It’s obviously great news that there’s been a U-turn on the Perth and Kinross Council plans to close the Dewars Centre and not replace the ice rink in their new complex.
They have now pledged to include ice in whatever facility gets built.
This has been a story with a lot of twists and turns over the last decade so no curlers will take anything for granted.
And everyone is still a bit sceptical about when things are going to happen.
There will be a worry that curling might have to go on hold between demolishing the old rink and building the new venue.
The obvious concern is – are we going to lose curlers during that time?
It will be essential that the sport in Scotland comes together and that we find a temporary home for people in this area.
The new Dewars Centre and Perth Leisure Pool plans go before Perth and Kinross councillors today – here's a rundown of how PH20 went from revolutionary idea to watered down version being considered today.https://t.co/1JN3OHq0aP
— Séan O'Neil (@s_oneil88) January 22, 2024
Having figureheads like Dave Hay and Pete Loudon has been so important.
They, and others, have done an incredible amount of work for Dewars over the years and they certainly made sure their voices were heard in the build-up to Monday’s council meeting.
Their knowledge about curling as a sport and their local community is invaluable.
Both those things will be vital in the months and years ahead.
It’s getting close to Six Nations time and Gregor Townsend going with co-captains is an interesting choice.
You don’t see it often in sport.
You should always be open to try new things if you’re a head coach.
Is the first Six Nations after a World Cup the right time to experiment?
Rugby, like Olympic sports, tends to work in four-year cycles so it probably is.
Finn Russell is one of the captains and he commands instant respect.
"Kinda Like Messi…" ⚽️#SixNationsFullContact pic.twitter.com/5MHv9jnCjL
— Guinness Men's Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) January 24, 2024
I think we’ve moved on from looking at him as somebody who brings off-field issues and seeing him as the cornerstone of this team.
Joint leadership can be tricky – I found that out at my first Olympics in Vancouver when I was the skip and Jackie Lockhart had some captaincy responsibilities.
So the biggest thing for Gregor will be to make sure clear roles are defined for both men, then everyone knows where they stand.
We’re past the half-way stage now at the Winter Youth Olympics.
For me, it’s still a case of long days, sleep deprivation and plenty of coffee!
Some team members have started going back home and others have been arriving.
As HQ team, it helps keep our energy levels high when new athletes are coming into the Olympic village because these guys are bursting with excitement.
There are teams within teams constantly working away on the behind-the-scenes stuff.
But it’s very much a one-team environment.
Seeing so many athletes loving their experience makes it all worthwhile – even more so than Team GB competitors getting on to the podium.
The medals are the obvious highlights, though.
ANOTHER GOLD!! 🥇🥇
The future of British alpine skiing is bright… Zak Carrick-Smith takes home gold in men’s slalom!! ⭐#Gangwon2024 pic.twitter.com/Fosogf13JO
— Team GB (@TeamGB) January 25, 2024
Zak Carrick-Smith achieved Great Britain’s first Alpine skiing gold medal at either a Winter Youth Olympic Games or Winter Olympic Games.
And then he got another!
It’s always a privilege when you witness something unprecedented.
And we’ve now got a mixed curling team gold as well.
Britain’s medal tally of three golds and one silver at the Games makes it our best result at a Winter Olympic event.
But hopefully we’re not done yet!
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