Canadian curling great Jennifer Jones announces retirement from team curling

Jennifer Jones will leave women's curling still loving it, but she's ready for change in her life.

The 49-year-old who won an Olympic gold medal, two world championships and six Canadian women's titles as a skip announced Tuesday she'll retire from team curling at the end of this season, although she'll continue to play mixed doubles with husband Brent Laing.

The decision to step away from team curling was difficult for the decorated Canadian curler from Winnipeg.

"It's making me a little bit emotional," Jones said. "It's been a massive part of my love and my life forever and I'm going to miss it. Curling changed me. It helped me become the woman that I am and I've never lost that gratitude.

"I'm also really excited about what the potential next steps will be and have that next chapter in my life, which is starting later than I ever thought it would. I wasn't ready for it to start and now I'm ready."

Her six Canadian women's championships won between 20015 and 2018 ties Jennifer Jones with former Nova Scotia skip Colleen Jones for the most.

She and Colleen Jones, a retired CBC broadcaster, are tied for the most national women's titles with six.

"Jennifer is a generational player, said Colleen Jones. "Much like tennis superstars like Serena Williams or Roger Federer, her perfect delivery, brilliant curling mind and unshakeable composure under pressure sets her apart from every other curler on the planet."

Colleen Jones, who is set to return as coach of Team Nova Scotia at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts this week in Calgary, also marvels at Jennifer Jones's longevity in the sport.

"She won her first Scotties in 2005 and she has maintained being one of the scariest skips to throw against throughout that entire time," said Colleen Jones.  "I stood behind her scoreboard in '05 when she went down to throw her epic in-off [shot] for the win … that shot started her run. 

"I was there also at the [2014] Sochi Olympics [in Russia] where she just confidently marched through the field. It's still one of those dominant performances where seemingly, a skip just decides, 'I am not missing,' and the team just follows her confidence and sheer will."

If Jennifer Jones wins a record seventh Scotties Tournament of Hearts, and thus the right to return in 2025 as defending champion, she insists her 18th appearance at the national women's championship starting Friday in Calgary will be her last.

"This is my last one," she said. "I want to soak it up. I want to smell the ice like I've never smelled it. I want to enjoy the moment. I know when it's over I'll be a bit sad. I'll be happy, but I'm going to be a bit sad because I just love it so much."

The elite level of curling Jones pursued in both women's team and mixed doubles meant travelling to events almost every week from September to April.