Top flight competition returns to Scottish ice this week with the Euro Super Series (ESS) team event followed swiftly by the Stirling Mixed Doubles Invitational at the National Curling Academy, providing the ideal opportunity for this season’s Winter Olympic contenders to establish early form.
For none more so than the lone member of Team GB’s 2022 gold medal winning quartet to have been selected for the defence of that title in Milan-Cortina next year, as Jen Dodds, like mixed doubles partner Bruce Mouat, gets ready to compete in both the team and mixed doubles events.
The ESS kicks things off on August 21, with finals day for both the men’s and women’s events on August 24. The following day the mixed doubles competition gets underway, concluding on August 27 and Dodds is eager to get into action. 
“It’s good to get both disciplines underway straight away at the start of the season,” she said.
“I feel very well prepared technically, tactically, physically, so at this point now most people would agree that you just want to get the season going having done all the prep work you possibly can.”
No one knows what is required better then Dodds, since she having competed in both disciplines at the Beijing Winter Olympics, just missing out on a medal with Mouat when they were edged out in both the semi-finals and the bronze medal match in mixed doubles, before she went on to golden glory with Eve Muirhead, Vicky Wright, Hailey Duff and Mili Smith.
There is, however, less immediate pressure since the women’s team has qualified in advance for the Olympics through their performances at the last two World Championships and Dodds, along with regular teammates Rebecca Morrison, Sophie Sinclair and Sophie Jackson, as well as alternate Fay Henderson had their places confirmed early in the summer.
It was also announced at that point that she would be competing in the mixed doubles in Milan-Cortina with Mouat who will subsequently lead Grant Hardie, Bobby Lammie, Hammy McMillan and their alternate Kyle Waddell into their bid to go one better than the silver medal they won in Beijing.
That contrasts with four years ago when a visit to the Olympic Qualifying Event (OQE) was required, which consequently saw contenders spending the early part of the season in a nine player squad competing for places.
“This time around it is different,” Dodds acknowledged. 
“Last time we didn’t know we were going at this stage of the season because we were still in a squad and we didn’t even know which of us were going to go to attempt to win Team GB a spot, so it is much less stressful to know already that we are going.
“Back then the OQE was in December, so that was our main objective, but all the competitions we are playing in this season are also important.
“We can’t look to the Olympics yet, because we have a lot of games before then and every game will count.
“Win or lose, we need to learn from every game and keep our focus, so that we go into the Olympics as well prepped as we can be.”
While aware of the scale of the challenge, she noted that competing in two disciplines provides stimulating variety.
“I now know what’s involved in taking part in both disciplines and it’s not easy,” said Dodds.
“It takes all your energy mentally and physically and I do feel I am in a very good place coming into the season to be ready for that.
“Obviously in mixed doubles it’s a lighter sweeping load for me, but I’m using more brain capacity because I’m in the head.
“In the women’s it’s vice versa, so I really enjoy that change up and I’ll look forward to that at the Olympics.” 
Dodds was watching from afar as Mouat led his men into their season’s opener in Switzerland last weekend, the reigning World Champions and last season’s runaway world number one getting an indicator of just how fierce competition will be this season as their Baden Masters title defence ended in the semi-finals, while their world number five ranked compatriots Team Whyte exited a round earlier.
The ESS events promise to be at least as strong with Olympic contenders taking part in all three competitions, setting the bar high from the off.
“We saw from the boys event in Baden at the weekend that everyone was on very good form from the get go and that was a really high standard of field,” said Dodds.
“So I think we need to be going into this ESS as prepped as we can be and I feel the last six weeks back on ice has been really, really good for women’s and mixed doubles.
“There are quite a few Olympic teams here, especially in the Mixed Doubles with a lot of teams that were at the World Championships last season coming to the event and also in the women’s there are a few hopefuls and teams that are already going to the Olympics.
“Having that sort of high standard of competition from the get go is a really good way to start the season.
“I think we know we need to be consistently hitting high standards to beat these teams, so we may as well just start from the first competition of the season.”
Every game from the Euro Super Series (21-24 August) and the Stirling Mixed Doubles Invitational (25-27 August) will be live streamed on the Curling Stadium Europe Platform.
Curling Stadium Europe event passes can be obtained here
Please click here for the ESS Draw - Women
Please click here for the ESS Draw - Men
Please click here for the Stirling Mixed Doubles Invitational Draw
British Curling teams:
Team Mouat
Bruce Mouat
Grant Hardie
Bobby Lammie
Hammy McMillan
Team Whyte 
Ross Whyte
Robin Brydone
Craig Waddell
Euan Kyle
Team Waddell
Kyle Waddell
Mark Watt
Angus Bryce
Blair Haswell
Team Carson
Orrin Carson
Logan Carson
Archie Hyslop
Charlie Gibb
Team Craik
James Craik
Jake MacDonald
Fraser Swanston
Rory MacNair
Team Morrison
Sophie Jackson
Rebecca Morrison
Jennifer Dodds
Sophie Sinclair
Team Henderson
Fay Henderson
Hailey Duff
Lisa Davie
Katie McMillan
Laura Watt
Team Soutar
Callie Soutar
Eva Hare
Holly Clemie
Allison Hamilton
Team Laurie
Tia Laurie
Cara Davidson
Kirsty Gallacher
Holly Burke
Amy Mitchell
Images: Rob Blanchard Photography
