Jan Betker
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Olympic medalist | |||
Jan Betker |
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Medal record | |||
Women's Curling | |||
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Gold | 1998 Nagano | Team |
Jan Betker (born July 19, 1960 in Regina, Saskatchewan) is a Canadian curler. Betker, who played the third position on the team of Sandra Schmirler, has taken over the position of skip created by Schmirler’s death.
As part of the Schmirler team Betker won 3 Canadian curling championships in 1993, 1994, and 1997. As well the team also won 3 world championships in 1993, 1994, and 1997. In 1998 the team won the Gold Medal for curling at the Olympic Games. Betker also won a Canadian Mixed Curling Championship in 1984 as the lead for Randy Woytowich.
At first Betker refused to skip the team following the death of her long time skip Schmirler. However, in 2003 Betker took over as skip and took her team to the Canadian Championship. The team finished fourth overall.
In 2005, at the Canada Cup of Curling, Betker and her team placed second. However this showing was still enough to win them a spot at the 2005 Canadian Olympic Trials in Halifax as the winner of the event, Shannon Kleibrink already had won an Olympic Trial berth. Betker finished 4-5 at the event with Kleibrink the eventual winner.
Betker returned to the national championships in 2007. Joan McCusker, who had played second for both Schmirler and Betker took the season off and was replaced by her sister, Nancy Inglis. Sherry Linton, former third, joined Jolene McIvor's rink for the 2006-2007 season and was replaced by newcomer, Lana Vey. Betker's team made it all the way to the final before losing to Kelly Scott.
Her team mates are:
- Lana Vey- Third,
- Nancy Inglis- Second,
- Marcia Gudereit- Lead*,
- *also curled with Betker on team Schmirler
Categories: Curlers from Saskatchewan | Sport in Saskatchewan | Olympic competitors for Canada | People from Regina, Saskatchewan | Olympic gold medalists for Canada | Saskatchewan sportspeople | Canada's Sports Hall of Fame | Canadians of German descent | Canadian Curling Hall of Fame | 1960 births | Living people | Curlers at the 1998 Winter Olympics