Chelsea Carey will look to end a seven-year dry spell for Canada at the women's world curling championship.
Canada hasn't won a women's world title since 2008 in Vernon, BC when Jennifer Jones beat Wang Bingyu of Japan in the gold medal game. Canada has appeared in three finals since that victory including losing the last two to Switzerland. Rachel Homan and her Ottawa rink fell to Binia Feltscher in 2014 followed by Alina Patz downing Jones in the title game last year.
Team Carey will try to change Canada's fortunes in Swift Current, Sask., from March 19-27. All of Canada's games can be seen live on TSN.
Check out TSN.ca's preview of the top rinks to watch out for at the 2016 Ford World Women's Curling Championship.
Team Canada (Chelsea Carey)
The 2015-16 season marked the third year in a row Carey would helm a different rink. After leaving Winnipeg at the end of 2013-14, the 31-year-old skipped a young Edmonton rink of third Laura Crocker, second Taylor McDonald and lead Jen Gates last season. When things didn't work out there, Carey took over her current squad following the departure of Heather Nedohin, who stepped away from the game to spend more time with her family.
This time the fit was perfect.
After a slew of solid finishes on the World Curling Tour, Team Carey upset Val Sweeting in the final of the Alberta Scotties to punch their ticket to the Canadian championship. Carey and her rink from the Glencoe Club in Calgary had a terrific week at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Grande Prairie, Alta., beating Jones in the 1 vs 2 Page Playoff and Northern Ontario’s Krista McCarville in the final. It was Carey's first national title.
They'll need to find some of the same magic they found in Grande Prairie in order to secure the world championship for Canada.
Team Carey will be one of the favourites in Swift Current.
Team Switzerland (Binia Feltscher)
Binia Feltscher is no stranger to the world championships. When she steps onto the ice in Swift Current, it will mark her fourth appearance at the Worlds.
The 37-year-old won it all in 2014 and fellow Swiss curler Alina Pätz defended the title for their European country last year. Switzerland has won the tournament three out of the last four years.
Team Feltscher has won once this year and sit 22nd on the Money List. The Swiss are always in the hunt at Worlds and this year should be no different.
Team Scotland (Eve Muirhead)
Eve Muirhead and her Scottish rink will make their seventh Worlds appearance in eight years. They missed the 2014 championships because they were competing in the Sochi Olympics where they won the bronze medal.
Muirhead, 25, won gold at the 2013 Worlds in Riga, Latvia and silver in 2010, also in Swift Current. She was smoked in the bronze medal game last year by Russia's Anna Sidorova.
The skip from Sterling has yet to win an event on the World Curling Tour his season.
Scotland will likely make the playoffs and will look to get back on the podium in Saskatchewan.
Team Russia (Anna Sidorova)
Russia, led by 25-year-old Anna Sidorova have won back-to-back bronze medals at the world championships and should be a threat to do the same - or even better - this time around.
Sidorova, who finished ninth at the 2014 Olympics in her home country, will play in her seventh straight Worlds.
Team Sidorova are having a good year on Tour, playing in a number of events, winning one. They sit eighth on the WCT Money List.
Team Sweden (Margaretha Sigfridsson)
Margaretha Sigfridsson knows what it's like to finish second. The 40-year-old Swede, who calls the shots but throws lead stones for her rink, has settled for silver at four world championships (2002, 2009, 2012, 2013) and one Olympic Games (2014).
Will her eighth appearance at the Worlds finally be the one for Sigfridsson?
Team Sigfridsson have lost in two finals this year and sit 24th on the WCT Money List. Maria Prytz throws fourth rocks for this squad.
They finished with a 5-6 record at the Worlds last year in Sapporo, Japan and failed to make the final four.
Team Denmark (Lene Nielsen)
Two-time Olympian Lene Nielsen will try to finish on the podium at the Worlds for the first time in seven tries this year in Swift Current.
The 29-year-old and her Danish rink have yet to win an event on the WCT his season and sit 117th on the Money List.
Team United States (Erika Brown)
Erika Brown finished second at the women's world championships in 1996 and 1999, but hasn't reached the podium since.
She last appeared at the Worlds in 2013 and is a three-time Olympian.
Brown, 33, and her American foursome have reached two semis and two finals this season, but have not won an event on the WCT. They're 20th on the Money List.
Team Brown will have to play their very best in order to make the playoffs in Swift Current.
Team Finland (Oona Kauste)
- Kauste finished 11th at last year's world championships as a second for Sanna Puustinen
- Sit 59th on the WCT Money List this season
Team Japan (Satsuki Fujisawa)
- Second appearance at the world championships; finished seventh in 2013
- Fujisawa, 24, has lost in two finals this season and sit 26th on the Money List
Team South Korea (Un Chi Gim)
- Fourth world championship for the 26-year-old Gim
- Competed at the 2014 Olympics and finished with a 3-6 record
- Won the Hub International Crown of Curling on the WCT this year; sit 43rd on Money List
Team Germany (Daniela Driendl)
- Driendl, 34, will make her second career - and second straight - appearance at the Worlds as a skip
- Finished with a 4-7 record last year
- Team Driendl sit 112th on the Money List
Team Italy (Federica Apollonio)
- Apollonio, 24, will make her debut at the Worlds this year
