Curling: Eve Muirhead and Jen Dodds picked by Scotland for European Championships

Jen Dodds and Eve Muirhead will link up to represent Scotland at the European Curling Championships in Norway next month.

Scotland will be represented at the European Championships in Lillehammer by Eve Muirhead, Vicky Wright, Jen Dodds, Hailey Duff and Mili Smith. Picture: Graeme Hart/Perthshire Picture Agency

The experienced pair will be accompanied by Vicky Wright, their regular teammate, and Hailey Duff and Mili Smith, who will both be making their debut at the event.

The selection process was based on performances this season as Scotland rotated their squad rather than simply picking a successful team, which is how the men’s side was chosen for the European Championships, with Bruce Mouat’s rink getting the nod.

The new approach was used to try to maximise the chances of a British women’s team qualifying for next year’s Winter Olympics in Beijing. Muirhead’s team of Dodds, Wright and Lauren Gray failed to secure an Olympic place when they finished outside the top six at the World Championships in Calgary in May.

But there will be one more chance for Team GB to send a women’s curling team to Beijing in February 2022. An Olympic qualifying tournament will be held later in the year where three further places are up for grabs.

“I’m obviously absolutely delighted to get the selection again for the Europeans and hopefully on to the Olympic qualifier,” said skip Muirhead, an Olympic bronze medallist in 2014 and a former European and world champion.

Mouat’s rink of Grant Hardie, Bobby Lammie and Hammy McMillan have already secured an Olympic place after winning silver at the World Championships and they will represent Scotland at the Europeans in Lillehammer from November 20-27.

Dodds and Mouat combined to win the World Mixed Doubles title this year and will compete in that event at the Winter Olympics.

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