Fournier Finding Ontario Tour Success
Michael Fournier (photo: Michael Burns, Curling Canada) is getting the reps in this season - picking up some wins over top-20 opponents along the way - with an eye squarely on the provincial championships.
Fournier reached the Stu Sells Tankard semifinals where they meet Japan's Yusuke Morozumi for a spot into the championship game. Fournier advanced through the quarterfinals with a 6-5 win over Jayden King (Guelph, ON) at the Barrie Curling Club in Barrie, Ontario.
The Toronto-based side has made it to the final day of the Stu Sells Tankard thanks to a 3-1 record.
"It's still the early part of the season, but we've been playing well so far," Fournier said. "We had a good run at the other Stu Sells event (in Oakville), we beat (Reid) Carruthers and lost to (John) Epping in the quarters."
Fournier beat 2018 Olympic champion John Shuster of the United States for his third straight win at the Barrie Curling Club before dropping a 7-6 decision to South Korea's Jongduk Park on Sunday evening.
"It's about playing good games against tough teams and knowing that you can play at that level," Fournier said. "Knowing that you know how to play at that level, knowing what shots not to play. Sometimes you have to learn how to lose those games before you learn how to win them too."
Fournier, 51, is in his second season with the lineup of third Kevin Flewwelling, second Sean Harrison and lead Zander Elmes.
"I find it's four guys that have a similar outlook from a curling perspective," Fournier said. "They're all pretty calm, they're all pretty laid back. We react really well to misses or tough situations.
"It's a good team under pressure. We're not afraid of being in tight games or it coming down to last shot."
Since the team does not play the number of bonspiels required to get into a Grand Slam, the squad's focus, Fournier said, is playing well each week to build up for the Ontario playdowns and hopefully a Brier appearance.
"We finished fourth in Ontario last year and we'd like to take a good run at it again this year," Fournier said. "That's our primary objective is the Brier and playing well from a tier-two perspective."
Fournier made his Brier debut in 2018 as a Quebec skip. He returned to the nationals in 2021 and 2022.
"Playing at a Brier levels you up," he said. "It gives you a little more confidence and a little more experience. You always feel the pressure a little more at a level that you haven't played at before.
"For me, having played at the Brier - it's probably the pinnacle of pressure - it makes everything else feel easier."
Fournier and Park led the Pool A standings in the Stu Sells Tankard 24-team men's draw at 3-1. Pat Ferris of Grimsby, Ont., Switzerland's Marco Hoesli and South Korea's ByeongJin Jeong shared the Pool B lead at 3-1.
Pool C leader Sam Mooibroek of Whitby, Ont., and Pool D leader Jayden King of Guelph, Ont., were the only unbeaten men's teams at 4-0.
Krysta Burns of Sudbury, Ont., and Japan's Ikue Kitazawa led their respective pools in the 24-team women's draw at 4-0. South Korea's EunJung Kim and China's Rui Wang led Pool C at 3-1 while Susan Froud of Alliston, Ont., and Japan's Sayaka Yoshimura topped Pool D at 3-1.
The finals go at 5pm ET on Monday.
Fournier reached the Stu Sells Tankard semifinals where they meet Japan's Yusuke Morozumi for a spot into the championship game. Fournier advanced through the quarterfinals with a 6-5 win over Jayden King (Guelph, ON) at the Barrie Curling Club in Barrie, Ontario.
The Toronto-based side has made it to the final day of the Stu Sells Tankard thanks to a 3-1 record.
"It's still the early part of the season, but we've been playing well so far," Fournier said. "We had a good run at the other Stu Sells event (in Oakville), we beat (Reid) Carruthers and lost to (John) Epping in the quarters."
Fournier beat 2018 Olympic champion John Shuster of the United States for his third straight win at the Barrie Curling Club before dropping a 7-6 decision to South Korea's Jongduk Park on Sunday evening.
"It's about playing good games against tough teams and knowing that you can play at that level," Fournier said. "Knowing that you know how to play at that level, knowing what shots not to play. Sometimes you have to learn how to lose those games before you learn how to win them too."
Fournier, 51, is in his second season with the lineup of third Kevin Flewwelling, second Sean Harrison and lead Zander Elmes.
"I find it's four guys that have a similar outlook from a curling perspective," Fournier said. "They're all pretty calm, they're all pretty laid back. We react really well to misses or tough situations.
"It's a good team under pressure. We're not afraid of being in tight games or it coming down to last shot."
Since the team does not play the number of bonspiels required to get into a Grand Slam, the squad's focus, Fournier said, is playing well each week to build up for the Ontario playdowns and hopefully a Brier appearance.
"We finished fourth in Ontario last year and we'd like to take a good run at it again this year," Fournier said. "That's our primary objective is the Brier and playing well from a tier-two perspective."
Fournier made his Brier debut in 2018 as a Quebec skip. He returned to the nationals in 2021 and 2022.
"Playing at a Brier levels you up," he said. "It gives you a little more confidence and a little more experience. You always feel the pressure a little more at a level that you haven't played at before.
"For me, having played at the Brier - it's probably the pinnacle of pressure - it makes everything else feel easier."
Fournier and Park led the Pool A standings in the Stu Sells Tankard 24-team men's draw at 3-1. Pat Ferris of Grimsby, Ont., Switzerland's Marco Hoesli and South Korea's ByeongJin Jeong shared the Pool B lead at 3-1.
Pool C leader Sam Mooibroek of Whitby, Ont., and Pool D leader Jayden King of Guelph, Ont., were the only unbeaten men's teams at 4-0.
Krysta Burns of Sudbury, Ont., and Japan's Ikue Kitazawa led their respective pools in the 24-team women's draw at 4-0. South Korea's EunJung Kim and China's Rui Wang led Pool C at 3-1 while Susan Froud of Alliston, Ont., and Japan's Sayaka Yoshimura topped Pool D at 3-1.
The finals go at 5pm ET on Monday.