Kaitlyn Lawes
Sport: Curling
Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Kaitlyn Lawes was the third on the team skipped by Jennifer Jones that won gold at Sochi 2014. They were the first women’s team to ever go undefeated through the Olympic tournament, posting a perfect 11-0 record as they won Canada’s first Olympic gold in women’s curling since Nagano 1998.
Lawes had joined that foursome, which also included second Jill Officer and lead Dawn McEwen, for the 2010-11 season. Together, they won five Manitoba provincial titles (2011-13, 2015-16). They took the national title at the 2015 Tournament of Hearts, going on to win silver at the 2015 World Women’s Championship. In their other four national championship appearances, they won silver in 2011 and 2013 and bronze in 2012 and 2016. Lawes was an all-star third at the Tournament of Hearts in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2016.
Lawes had a very successful junior career as a skip, leading her team to back-to-back junior national titles in 2008 and 2009 before winning bronze and silver at the respective world junior championships. That first national title was especially important to her as it came just four months after her father Keith passed away. He had been the biggest reason she fell in love with curling and she had considered quitting the sport after his death. Lawes played at the Canadian Mixed Doubles Championships in 2014 and 2017.
Click through below to read about Team Canada’s Manitobans.
