Debbie McCormick
Curling
1998 Olympian
2002 Olympian
2010 Olympian
Personal Specs
Position: Skip
Teammates: Allison Pottinger, Nicole Joraanstad, Natalie Nicholson, Tracy Sachtjen
Coach: Wally Henry (her father)
Delivers: Right-handed
Curls out of: Pardeeville and Madison
Year started curling: 1988
Education: Associate's degree in applied science
Web site: TeamMcCormick.us
Short List Performance
- 1998 Olympic Winter Games - fifth
- 2002 Olympic Winter Games - fourth
- 2003 World Champion
- 2006 World Championships silver medalist
- 2007 World Championships - fourth
- 2008 World Championships - sixth (tied)
- 2009 World Championships - ninth
Vancouver Watch
McCormick is heading back to the Olympic Winter Games after an eight-year Olympic hiatus. For the first time, she's going as the skip (or captain) of the U.S. Olympic Curling Team. The McCormick rink, which also includes vice skip Allison Pottinger, second Nicole Joraanstad, lead Natalie Nicholson and alternate Tracy Sachtjen, finished ninth at the 2009 World Championships. McCormick's goal is to win the first Olympic medal for the U.S. in women's curling.
Personal
McCormick began curling in 1988. Her father, Wally Henry, is her team's coach and a two-time World Championships bronze medalist. Her husband, Pete McCormick, is a world-class curler. Her brother, Donnie, also curls. Born in the curling hotbed of Canada, she moved at a young age with her family to Madison, Wis., and practically lived at the Madison Curling Club in the winter. At first, she and her brother pushed each other on stones across the ice. When she got big enough, she started playing -- and winning. She is the most accomplished curler in U.S history.
Did You Know...?
- Worked at Home Depot in the paint section under the Olympic Job Opportunity's Program
- Was proposed to by her husband in Nagano during the 1998 Olympic Winter Games
- Was the Pardeeville (Wis.) High School Boys Curling Coach from 2002 to 2004
- Active with her husband in the Pheasants Forever organization in Wisconsin, a non-profit dedicated to preservation and conservation of pheasants and their natural habitats
Heroes: "My father because he has always supported me in everything I do. He also gave me some great curling genes."
Favorites: "'The Amazing Race' and 'The Price Is Right' are my favorite TV programs. I am also a 'Wheel Watcher' even though I can't spell very well. I would love to go on 'The Price Is Right' and win fabulous prizes along with a red convertible. I enjoy scrapbooking, kayaking, pheasant hunting with [the] doggies, Ellie and Ava, and spending time with my husband, Pete."
Curling start: "My family and I are Canadians by birth, and my father curled in Canada long before I was a twinkle in his eye. When my father transferred to Madison, Wis., for his job, he stumbled across the Madison Curling Club. My brother and I were practically raised at the curling club in the wintertime. I remember sitting on the curling stones and pushing each other around on the ice. Once we got too big to do that, we started playing."
What I'd like the world to know about curling: "That curling is a very physically and mentally challenging sport. It requires total team effort to be successful. I wish that everyone could have a chance to play this sport. I think they would be surprised to find out how challenging and fun it really is."
CURLING HIGHLIGHTS
- Olympic Winter Games: 2010, 2002 (4th), 1998 (5th)
- U.S. Olympic Team Trials: 2009 (champion), 2005 (silver), 2001 (champion), 1998 (champion)
- U.S. National Championships: 2009 (champion), 2008 (champion), 2007 (champion), 2006 (champion), 2005 (runner-up), 2004 (runner-up), 2003 (champion), 2002 (runner-up), 2001 (champion), 2000 (semifinalist), 1998 (semifinalist), 1997 (semifinalist), 1996 (champion as an alternate)
- Women's World Curling Championships: 2008 (7th), 2007 (4th), 2006 (silver), 2003 (gold), 2001 (5th), 1996 (silver)
- Finished ranked No. 5 on the World Cup Tour in the 2005-06 season
- Continental Cup: 2008 (runner-up), 2007 (champion), 2006 (runner-up), 2003 (runner-up)
- World Curling Tour Players Championship: 2006 (quarterfinalist)
- U.S. Junior Nationals: 1994 (champion), 1993 (champion), 1992 (champion), 1991 (champion), 1990 (bronze)
- Junior World Championships: 1994 (silver), 1993 (bronze), 1992 (silver), 1991 (5th)
- Karuizawa International Bonspiel: 2006, 2004 (silver)
