AMERICAN
KARI ERICKSON — U.S.
The skip of the 2001 U.S. women's national champions, Kari Erickson, 29, started curling in 1988 and has been coached by her father, Mike Liapis, ever since. It must be paying off. The Erickson link also won the national championship in 1998 and took fifth in the world championships this year. She was named the United States Curling Association and U.S. Olympic Committee Female Curling Athlete of the Year in 1993. She has competed in numerous European and Canadian bonspiels. Kari is also an amateur geologist. She enjoys rock and mineral collections, and she also collects old children's books. She is married and is the aquatics instructor at Bemidji (Minn.) schools.
PATTI LANK — U.S.
Patti Lank, 37, led her link to a silver medal in the 1999 World Championships. She was the 2001 and 2000 national runner-up and 1999 national champion. Curling since 1978, Patti comes from a family of curlers. Her mother is a senior curler out of Weyburn, Saskatchewan, and Patti thanks five brothers and one sister for her competitive nature. She loves the draw game and has recorded an 8-ender (a perfect end in curling, similar to a hole-in-one in golf). She has a degree in creative fashion design from George Brown College in Toronto, Ontario, and enjoys interior design and gardening. She is a full-time mom and USA distributor for Performance Brush living in Lewiston, N.Y.
CRAIG BROWN — U.S.
Craig Brown, 26, was in a family bonspiel when he was 8 years old. "I didn't know how to tell score, and was really sad until my dad told me we won the tournament," he recalled. He can certainly tell score now. Coached by his mentor father, Steve Brown, Craig's link was the 2000 national champions and were runners-up this year. He has a bronze medal from the 1994 junior world championships. He was named the 2000 U.S. Curling Association and U.S. Olympic Committee Male Curling Athlete of the Year. Single, he is a copywriter living in Madison, Wis.
TIM SOMERVILLE — U.S.
The left-handed skip from Roseville, Minn., led his team to the bronze medal in Albertville, France, in 1992 when curling was still an Olympic exhibition sport. He barely missed medaling in 1998, finishing fourth in Nagano. His link was also the 1992 world champions. Tim, 41, began curling in high school after watching his father, Hall of Famer Bud Somerville play. He enjoys art, golf and fishing. He is married and works for Home Depot. His hero is Muhammad Ali.
INTERNATIONAL
KELLEY LAW — CANADA
Skip Kelley Law is married to Bruce with two children, Christopher, 9, and Cameron, 18 months. Born in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, and now living in Coquitlam, Kelley has curled for 23 years. She is a five-time British Columbia champion and 1997 Olympic Trials semi-finalist.
JEFF STOUGHTON — CANADA
Jeff Stoughton, his team's skip, has worked hard to keep his team and his community on top. A full-time System Specialist at Air Canada, this Curling Hall of Famer and father of two can often be found supporting local fund-raising events and charities as well as providing a lending hand to local junior curling programs. He competed in the 1998 Canada Olympic Curling Trials, finishing tied for fourth, and was inducted into the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame in 1998.
ULRIK SCHMIDT — DENMARK
Ulrik Schmidt, 39, is a logistics and production manager and is married to Lisa Richardson. He enjoys golf, bicycling, badminton, running and music. He skipped his team to second place in this year's European championships. He and Lisa live in Copenhagen. Asked about hours of practice, he answers, "Enough!"
LENE BIDSTRUP — DENMARK
Lene Bidstrup, 35, led her team to third place in the 1999 world championships. As a junior curler, she won a bronze medal in the 1988 World Junior Curling Championships. She and her husband, Carsten, and child, Nikolaj, live in Karlslunde, Denmark.
MARKKU UUSIPAAVALNIEMI — FINLAND
Markku Uusipaavalniemi, 35, led his team to a gold medal in the 2000 European championships and a bronze in the world championships that year. Self-employed, he lives in Hyvinkaa, Finland, with his family, wife, Mari, and children, Jenna, Jesse and Jenika.
PAL TRULSEN — NORWAY
Pal Trulsen, 39, is an engineer living in Osteras, Norway, with Tone and children, Pia and Stine. He enjoys golf and soccer, along with curling. His team placed fifth in the 2000 world championships.
DORDI NORDBY — NORWAY
Dordi Nordby, 37, competed in her first world curling championships in 1982. Curling is not only her competitive sport but also her occupation, as she runs and is an instructor at a curling rink. She is single, enjoys computers and backgammon, and lives in Snaroya, Norway.
HAMMY MCMILLAN — SCOTLAND
Hammy McMillan, 38, has been curling for more than 30 years. He has a silver medal from the 1986 world championships, a silver from the 1992 world championships, a bronze from 1997, and competed in the 1992 Albertville Games in the curling exhibition. A hotel manager, he and his wife, Lorna, and their children, Hamilton, Hannah and Megan, live in Stranraer, Scotland.
RHONA MARTIN — SCOTLAND
Rhona Martin, 35, has a silver medal from the 1998 European championships. Among her other interests are gym and swimming. She is a housewife and lives in Dunlop, Ayrshire, Scotland, with her husband, Keith and children, Jennifer and Andrew. Her nickname is Mrs. Merton.
ELISABETH GUSTAFSON — SWEDEN
Elisabeth Gustafson, 37, won a bronze medal in Nagano, Japan, in 1998 — the first year curling was a medal sport. She is a surgeon and enjoys golf, running and working with doll houses. She is married to Tomas and they have a son, William. They live in Orebro, Sweden. She practices 20 hours per week.
PETER LINDHOLM — SWEDEN
Peter Lindholm, 31, has one gold and two silver medals from world curling championships: 1997, first; 1998, second; 2000, second. He enjoys dogs, music and soccer and is a system developer. He is married to Ulrica and lives in Ostersund, Sweden, with their child, Maja.