Calgary 2021 - Summary.

For curling this season is over and the only exception is the mixed doubles category, which has its world championships in a few days in Aberdeen. The Czech national team, which placed 12th with three wins, did not qualify for the play-offs and thus missed out on direct qualification for the 2022 Olympics. There is, however, a second route through additional qualification. That will be played at the end of this year. The Czech women have been preparing for the peak of the season in the incubator of the Roztyl curling hall in Prague. Several months of mostly technical preparation took place in conditions that were very good from the club's point of view, but the nature of the ice and the treatment of the stones did not match the parameters of the world and European championships. Especially the trajectories were diametrically different, which did not allow to train some types of game situations. The complete lack of game load and zero contact with foreign countries in the form of tournaments and camps was the result of compliance with the measures and regulations imposed by the prolonged state of emergency. Compared to the rest of the starting field, we had a significant handicap in this area. Without knowing who will be this year's champion in the women's category, I note that the Swedes, Swiss and Russians performed outstandingly. These teams were able to cope with the unusual circumstances best, perhaps because they played a number of games in Calgary just before the championships. The Asian teams fell short of expectations. Of course, we were very happy to be here and play, but the championship felt a bit like a poor relation compared to previous years. No spectators, no TV or stream broadcasts for many days, a very cramped warm-up zone, limited number of people on the coaches' bench, only a few functioning volunteers (many thanks to them), no electronic system checking compliance with the hog-line stone release rule, problematic and inconsistent decisions by the umpires regarding the use of the smart watch, etc. It almost creeps into the feeling of whether the World Championships should even take place under such circumstances? Despite all the embarrassment, my answer is yes. For the Czech team, it was the only opportunity to compare the level of their current skills with others. The comparison turned out well for our team - not excellent or great, but not disastrous or miserable either. Anna, Bětka, Míša, Ežen and Petra are an excellent team that is able to evaluate everything and plan further activities shortly after the tournament. Basically in a professional way. We know what to work on, what to improve, what to focus on, in short how to do it. For some of the players this championship was a great experience and inspiration, and for all of us together a lesson that things can always happen that no one can foresee and should be handled with perspective, self-confidence and reason. World curling, after a short break, is once again heading towards the Olympics and the Czech women's team wants and will play a significant role in that journey.