Mark Nichols (curler)

Mark Nichols
Curler
Born (1980-01-01) January 1, 1980
Labrador City, Newfoundland
Team
Curling club Bally Haly G&CC,
St. John's, NL
Skip Brad Gushue
Third Mark Nichols
Second Brett Gallant
Lead Geoff Walker
Career
Brier appearances 12 (2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016)
Top CCA ranking 1st (2012-13)
Grand Slam victories 5: The National (2010, 2013, 2015); Masters (2014), Canadian Open (2014)

Mark Nichols, ONL (born on January 1, 1980 in Labrador City, Newfoundland) is a Canadian curler from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.[1] He currently throws third rocks for the Brad Gushue rink. Nichols is a former Olympic champion curler, having played third for Team Canada at the 2006 Winter Olympics where the team won a gold medal.

Career

Between 1999 and 2011, Nichols lived in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador where he played third for the Brad Gushue rink. It was with Gushue where he represented Canada at the 2006 Winter Olympics. With Gushue, Nichols has been to three Canadian Junior Curling Championships (winning in 2001) and eight Briers (2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011). He has qualified for the 2013 Brier, which will be his 9th. He won the World Junior Curling Championships in 2001 with Gushue as well. He also won Gold in the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, at which he threw a spectacular shot - running back a guard onto another stone which picked another rock that was sitting in a dead zone - in the 6th end of the final against Finland, helping Canada to score 6. Certainly one thing to aid their victory was the fact that Nichols shot a blistering 97 percent in the gold medal final. “When he’s playing that way, we don’t lose very much,” said Gushue.[2]

He won the Ford Hot Shots shot-making competition at the 2005 Brier, winning a two-year lease on a new Ford vehicle.

Nichols also skipped team Newfoundland and Labrador with Shelley Nichols, Brent Hamilton and Jennifer Guzzwell to a Canadian Mixed Curling Championship in 2005.

Personal life

Nicholls is a fitness trainer[3] with True North - Focus Fitness.[4] In the summer of 2011, Nichols married his longtime girlfriend and fellow curler Colette Lemon.

Teams

Season Skip Third Second Lead
2002–03 Brad Gushue Mark Nichols Jamie Korab Mark Ward
2003–04 Brad Gushue Mark Nichols Jamie Korab Mark Ward
2004–05 Brad Gushue Mark Nichols Keith Ryan Jamie Korab
2005–06 Brad Gushue Mark Nichols Mike Adam
Russ Howard (skip)
Jamie Korab
2006–07 Brad Gushue Mark Nichols Chris Schille Jamie Korab
2007–08 Brad Gushue Mark Nichols Chris Schille David Noftall
2008–09 Brad Gushue Mark Nichols Ryan Fry Jamie Korab
2009–10 Brad Gushue Mark Nichols Ryan Fry Jamie Korab
2010–11* Brad Gushue Randy Ferbey (skip) Mark Nichols Ryan Fry
2011* Brad Gushue Mark Nichols Ryan Fry Jamie Danbrook
2012–13 Jeff Stoughton Jon Mead Reid Carruthers Mark Nichols
2013–14 Jeff Stoughton Jon Mead Reid Carruthers Mark Nichols
Jeff Stoughton Jon Mead Mark Nichols Reid Carruthers
2014–15 Brad Gushue Mark Nichols Brett Gallant Geoff Walker

Awards

References

  1. http://cloudfront9.curling.ca/2015brier-en/files/2015/02/TANKARD-TIMES-THURS-ALL-REVISE.pdf
  2. Canadian Curling Association
  3. Wiecek, Paul (June 4, 2012). "Mark Nichols to join Stoughton curling team". Winnipeg Free Press.
  4. http://cloudfront7.curling.ca/2013roaroftherings-en/files/2013/12/2013ROTR_MorningRoar_Day5.pdf

External links

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