Scott Andrews believes the Scotland team is in a strong place ahead of the start of the World Mixed Curling Championships in Aberdeen this weekend.
Thirty-four teams will compete in the week-long event at Curl Aberdeen, which starts on Saturday.
Scotland will be represented at the tournament by Jack Strawhorn (Dumfries), Amy Mitchell (Greenacres), Kaleb Johnston (Stranraer), and Kirsty Gallacher (Dumfries).
They earned the right to represent Scotland at this tournament by winning the Scottish Curling Mixed Championship earlier this year, beating Team Bryce, who clinched silver at the 2022 World Mixed Championship, in the final.
Scotland will compete in Group A alongside Belgium, England, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Netherlands, Sweden, and Wales.
Andrews, Scottish Curling Academy manager and an Olympic silver medallist, said: “All four athletes have had busy starts to the season with all currently out in Prague competing in the European JuniorCurling Tour event.
“As a team they will not have taken to the ice together prior to the championship starting, but I know individually they will all be in a good place stepping on the ice in Aberdeen.
“It is a huge honour to represent Scotland at a major event and for the team it will be a great experience playing as the home nation.
“There will be plenty of learnings from the week for both the athletes and for myself as a coach.”
At home in the Granite City
Stranraer-based Johnston believes the familiarity of the Aberdeen rink will be beneficial as the Scots try to make it through the first stage of the competition and into the knockout matches.
He said: “Our ambitions for the championship are to take it one game at a time; we are hopeful to qualify out of the group stage as this is our goal for the week.
“We just want to enjoy our first time at a championship.
“It will be a great feeling playing on home ice.
“Aberdeen is where our junior nationals are played, so we aren’t going anywhere we don’t know. It will also be great having a home crowd to cheer us on.”
