One win short of Olympic qualification

23 May 2021 – New Zealand curlers Courtney Smith and Anton Hood have fallen just short at the country's first attempt to qualify for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

A last-stone loss in their pool game against the USA at the World Mixed Doubles Championship in Aberdeen, Scotland was the difference between fourth place in their pool (and with it a game for the seventh and final spot at Beijing), and their eventual placing of sixth in the pool and 12th overall in a field of 20.

Their participation at the Championship was only confirmed a few weeks before the Aberdeen event after the originally selected pair were unable to attend.