Willmar woman to officiate at Olympics

Normally being chosen to participate in The Olympics is a thrill and an honor. A Willmar woman says with all the restrictions this year due to COVID-19, it’s going to be a long 26 days.

Susie Czarnetzki is going to be a referee at the curling venue in Beijing China. Czarnetzki says it’s going to be a lot different than when she officiated curling in PyeongChang Korea in 2018.

Czarnetzki says she leaves Thursday, and will get to Beijing via New York and Paris…a 45 hour travel event, with 21 hours being in the air. There is a full regimen of tests before they leave, when they arrive, and every day during the Olympics. Czarnetzki says other than when she is actually officiating, she will basically be confined to her hotel room.

Czarnetzki was originally going to go with her husband Randy, who did all the curling statistics in 2018, but he was cut at the last minute.

Czarnetzki will be the only American referee for curling. Mixed Doubles starts on February 2nd, the Opening Ceremony will be the 4th, Mixed Doubles Medal games on the 8th. The defending Gold Medal U.S. Men’s Team starts on the 9th, women on the 10th, and Medal games will be on the 20th, the same day as the closing ceremony.

(JP Cola, KWLM)