For Immediate Release

Nov. 12, 2018

Americas Challenge begins Friday in Chaska

(STEVENS POINT, Wis.) – Brazil, Guyana and the United States will battle this weekend to determine which country will secure a berth to the 2019 World Men’s Curling Championship as the Chaska Curling Center hosts the Americas Challenge.

The Americas Challenge determines the second country from the Americas Zone to be represented at annual men’s and women’s world championships. Canada, as host of the 2019 World Men’s Championship in April and also finishing higher than the U.S. at the previous world championship, has earned a spot already. The Canadian women, by virtue of a higher finish than the U.S. at the 2018 World Women’s Championship, hold the first Americas Zone berth for the 2019 World Women’s Championship in March in Denmark.

The Brazilian women also registered to compete in the Americas Challenge but then requested that the World Curling Federation (WCF) allow them to concede to USA – the only other participant – and still allow Brazil to receive the sole North American spot in the new World Qualification Event Jan. 18-23 in Naseby, New Zealand. The WCF approved this.

The competition will kick off Friday evening with USA taking on Brazil at 7 CT. The American team will be composed of Rich Ruohonen (Brooklyn Park, Minn.), Greg Persinger (Fairbanks, Alaska), Colin Hufman (St. Paul, Minn.), Phil Tilker (Seattle), and Korey Dropkin (Duluth, Minn.). The team is coached by Phill Drobnick (Eveleth, Minn.). Brazil will once again be skipped by Marcelo Mello while newcomer Guyana will be led by Rayad Husain, who competed in the 2018 World Mixed Doubles Championship. Guyana became a member of the World Curling Federation in 2016 while Brazil joined in 1998.

The teams will play a double round robin to determine the event winner. If there is a tie for first place at the end of the round robin, a winner will be determined based on head-to-head record or shootout score, if necessary.

This will be the fifth Americas Challenge to take place for the men’s Americas Zone berth and fourth time the U.S. men have competed in it. Brazil previously challenged the U.S. in 2009, 2010, 2015 and 2017. Canada defeated Brazil in the 2018 Americas Challenge to secure a berth to the 2018 World Men’s Championship in Las Vegas.

Schedule (all times listed as CDT):

7 p.m. Friday: USA vs. Brazil

9 a.m. Saturday: Guyana vs. USA

2 p.m. Saturday: Brazil vs. Guyana

7 p.m. Saturday: USA vs. Brazil

8 a.m. Sunday: USA vs. Guyana

1 p.m. Sunday: Guyana vs. Brazil

Live scoring will be available for all games via www.usacurl.org.

About the Americas Challenge: For qualification to the World Curling Championships and World Junior Championships. The second ranked Americas Zone association from the previous WCC and WJCC, providing they are not hosting the upcoming championship, can face a challenge from any other World Curling Federation member association in the Americas Zone, which currently includes Brazil, Canada, Guyana, and the United States.

USA Curling is sponsored by AtomOS, Nike, Brooms Up Curling Supplies, Carhartt, CryoMAX 8-Hour Cold Pack, Sitrin, The RAM Restaurant & Brewery, Thorne, ISS (Ice, Sports & Solar), and Twin Cities Orthopedics, and is partnered with Carhartt, Brakebush, Laurie Artiss Ltd. – The Pin People, United Airlines, 12th End Sports Network, IHG, and CurlingZone.

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For more information: Terry Davis, Director of Communications, terry.davis@usacurl.org, 608-338-9900 (mobile).