THUNDER BAY – Rick Lang knows a thing or two about winning on the international stage.
A two-time world curling champion, the 64-year-old Thunder Bay native will bring decades of experience to Pyeonchang, South Korea, where Alberta’s Kevin Koe will be gunning for Canada’s fourth straight Olympic men’s curling gold medal.
Lang, who also won a pair of Brier championships during his storied career, is part of Team Canada’s coaching staff at the 2018 Olympic Games, and while Koe – a two-time world champion with three Tim Hortons Brier titles under his belt – won’t necessarily be looking for on ice guidance when the curling competition gets under way on Valentine’s Day, Lang believes he can play a role with the heavily favoured Canadian squad.
Lang traveled to South Korea last year to scout out the facilities and said the moment the Koe rink walked off the ice at the Olympic Trials in Ottawa, a plan was put in place to prepare the team for the rigors of an Olympic competition.
“We’ve had the information for a long time. They’ve only had it for about six weeks,” Lang said.
The team leaves on Friday for Japan, where it will conduct a mini training camp, helping curlers and coaches get acclimated to a different time zone and culture.
It’s important to get the focused on the event itself, away from the distraction of family, friends and the relentless Canadian media.
In Canada, Olympic fans expect no less than gold.
But the competition is as stiff as it’s ever been and Koe, lead Ben Hebert, second Brent Laing and third Marc Kennedy will have to earn their way to the podium.
The pressure is already on, Lang said.
“There’s no hiding the fact that we’re ranked No. 1 in the world in men’s and women’s curling. On the men’s team, there are two guys on our team, Marc Kennedy and Ben Hebert, who have been there before,” Lang said.
“They said they really thought there were two or three teams they had to contend with eight years ago in Vancouver. Now there are six or seven on the men’s side.”
If Koe and company are not on top of their game, the chances of medaling are slim.
“We don’t pretend otherwise. I think they relish the fact and always take the attitude that if you’re favoured, it means that maybe you’re the best and if you go out there and play your game you’ve got a good chance of winning a medal,” said Lang, adding he’ll be there to lean on and discuss strategy should Koe be looking for advice during the Games.
Lang, who walked with Team Canada during the opening ceremonies four years ago in Russia, said he’s not sure if he’ll get that opportunity in 2018, but he’s crossing his fingers there’s room.
Outside of the curling, he’s looking forward to taking in some of the other sports, including long-track figure skating and, of course, hockey, where Thunder Bay’s Haley Irwin will be seeking a third straight Olympic medal.
“You don’t get to see a of tourist things, but I’m a lifelong sports fanatic. Anything sports I’ve watched on TV since I was a kid and I just love games and sports and athletics. So to be a part of the biggest show on Earth, with the greatest athletes in the world, it’s a phenomenal experience being at the Olympics,” Lang said.
The Games are scheduled to begin on Feb. 8.
