Long-standing British Curling Coach Nancy Smith has been appointed to the organisation’s newly created role of Pathway Manager Olympic, starting immediately.
Having previously held a variety of positions within the sport, helping guide the careers of many leading players including four-time Olympian Eve Muirhead, Smith is ideally placed to develop up-and-coming talent to supplement the current squad of contenders competing for places at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in 2026.
A member of one of the most famous families in the history of the Scottish game, brother David having skipped teams to two World Championship and three European Championship victories and an Olympic silver medal, before becoming Olympic Head Coach of British Curling when its teams won Team GB’s only medals at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, this appointment is a continuation of what has also been her life’s work. 
“It is in my blood and bones to create a curling legacy and this role has a great responsibility to ensure we are doing all the right things along this pathway, continually evolving and challenging ourselves and I cannot wait to get started, working alongside my trusted and talented colleagues,” said Smith.
“I have always felt it is a huge privilege to be involved with British Curling which has set standards at the cutting edge of the global game and taking on this job feels like the perfect opportunity at this stage of my career.
“We currently have a powerful group of players competing at elite level in major championships and in Grand Slam tournaments, but it is vital to maintain standards at every level to ensure that there is a production line as we look to sustain the achievements of recent years.
“It has always been my passion and my desire to develop talent at any level of the coaching spectrum and I am delighted to have this opportunity to help build on the legacy in the game that British and Scottish Curling has been cultivating.
“My ultimate goal is to get the absolute best out of any athlete and we are so fortunate to have the National Curling Academy and the support services thanks to UK Sport and sportscotland, to give them the best possible chance of becoming world leaders in the game.
“We already have fantastic role models and ambassadors that are providing such value to the sport of curling both on and off the ice, which can only help us in our bid to be the very best in the world and to maintain that when inspiring the next generation.
“I am delighted to be part of that at the start of this season as athletes return to ice next week.”
Central to this new role is the need to maintain close links between the Olympic programme - run by British Curling - and the Scottish Curling Academy, which has the task of identifying the best prospects from the grassroots and initiating them in the requirements of the professional game.
“Continuing the work that has been done to build on our close working relationship with Scottish Curling is vital and I very much look forward to playing a key part in that moving forward,” said Smith.
“In spite of the paucity of curling facilities outside of Scotland, we will also work hard to provide opportunities for ambitious curlers from across the rest of the UK, but we recognise the crucial role that Scottish Curling plays in facilitating the introduction of players to our sport.”
British Curling’s Chief Executive Nigel Holl welcomed Smith’s appointment, noting that her long involvement with the programme will allow for a smooth transition.
“Nancy’s track record makes her the perfect fit for this challenging role as we seek to continue to produce players who can compete with the very best in what has becoming an increasingly tough environment since curling became an Olympic sport,” he said.
“Her deep knowledge and understanding of the domestic game means she will be able to hit the ground running as we look to generate additional internal competition within a programme that has claimed the Women’s Olympic title, as well as Men’s and Mixed Doubles World Championship titles in the past three years.”
