Australian Olympic curlers hoping to qualify for back-to-back Games

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Dean Hewitt and Tahli Gill made history as the first Australian curlers to compete at the winter Olympics and the pair are aiming to qualify for back-to-back games following success at the world championships. Hewitt is currently at home in Melbourne, but a lack of specially made curling facilities makes training conditions challenging.

Transcript

00:00Dean Hewitt is at the peak of his curling powers after a bronze medal winning performance

00:07at the recent World Championships with mixed doubles partner Tali Gill.

00:11To bring that home was extra special.

00:13Their success has come against the odds as there are no purpose built curling facilities

00:17in Australia.

00:18We're very lucky to actually have the ice house and having curling at the ice house,

00:23that's where I've grown up curling.

00:24But at the end of the day for curling ice we need to have dedicated ice which doesn't

00:28have skaters.

00:29We need to have really flat so the rocks curl in the direction they're supposed to.

00:32A new ice sports venue in Tuggeranong in Canberra South featuring specially made curling sheets

00:38was promised by the ACT government during the 2016 election campaign, but progress has

00:44moved at a glacial pace.

00:46Stephen Campbell is one of the project's developers and also CEO of ice hockey club the Canberra

00:52Brave who will eventually call the new facility home.

00:55In the meantime the club is playing on a temporary rink at AIS Arena.

00:59We're very keen to grow not just ice hockey but all the other sports that exist in the

01:05ACT but also and I think really importantly to add to the cohort of sports such as curling

01:11and speed skating.

01:12But the latest environmental report for the site has raised several red flags.

01:17We are concerned about the number of trees that would have to be removed which is in the

01:21vicinity of just under 200.

01:23We are looking at options that would either mitigate the loss or alternate sites for development.

01:31The delay in building the venue in Canberra means that even if Dean and Tali inspire others

01:37to take up the sport, the path to the elite level of competition remains slippery.

01:45We'd love to have that legacy held behind us and hopefully it will be there before I retire.

01:51We don't want to be the only Australian Olympians, we want to be one of the first but with many

01:56more to come.

01:57Stuart and Gill have one final chance to earn their place at next year's Winter Olympics

02:02in Italy when they compete in Canada this December.

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