User:A202985/USCA

The United States Curling Association (USA Curling) is the national governing body of the sport of curling in the United States. The goal of the USCA is to grow the sport of curling in the United States and win medals in competitions both domestic and abroad. Curling’s recent popularity has swelled the USCA to 165 curling clubs and 16,500 curlers in the United States. The United States Olympic men's curling teams have seen success in recent years, most notably winning the gold medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, led by skip John Shuster.

High Performance Program
Sources:

Announcement of U-25 national program

Junior HPP changes for '20-21 due to COVID

Schultz as new director of women's and juniors HPP

Other 2020-21 press releases: Team Christensen, Team Peterson, Team Sinclair, Team Dropkin, Team Shuster, Team Ruohonen, mixed doubles teams pt 1, mixed doubles teams pt 2, junior teams

International competition
As a member of the World Curling Federation, the USCA sends teams to represent the United States at a number of international competitions.

World Championships
The United States has been represented at numerous world curling championships, including men's, women's, mixed, junior's, senior's, mixed doubles, and wheelchair.

While some world championships are open entry, such that any WCF member association that wants can a send a team, most limit the number of teams and set qualification requirements. For the men's and women's championships there are a number of ways the United States can qualify to send a team:


 * Host the championship
 * Be the top ranked team from the Americas region (if the championship host is not from the Americas region)
 * Win the Americas Challenge
 * Finish in top 2 at the World Qualification Event

The United States has had a team at the Men's World Championship every year since it's expansion to a world event in 1961. In those 59 appearances the US team has earned 22 medals. Similarly the United States has also had a team at the Women's World Championship every year since it's inception in 1979, earning 6 medals in the 41 appearances.

**** how US teams qualify to represent the US

Olympics
The United states has been represented in both men's and women's curling at every Winter Olympics since it was reinstated as a full event in 1998. The country was also represented in the inaugural mixed doubles competition at the 2018 Winter Olympics. The United States has placed twice in the Olympic curling events, both for the men's event. In the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics the men's team earned bronze under the guidance of skip Pete Fenson. Most recently, at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, skip John Shuster's team won the gold medal. John Shuster and Joe Polo were on the medal winning team both years.

Curling was a demonstration event at the 1988 and 1992 Winter Olympics. The United States participated in the men's and women's events both years and the men's team earned the bronze medal in 1992.

**** How the US gets a spot and how US teams qualify to represent the US

10 teams total


 * Host the Olympics - (1)
 * Top 7 in qualification points from two previous World Championships (the higher you finish the more qualification points) - (7)
 * Finish top two at qualification event - (2) (open to any country that has competed in last 4 World's and is not yet qualified)
 * 8 mixed doubles teams
 * host - (1)
 * qualification points from previous two World's - (7)
 * qualification points from previous two World's - (7)

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Championship events
The United States Curling Association typically holds ten national championship events each season. Six of the championships can lead to representing the United States at the subsequent World Championship of that discipline. Those six are men's, women's, mixed doubles, junior, senior, and mixed.

History
Established in 1957, the year before the USCA was founded. The United States was first invited to the Scotch Cup, which would later turn into the World Men's Championship, in 1961 and since then the winner of the Men's National Championship typically has had the opportunity to go on to represent the United States at World's. Format and qualification has changed in these ways...

Qualification
Currently teams qualify by ...

History
First held in 1977. The first World Women's Championship was held two years later in 1979 and since then the winner of the Women's National Championship has typically had the opportunity to go on to represent the United States at World's. Format and qualification has changed in these ways...

Qualification
Currently teams qualify by ...

History
First held in preparation for the first World Mixed Doubles Championship in 2008. Format and qualification has changed in these ways...

Qualification
Currently teams qualify by ...

Other championships

 * Junior National Championships
 * Senior National Championships
 * College National Championship
 * U18 National Championship
 * Mixed National Championship
 * Club National Championships
 * Arena National Championships