be revelling in home comforts at the first tournament of the 2021/22 season, but she knows that the coming campaign will be one of the most challenging of her long career.
For the first time ever British Curling’s women will go to the Olympic qualifying tournament later this year, after missing out on automatic qualification through the 2021 World Championships and that has resulted in the creation of a new squad system, with nine players vying for places.
They have been split into two teams for this inaugural Euro Super Series event at the National Curling Academy and Muirhead has skipped GB Blue to three convincing wins in their first three matches against domestic rivals, beating Team Farmer 11-1 and Team Henderson 8-3 on the opening day, before easing past Team Munro 8-1 today. 
That has all but secured them a place in the weekend play-offs, but whether they gain an automatic place in Sunday’s final will depend on the outcome of their remaining matches against international rivals.
“So far we’ve got three wins under our belts, but we’re got two tough games with Team Wrana from Sweden and Team Tirinzoni from Switzerland, the World Champs, so that’ll obviously test us, but so far things are going pretty well,” said Muirhead.
“I think whenever you get the chance to play against the World Champions on your own ice it’s special and we all know Elena Paetz (who plays skip stones for Team Tirinzoni) is one of the best curlers in the world. She’s obviously shown that by winning the World Championships several times, so I’m looking forward to that game being a challenge and we just have to go out and play the way we have been and enjoy it, just to make the most of it and learn a lot.”
While it represents a shift from curling’s norm, where teams decide their line-ups for the season in advance, Muirhead fully understands why the squad system has been introduced.
“Of course, it’s going to be a challenge with a different line-up every game you skip, but I think that’s obviously the coaches’ plan to see what line-ups are working best and what players are working best together,” she said.
“It's a season like I’ve never experienced before with the squad system like this, so every day’s different and every day’s a challenge. I enjoy a challenge. It’s what I’ve accepted to do and I’m going to do the best job of being me, the curler, every day I come into the NCA.
“We all know for the ladies team that’s selected to go to the Olympic qualifying event, that’s a big event and to get experience like this and build up like this here in Stirling when you can go home to your own bed is pretty nice.
“I just wish we could do this a little bit more. I’m sure British Curling can put on more events like this and I hope they do in the future.”
In previous years the only major events in Scotland have been staged later in the season and Muirhead is taking pride in the opportunity to show her home country off to its best.
“It’s really great to showcase what we’re capable of in Scotland to put on such a great event and everyone I’ve spoken to so far has loved it,” she said.
“I also think when you get fantastic weather like this it shows that Scotland’s such a beautiful country and people are out there enjoying themselves as well. So, to have all the top European teams here is so good for British Curling.”
Fellow squad members in GB Red skipped by Rebecca Morrison claimed their second victory of the tournament so far, but were taken to an extra end during their first encounter with international players in over a year.
“I felt quite confident that I could make that last shot in the extra end, so as a skip you have to have those kind of shots in your back pocket,” said Morrison.
“I was more comfortable playing the draw than the hit after the last two ends as I had a couple of misses at seven and eight, so the draw was option number one for me. It has not previously been my natural habitat being a skip though I am very happy playing last stones however I am getting used to it and getting more confident. It is just one of the things I do now and it doesn’t faze me.“
Now facing the potential prospect of competing at an Olympic qualifying event and possibly the Winter Olympics, Morrison acknowledged it was a thrilling scenario she had not previously considered.
“It is really exciting as last year we really didn’t have an awful lot going on, we had no international competition and now we have such a big opportunity and it gives you so much more motivation in training,” she said. 
“Honestly we would have never expected this and now we are putting in all the effort that we can, otherwise we would regret it.
“As for this week it has been amazing so far. We just had a win against an international team and it was really good. I have played them before in 2019 but that feels like a long time ago. Now we are facing new challenges and new faces to test ourselves against and it feels great.”
Women’s podium and podium potential squad:
GB Blue GB Red
Eve Muirhead Rebecca Morrison
Vicky Wright Lauren Gray
Sophie Sinclair Jen Dodds
Hailey Duff Mili Smith
Gina Aitken
Euro Super Series Results
Draw 5
Jenstch v Schori* 5-6
Mouat v Watt 7-4
Team Italy v Paterson* (EE) 6-5
Draw 6
GB Blue v Munro* 8-1
Schwaller v Craik 7-2
Tirinzoni v Henderson 6-1
Van Dorp v Whyte* (EE) 7-8
Euro Super Series Results
Draw 7
Witschonke v GB Red* (EE) 4-5
De Cruz v Bryce* 11-2
Hasselborg v MacDonald 10-3
Draw 8
Farmer v Wrana 3-11
Edin v Totzek 6-3
Line scores: @CurlingZone
#curling #EuroSuperSeries
*LIVE stream: https://share.recast.app/u/64jxA?referrer=64jxA
Images: © PPA Graeme Hart
