
New pro curling league scheduled to start in 2026 with hopes of prolonging the Olympic spotlight
Associated Press
Curling is getting its first professional league, stocked with past and future Olympians competing in a six-week, six-team season touring internationally starting next April in the aftermath of the Milan-Cortina Olympics.
The Curling Group, which owns the Grand Slam of Curling event series, announced the creation of Rock League on Thursday. The six-week circuit will include stops in Canada, the United States and Europe, where six teams of five men and five women each will play a variety of formats to be determined.
'As an athlete, I could have only dreamed about being able to participate in a professional curling league,' said Jennifer Jones, a 2014 Olympic gold medalist who is an adviser to the league. 'Now, having the opportunity to help make that dream a reality for the next generation of curlers is a true honor – and it's what inspires us every day as we work to build this league.'
There will be two teams apiece from Canada and Europe, one from the United States and one from Asia. Among the athletes signed up as captains are Olympic medalists Bruce Mouat of Scotland, Brad Jacobs of Canada and Chinami Yoshida of Japan.
Korey Dropkin, a world mixed doubles champion who would represent the U.S. at the 2026 Games, will captain the American team. Canadian Rachel Homan and Alina Paetz of Switzerland, both two-time Olympians, are the other captains.
John Morris, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and adviser to the league, said the captains were chosen based on leadership, ability to work with teammates and curling skill.
'Our goal is to create a one-of-a-kind experience that brings out the very best of curling – where longtime rivals might end up as teammates, and rising stars have the chance to cement their legacy as professional athletes,' he said.
___
AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports in this topic
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Summer McIntosh breaks third world record in five days, a Phelpsian feat
Summer McIntosh is the first swimmer to break a world record in three different individual events at one long course meet since Michael Phelps at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. McIntosh, a triple 2024 Olympic gold medalist, lowered her own 400m individual medley world record on Wednesday at the Canadian trials for the World Championships in Singapore in July and August. Advertisement She clocked 4 minutes, 23.65 seconds, beating her previous record of 4:24.38 set at the 2024 Canadian Olympic Trials. Earlier at this meet, McIntosh reclaimed the 400m free world record (Saturday) and broke a 10-year-old world record in the 200m individual medley (Monday). She also swam the third-fastest time in history in the 800m free (Sunday) and the second-fastest time in history in the 200m butterfly (Tuesday). For Thursday, the last day of the meet, she is entered in the 200m free, not one of her primary events, in Victoria, British Columbia. McIntosh, an 18-year-old from Toronto, has put together one of the best single-meet performances in history. Advertisement The list starts with Phelps' eight-gold-medal effort at the 2008 Beijing Games. There, he broke world records in the 200m and 400m IMs, the 200m fly and the 200m free. Phelps is the only swimmer to win five individual events at a single Olympics (2008) or World Championships (2007). McIntosh can match that at this summer's worlds. She has said she plans to swim five individual events: her three Olympic gold-medal events — both IMs, 200m fly — plus the 400m free and one of the 200m free, 200m backstroke or 800m free. After worlds, McIntosh plans to move to Austin, Texas, and start being coached by Bob Bowman, who coached Phelps for his entire career. Advertisement Summer McIntosh chose swimming and became Canada's big splash Summer McIntosh, an Olympic swimmer from Canada, is challenging Katie Ledecky while still in high school.

NBC Sports
an hour ago
- NBC Sports
Summer McIntosh breaks third world record in five days, a Phelpsian feat
Summer McIntosh is the first swimmer to break a world record in three different individual events at one long course meet since Michael Phelps at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. McIntosh, a triple 2024 Olympic gold medalist, lowered her own 400m individual medley world record on Wednesday at the Canadian trials for the World Championships in Singapore in July and August. She clocked 4 minutes, 23.65 seconds, beating her previous record of 4:24.38 set at the 2024 Canadian Olympic Trials. Earlier at this meet, McIntosh reclaimed the 400m free world record (Saturday) and broke a 10-year-old world record in the 200m individual medley (Monday). She also swam the third-fastest time in history in the 800m free (Sunday) and the second-fastest time in history in the 200m butterfly (Tuesday). For Thursday, the last day of the meet, she is entered in the 200m free, not one of her primary events, in Victoria, British Columbia. McIntosh, an 18-year-old from Toronto, has put together one of the best single-meet performances in history. The list starts with Phelps' eight-gold-medal effort at the 2008 Beijing Games. There, he broke world records in the 200m and 400m IMs, the 200m fly and the 200m free. Phelps is the only swimmer to win five individual events at a single Olympics (2008) or World Championships (2007). McIntosh can match that at this summer's worlds. She has said she plans to swim five individual events: her three Olympic gold-medal events — both IMs, 200m fly — plus the 400m free and one of the 200m free, 200m backstroke or 800m free. After worlds, McIntosh plans to move to Austin, Texas, and start being coached by Bob Bowman, who coached Phelps for his entire career. Nick Zaccardi,
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Icahn Stadium on Randall's Island marks 20th anniversary
NEW YORK (PIX11) — Parks are popular summer destinations, and one world-class open space is celebrating an anniversary. Icahn Stadium on Randall's Island was built in 2005. To celebrate its 20th anniversary, the facility is hosting several special events. More Local News The track will be open for a public community run on Thursday, June 12, at 6 p.m. New York City FC II will play four home matches at the iconic stadium on August 8th. Runners of all ages and students hold championships and qualifying meets. Lou Vasquez has been the director of Icahn Stadium for 20 years. His love of running began as a student athlete at the former Downing Stadium. 'There's so much history here. World records have been set here. It's an inspiration to the athletes, Come on down and run the track where Usain Bolt broke the world record,' he said. The city created the track and field space in 1936, originally called it Triborough Stadium. It has a seating capacity of 5,000 and meets specifications for local, national, international and Olympic events. The New York Football Club donated $3 million to upgrade the interior soccer field in 2024. In September, it hosted the first professional soccer matches. In July, the track will be replaced with the same surface used by the Olympics. This is the peak park season. Field trips and festivals happen all summer on the island. The MTA built new vehicular and pedestrian ramps between Randall's Island, Queens, and Manhattan. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.