By Hritika Sharma
BEIJING (Reuters) – American curlers Chris Plys and Vicky Persinger will be looking to draw inspiration from the success of compatriot Michael Phelps at the 2008 Summer Olympics when they take to the ice in the mixed doubles competition on Wednesday.
Their match against Australia will kick off the Olympic competition at the “Ice Cube” National Aquatics Centre, the distinctive venue where Phelps won eight swimming gold medals in 2008 when it was known as the “Water Cube”.
“It was just an amazing experience to even just be standing in that venue and in that place where all those special races happened … let alone to be able to compete in it,” Plys told a news conference on Monday.
“He’s my favourite Olympian of all time, he’s been like an Olympic hero of mine, so to be able to stand in that same place and replay those memories of those races is something I’ll never forget,” Plys added.
“I have a blown-up photo of Michael Phelps from the 2008 Olympics that’s signed and in a frame over the desk in my office, and I look at that photo every single day. I still remember sitting on my couch and watching those races happen.”
Plys and Persinger’s opening round-robin match was in doubt when Australian Tahli Gill, who will compete with Dean Hewett, returned a positive COVID-19 test at the airport upon arrival in Beijing.
The Australian pair spent two days in isolation but have since been freed to compete after Gill subsequently tested negative.
They will be the first curlers from their country to compete at the Olympics after sealing their spot along with the United States in the final qualifying event.
“There’s been a couple teams who have had some possible COVID scares and … we don’t wish that upon anybody,” said Persinger, who will be competing at her first Games.
“They’ve worked just as hard to get there and it would be devastating for any athlete.”
Plys, who was an alternate on the U.S. team at the 2010 Winter Olympics, said he was looking forward to the contest.
“It’s so cool to see the sport of curling spreading out into places like Australia,” he said.
(Reporting by Hritika Sharma, editing by Nick Mulvenney and Raju Gopalakrishnan)
