By Marty Hastings,

Kerri Einarson and her Team Canada rink are within reach of history at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts.

Colleen Jones of Nova Scotia is the only team that can lay claim to winning four consecutive Canadian women鈥檚 championship titles (2001 to 2004), but Einarson and her rink from Gimli, Man., are one gold medal shy of tying the record.

鈥淭hat would be an absolute honour if we could do that,鈥� Einarson told KTW. 鈥淲e鈥檙e definitely not going to put pressure on ourselves. We know it鈥檚 not easy and we will have a target on our backs. We have for the last three years.鈥�

Team Einarson, which includes third Val Sweeting, second Shannon Birchard and lead Briane Harris, is the No. 1-ranked women鈥檚 curling team in the world, thanks in part to an incredible run at Pinty鈥檚 Grand Slam of Curling events.

The rink has reached the final in each of its last six Grand Slam appearances, winning twice.

鈥淲e get on a roll and we just get that feeling, knowing the ice and getting comfortable with it,鈥� Einarson said. 鈥淧lus, we just go out there and play relaxed and have some fun.鈥�

Einarson said rest and relaxation in between draws will be important at the 18-team Scotties.

鈥淲e have a dart board, but it鈥檚 going to be tough to travel with those items,鈥� Einarson said with a laugh. 鈥淲e play board games. We play marbles.

鈥淚t鈥檚 an extremely tough field and adding three Wild Card spots into that, it鈥檚 a long, gruelling week.鈥�

The team cut back its playing schedule for the 2022-2023 campaign.

鈥淲e went so hard for the last four years,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e decided to dial it back a little bit and play more of the Grand Slam events and also the Pan Continental. We鈥檝e had a really successful season, reaching finals in all of the Grand Slams and winning bronze in the Pan Continental.鈥�

Gold at the world championship has eluded Einarson, who has her sights set on reaching the 2023 LGT World Women鈥檚 Curling Championship, which is being held from March 18 to March 26 in Sandviken, Sweden. The winner of this year鈥檚 Scotties in Kamloops will be off to Scandanavia.

鈥淲hen you get there and you get that feeling, you want to get back,鈥� Einarson said. 鈥淲e won bronze [at the 2022 Women鈥檚 World Curling Championship in Prince George] and we definitely want to get back there soon and, hopefully, bring home gold for Canada.鈥�

Team Canada will open its tournament on Friday. Feb. 17, against skip Laurie St-Georges and Team Quebec, a 6 p.m. start in Draw 1 action at Sandman Centre.

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