World Curling Championships: Bubble 'sacrifice' is worth it - Bruce Mouat

Skip Bruce Mouat and his rinkGraeme Hart

Bruce Mouat and his rink are getting ready for the World Curling Championships in Canada

By Tyrone Smith
BBC Scotland Sport

Bruce Mouat says the "sacrifice" of spending five weeks in a Calgary bubble will be worth it to represent Scotland at next month's World Curling Championships.

Strict health and safety measures have been put in place to manage the risks of Covid-19.

The only time those taking part will be allowed to leave their hotel will be when they take to the ice.

"We know our social lives have had to suffer," skip Mouat told BBC Scotland.

"Everyone has [suffered] in the lockdown situation, but regardless of what the rules are like out there we wouldn't mind because we just want to be able to compete again. It is a sacrifice but I guess we have already made a lot of sacrifices just to be able to train.

"Representing Scotland is such an honour and we are going to have five weeks of nothing but curling, so that is something that sounds great to me, I don't really see it as being a burden."

Team Mouat, bronze medallists in 2018, will be competing on the international stage for the first time in more than a year and will also take part in a couple of Grand Slam events while in Canada.

There is an added pressure at this year's World Championships with the top-six finishers in the 14-team event securing automatic qualification for next year's Winter Olympics in Beijing.

"I see that as the first goal - to qualify Great Britain for that spot at the Olympics," Mouat added.

"Fortunately for us we have been there twice and both times we have reached the top six, so this time we feel like we are more solid as team."

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