I guess the Canadian Olympic Committee is serious about Canada winning medals at the Games. This is an article from the Winnipeg Sun by Jim Bender.

Manitoba’s Kaitlyn Lawes and Mike McEwen are among a contingent of curlers that will be attending the 2012 Summer Olympics in London as observers next month.

McEwen’s coach, Chris Neufeld, will also be among the group that represents teams that have qualified for the 2013 Canadian Curling Trials in Winnipeg or are expected to do so — like McEwen who leads the CTRS men’s points race.

“I guess they expect our team to make it to to the trials and so do we,” Neufeld said Wednesday. “It’s just to observe what goes on at the Olympics so that, should we be lucky enough to go to Sochi (Russia for 2014 Winter Olympics), we’ll know what it’s all about. I won’t be seeing a lot of events, I’ll just be seeing what happens behind the scenes.”

The trip is a Canadian Olympic Committee initiative with the Canadian Curling Association recommending which teams should be represented, Neufeld said. McEwen and Neufeld likely got the trip because no one from Kevin Martin’s team needs to go as they have been to the OIympics.

Lawes is the third for Jennifer Jones, who has qualified for the trials. Alberta’s Heather Nedohin and Craig Savill of Glenn Howard’s Ontario team, who have also qualified, will be among those who will join the group from Aug. 3-8.

“It won’t be a tourist trip as we’ll be working, and it will be very quick,” Neufeld said. “But it should be exciting.”

Lawes could not be reached for comment.