The World Mixed Doubles Qualification Event 2022 has been cancelled ©WCF

The World Mixed Doubles Qualification Event 2022 (WMDQE2022) scheduled for early January in Scotland has been cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions, it has been announced.

The Forfar Curling Centre in Angus in Scotland was due to host the event from January 4 to 9.

It has now been claimed the event cannot be hosted while following the updated health regulations in Scotland.

The event was intended to qualify four additional teams for the World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship 2022.

The qualification process will now be reviewed by the World Curling Federation’s (WCF) Competitions and Rules Commission.

Scotland, Norway, Sweden, Canada, Italy, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, the United States, China, Germany, Russia, New Zealand, Australia, England, Hungary and Japan have already qualified for the World Championship based on their results at the World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship 2021, held in Aberdeen in Scotland in May 2021.

Finland, Korea, Estonia and Spain were relegated to the Qualification Event 2022.

The event was due to act as a qualifier for the World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship 2022, which the United States have already qualified for ©Getty Images
The event was due to act as a qualifier for the World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship 2022, which the United States have already qualified for ©Getty Images

"We are so disappointed that the World Mixed Doubles Qualification Event has been cancelled due to COVID challenges," WCF President Kate Caithness. 

"I was very much looking forward to welcoming these teams to my home club in Forfar. There is no easy replacement to qualify teams for the World Championship, other than competing on the ice for these coveted spots.

"Throughout this pandemic, we as a curling community have learned how to adapt quickly to ever-changing circumstances and now the Competitions and Rules Committee will ensure the next steps required will be fair for those who looked to play in this event."

Local Organising Committee (LOC) chairman Mike Ferguson said: "On behalf of our team of volunteers we are extremely disappointed to have to agree to the cancellation of the WMDQE2022.

"Just as we were ratcheting up our final arrangements the upgrading of COVID restrictions in Scotland was creating too many challenges for competitors and organisers alike. 

"We were eagerly looking forward to hosting the competition and welcoming everyone to Forfar however events have conspired against us. 

"We are not the first and unfortunately unlikely to be the last LOC to be faced with such disappointment."