Morris advances to playoff round at Canadian Olympic curling trials with extra-end win

The third for the Kevin Martin rink curled 93 per cent, while his skip threw 94 per cent as they outlasted Kevin Koe 8-7 in extra ends earlier today to improve to 5-1 at the Tim Horton’s Roar of the Rings in Edmonton.

The Martin rink is now assured of at least a spot in the Saturday semi-final between the second- and third-place teams after the seven draws are complete. With a win over Howard’s 6-0 group in their 8 p.m. ET match tonight, Morris would advance straight into the Sunday final.

The Martin and Howard rinks entered the Dec. 6-13 competition as co-favourites.

Morris, who now lives just outside Calgary in Chestermere and works for the fire department, skipped his own rink into the semi-finals of the 2006 Olympic trials, but then decided to join forces with Martin after the event.

“That was our goal – to prepare for 2010 and put together the best team we could assemble,” Morris said in an interview with the Orléans Star prior to the Roar of the Rings. “It’s been a great ride so far – we’ve had some unbelievable results, and it’s worked out phenomenally.”

The Martin rink has won the past two Brier Canadian championships.

“We have a lot of that big-game experience – more than most teams in this event,” noted Morris, a former Colonel By and Lester B. Pearson high school student. “We’ve been in a lot of Canadian championships and world championships in pressure situations and that’s the best way to prepare for something like the Olympics and Olympic trials.”

Morris will be back in town for the holidays, and will sign copies of his recently-released book Fit to Curl on Dec. 19 from 2-5 p.m. at the Ottawa Curling Club. Look for more in coming editions of the Orléans Star.