Andrea Schopp is a household name in curling circles with two world gold medals and seven European championships as a skip, but not in her native Germany.
There was no fanfare after her rink captured the 2010 world title in Swift Current.
“When we came back after the worlds, there was no reaction that we had won,” Schopp told the Gazette after Thursday’s opening draw at the World Financial Group Continental Cup of Curling. “I don’t really care because I’m not playing for medals, I’m playing to have fun and to do something I really like to do.”
At age 45, Schopp became the oldest female skip in history to be crowned a world champion. Her rink of third Melanie Robillard, second Monika Wagner and 17-year-old lead Stella Heiss (youngest player in history to win the title) defeated 19-year-old Eve Muirhead of Scotland 8-6 in an extra end.
It was also Schopp’s first appearance in a world final since she defeated Canada’s Heather Houston in 1988.
“It was a good feeling of course, but I’m not playing now to become a world champion or Olympic champion, I’m just playing because I love the game. If you win it, it’s good. If you lose, who cares.”
During the course of an illustrious career spanning 36 years, Schopp skipped Germany in 17 worlds (two gold, two silver, one bronze), four Olympic Winter Games (gold in 1992 when curling was a demonstration sport) and appeared in an astounding 24 European championships.
“I love to play. That’s the most motivation I need.”
Schopp has seen several changes in the sport over the years, but one thing has always stayed the same.
“In curling a lot of luck is involved. That hasn’t changed,” she said. “Of course, the level of the teams now is higher than it has been before.”
The mathematics and statistics teacher is always striving for improvement.
“I only want to become better than I am, so that is always the goal.”
Her line-up in St. Albert includes Wagner at third, second Corinna Scholz and Heiss. In the team competition Thursday, the Germans lost 6-2 to Calgary’s Cheryl Bernard, the 2010 Olympic silver medallist, as Schopp shot 75 per cent.
“It was not our best showing today. We can do more,” she said, referring to the rink’s 73 per cent shooting accuracy, compared to 83 per cent for the Team North American foursome.
The best part of the game was the ice at Performance Arena.
“It was really good.”
This is the second Continental Cup for Schopp and Wagner after their winning debut with Team World in 2006 in Chilliwack.
“For us, as a team, of course it’s fun. We’re not playing with so much pressure like we normally do. There is always a qualification for something for us, so this is more kind of relaxing and a test of where we are standing as far as our game is,” Schopp said.
