Australia’s Tahli Gill, left, and Dean Hewitt prepare to leave after the mixed doubles match against Sweden, at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Feb. 4, 2022, in Beijing.The Associated Press
The teacher will no longer square off against his students in mixed doubles curling Sunday night at the Ice Cube.
Canada’s John Morris, who has coached the Australian duo of Tahli Gill and Dean Hewitt, was scheduled to face them in round-robin play at the Beijing Games with partner Rachel Homan.
However, Gill and Hewitt had to pull out of the competition Sunday after Gill returned a series of positive COVID-19 tests on Saturday night, the Australian Olympic Committee said on its website.
Gill and Hewitt lost all seven of the round robin games they played. Australia’s game against Canada and a Sunday afternoon matchup against Switzerland were expected to be formally forfeited later in the day.
Gill and Hewitt relocated to Canmore, Alta., last September and trained there in preparation for the Games.
“He’s basically family to us,” Hewitt said. “He gave us this really nice card (last week) and he finished off the note saying, ‘Friend first. Coach second.’”
Morris, of course, had to put his coaching hat away when he and Homan were named Canadian mixed doubles representatives last month.
“That will probably be my toughest game mentally,” Morris said before the Australians pulled out. “They are such good friends and such wonderful people.
“I like to play with a bit of an edge and I want to crush my opponent and it’s hard to want to crush them because they’re so nice.”
Gill and Hewitt first reached out to Morris after he won Olympic gold in mixed doubles at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games with Kaitlyn Lawes.
The families have history as Earle Morris – John’s father – previously coached Dean’s dad, Steve. The elder Hewitt finished seventh for Australia at the 1992 Albertville Games when curling was a demonstration sport.
Gill and Hewitt finished fourth at the 2019 world mixed doubles championship. Morris was on site last December at the Olympic qualification event in the Netherlands when the duo locked up a Beijing berth.
“They had a dream three years ago and they wanted to go to the Olympics,” Morris said. “It really is inspiring for athletes around the world to see.
“If you put the time in, you can make it to the Olympics.”
With Morris unavailable, Pete Manasantivongs served as Australian coach at this competition.
Morris is trying to win his third career Olympic gold medal. He also won men’s team gold at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics on a team with skip Kevin Martin.
Canada (4-2) split its two matches on Saturday, losing 6-2 to Sweden before bouncing back to beat the United States 7-2.
“It was a battle. The Americans are really a great team, and they can make all the shots. So we had to give them all we had,” said Homan.