The problem with basing qualification on the last 2 years results is....how many teams stay the same for 2 years, and then how do u decide if they do split up who gets in?!! 

I think this is why Jamie Dick didnt get in to national squad this year but i correct me if i am wrong! That team should have been in!!

There is nothing new in Strathydoug's suggestion - that is more or less the way it was done in 1998 and that got us worse results at the Olympics - at least as far as the men were concerned!

And I still do not accept the view that the results in Torino were a disaster - as has been said before, the final round robin position of 5-4 for the women was the same as for Rhona in Salt Lake City - she was fortunate that there it got her into a play-off and the rest is history!

jmlb - It was clear for everyone to see that the "selected" womens team in Torino didn't work as a unit though.  

I find this debate very interesting, especially because Switzerland seem to be heading into the exact opposite direction. Over here the trend is, that while WC and EC may still be played out, the olympics 2014 could very well consist of a national team, drafted from a player pool (about 8 players, choosen 2 years prior to the olympics). Reasoning behind that is, that an olympics without a medal in curling would mean loss of funding of several hundred thousand pounds because Swiss Olympic would then downgrade curling as a funding sport...

On the other hand, I rather like the olympic trial system we have in place now: Basically, everyone who has represented Switzerland at worlds or Europeans in the last 4 years prior to the Olympics and met certain criteria (placed 7th or better at EC, placed 8th or better at WC, as well as having made the final round of the Swiss Champs in every year after having been to the WC/EC) is eligble to play in the Olympic trials. Depending on the number of teams entering, the mode of play will either be a double round robin and a best of three final, or maybe even a straight best of three/five.
In order to be eligble to claim that place, a team has to register with at least 3 players from the team that originally won the trial spot.

IMO, fair criteria, clear communication, should be an interesting competition next fall

I do not think, as jjk suggests, that the selection process will stop, but I agree with him that there are major selection problems ahead as England and Wales produce more and more international class curlers.

Yours

Mickey Mouse

I think i have complemented the excellent coverage in the scottish curler and on bobs blog so frequently that everyone knows that i hold your (bobs) promotion of the sport in the highest regards. My point was clearly aimed at the major media in this country we live in (scotland).  The vast majority of sport's (sic) journalists and editors in this country know nothing about curling. Curling is asignificant  sport in this country yet is ignored for the main part. Unless rangers or celtic players suddenly start turning up at curling competitions (and i can mention several who would be better doing that than arriving at their current places of work) it is unlikely that the majority of sports journalists will ever find themselves in an ice rink. Scotland is lucky to have a few sportsmen that are in the highest echelons of their sports, Hoy and Murray to name but two and I would certainly put David Murdoch (and his team) into this category yet how many sports journalists will be aware of DM's existence?
I agree that the sporting powers could do more to promote the sport and certainly incidents such as the vernon debacle do not help those of us who wish that the "mainstream" media gave our great sport the coverage and respect it deserves. I think if it was an English team that was achieving the success of team Murdoch the English media would certainly be giving the sport more exposure.
I dont know if i was including gramacho in my general reference to mickey mouse journalism but if i was then perhaps he could take a leaf out of that copey fellow's book whose commentary at perth i was so complimentary of on this site....   ( i probably should have said 'mainstream' media in my initial post and that is as close to an apology as I am going to make!!!!!)