Team Homan second slides off into Swedish sunset

By Josh Bell

She’d been teammates with Rachel Homan and Emma Miskew for more than half of her life, becoming a dominant force in national and international competition. So when Alison Kreviazuk made the decision to step away from her Ottawa Curling Club mates to be with her boyfriend, Fredrik Lindberg, in Sweden, it was almost as heart-breaking as it was heart-warming for the 25-year-old.

“It was really tough, very, very tough,” Kreviazuk says. “I love playing with the girls, and stepping away, it was really emotional and brought us all to tears. But I know deep down I’m making the right decision.”

Kreviazuk and Lindberg, who plays on Niklas Edin’s team in Sweden, met at the 2011 Players Championship and have been together for two years, living apart the entire time. Kreviazuk had been considering moving for awhile, but didn’t think about the possibility too seriously until after the Olympic trials were complete.

“Obviously you don’t want to make a decision beforehand because you’re focusing so hard on one thing,” she highlights. “I just wanted to make sure I had a little more time on my hands.”

Kreviazuk won’t move to Sweden until the fall, allowing time to finalize her plans a little more concretely. The first task will be language courses.

“My Swedish is less than beginner right now,” laughs the University of Ottawa grad who plans to do further post-secondary studies in the future as well. “I need to be able to (study Swedish) before I can really get accustomed to everything and even be able to serve a cup of coffee or something.”

Kreviazuk isn’t sure whether she’ll put her curling talents to use when she lands.

“It’s not something I’ve really considered as of right now,” she says, noting that a two-year wait is required before curlers can represent a new country. “It’s been one step at a time so far. I’m just kind of focused on getting over there. If the possibility arose, then I might consider it. As of yet, there’s no plan though.”

Golden track record
Kreviazuk and Team Homan quickly built up a prized resumé as a young curling rink, with numerous World Curling Tour and Grand Slam titles, back-to-back Scotties national championships, and world bronze and silver medals the past two years. Kreviazuk’s favourite memory of the bunch was their first Scotties Tournament of Hearts victory in front of a home crowd in Kingston last year.

“It was something that I dreamed about since I was a little girl,” she recalls. “Receiving your first diamond ring was incredibly special.”

Kreviazuk, along with Homan, Miskew and Lisa Weagle, played their last event together April 15-20 in Summerside, PEI, reaching the final of the Players Championship that featured the Tour’s top-12 teams before falling 5-2 to Olympic gold medalist Jennifer Jones.

“Obviously, we had hoped for the win on that last one,” indicates Kreviazuk, whose spot will be filled by 25-year-old Joanne Courtney from Val Sweeting’s Edmonton-based rink. “But we played against Jen and she always plays lights out. Actually they all played amazing. They are really tough to beat.”

It’s now the off-season, but the members of Team Homan get together frequently nonetheless – a testament to the bond they’ve developed that stretches well beyond curling, and one Kreviazuk is certain will remain intact.

“I love the girls more than anything. They’ve really become my sisters,” says the personable athlete who’s always quick to smile. “I’ll be their #1 fan for the next four years, cheering them on for the next Olympic cycle.

“No matter what we’ll always be really close friends.”

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