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FORFAR CURLER'S ROLE IN WORLD JUNIOR TITLE TILT
FORFAR curler Kerr Drummond is bound for the World Junior Curling Championships in Switzerland next month, after helping Team Fraser win the Scottish Junior title in Aberdeen.
Team Fraser, made up of Drummond, skip Ally Fraser (Inverness), Scott Andrews (Ayr) and Steven Mitchell (Perth), completed an undefeated week with a nine-four win in the final over pre-event favourites, Perth's Glen Muirhead - to book their place at Flims in Switzerland from March 6 to 14.
Muirhead, finalists in the Scottish Senior Championships, contained Kerr's older brother Greg, who was the fifth member of the Scottish team at last year's World Junior Championships in Vancouver.
"It was brilliant to go through the competition undefeated," said 18-year-old Kerr.
"I can't explain how good it feels right now to be a Scottish champion. Our expectations had been to be in the top three with anything more is a bonus. So, to win is a big bonus."
The Drummonds are both supported by the National Academy, which has been created to identify and build a wider base of potential curlers capable of challenging for a place in the Elite Squad.
The Tayside & Fife Institute of Sport, part of the sportscotland institute of sport's regional network, provides integrated support in the form of high performance expertise.
Its expert teams work together to support Scottish governing body-identified athletes, delivering essential support services locally in sports medicine, sports science, strength and conditioning, and career and lifestyle guidance.
The combination of both organisations is a winning formula.
"Being in the Academy with Rhona Martin (RCCC Performance Development Coach) and coach Sheila Swan makes a big difference," adds Kerr. "Rhona has been at the highest level and her input is great.
"I have been with the Tayside & Fife Institute of Sport for about four years. The Strength & Conditioning training they provide, two sessions a week plus a cardiovascular session as well, really does work.
"The amount of sweeping we had this week is unreal and if I never went to the gym I would have struggled to get through the week.
"The games we play at the Scottish Championships are ten ends so we could be playing up to three and a half hours.
"You can see some of the teams are getting tired near the end of the game where we are still focussed and concentrated on the game."
Said curling coach Sheila Swan: "Kerr has worked really hard on the technical aspects of the game this year and his delivery and technical skills have improved greatly.
"All the TFIS athletes have bought into the Strength & Conditioning programme. Fitness and core stability has really improved and helped Kerr with the technical side of his game."
Team Fraser has three weeks of training to look forward to before heading to Switzerland for the World Championships.
Having three members of the team who already have Worlds experience from a year ago will be a huge advantage.
"The Worlds will definitely be the high point in my career so far," said Kerr. "I was at the Youth Olympics last year but this is a step higher than that.
"The three others have all been to the Worlds before but this will be a new experience for me. They know what to expect and I do as well. I've been to the Youth Olympics which is pretty high level and the teams that were there are going to be competing at the Worlds.
"So we know who we are playing against. We are going for the top half of the rankings and if we get a play off or a semi final that will be a bonus."
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Weather for Forfar
Thursday 09 February 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 2 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 3 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 6 mph
Wind direction: South west
