HGW today (Friday 10 Dec 2010) reported on the semi-annual WCF meeting at Champery.

The Olympic qualifying cycle will be reduced to 2 years with immediate effect.  The host nation will have an automatic berth.  (Russia in 2014).  The top seven teams in the 2012 and 2013 Worlds (eight if the host team does not qualify) will have an automatic berth.  In November 2013, there will be an Olympic Qualifying event open to all teams from the 2011, 2012 and 2013 Worlds that did not get an automatic berth.  This will fill out the rest of the 10 team Olympic card.

Mark

ps.  What would happen if England, Wales and Ireland qualified in addition to Scotland?  Not likely I know, but this would be most interesting for the IOC to sort out.  Team GBR in spades!

I like the idea of a playoff for the last two places at the Olympics.

The reduced qualifying time was at the behest, I understand, of the IOC. Most other sports have a qualifying time of 18 months, and the WCF argued for two years, ie two seasons. The IOC obviously want the best, ie the in form teams/competitors at the Olympic events.

My own feeling is that the two years is a good compromise, and the qualifying competition for the last two places may see some new faces in the mix come Sochi.

BTW none of this applies to wheelchair curling and the Paralympics. This seems to be continuing as before!

Bob

I am now totally at sea.  I can understand the reasoning for the 2 years, but not why this does not apply to wheelchair and Paralympics.  I guess I will now have to find a retail outlet where I am who sells Laphraig.  (I hope I got the spelling right, but regardless, it is my favorite single malt.

Mark

the russian men maybe, but privivkova did skip her team to a tiebreaker in 2006

I think it's fair enough the host get a spot , just because GB are about the only top tier team who cant host a winter olympics doesn't make it unfair. In  other sports host nations get a spot just for hosting and everyone else has to qualify , why should curling be different ?

It depends on the sport. For Athletics , Swimming and individual event sports there is a qualifying standard or time and a counmtry can enter several persons if they have exceeded the standard. Howevrr in Team sports the host gets a place. Think Football where there is no GB team although the BOA is trying to set one up to objections from the Welsh, Scottish and NI Footie associations. Basketball is another where  the GB team is not in the top group but has a team entered. Hockey is the same. Some sports will probably vary though.