# 2022 Pan Continental Curling Championships
The 2022 [Pan Continental Curling Championships](https://www.edgepedia.org/pan-continental-curling-championships) was the first edition of an annual curling competition for women's and men's teams from the World Curling Federation's Americas and Pacific-Asia zones, held at Calgary's WinSport Event Centre in Canada from 31 October to 6 November 2022.[1](https://worldcurling.org/2022/10/pccc2022-preview/) • [2](https://worldcurling.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Annual-Review-2022-2023.pdf) The event replaced the [Pacific-Asia Curling Championships](https://www.edgepedia.org/pacific-asia-curling-championships) and the Americas Challenge as the world championship qualification route for all Member Associations outside the European Zone, and it was created following a vote by Member Associations at the 2021 General Assembly.[3](https://worldcurling.org/2022/10/pccc-faq/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Host and dates | Calgary, Canada, WinSport Event Centre, 31 October to 6 November 2022[1](https://worldcurling.org/2022/10/pccc2022-preview/) • [2](https://worldcurling.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Annual-Review-2022-2023.pdf) |
| Field size | 13 women's teams (nine in the A-Division, four in the B-Division) and 16 men's teams (eight in each division)[3](https://worldcurling.org/2022/10/pccc-faq/) |
| World championship places | The top five women's and men's teams qualified for the 2023 World Championships[3](https://worldcurling.org/2022/10/pccc-faq/) |
| Women's medals | Gold: Japan (8-6 over Korea); bronze: Canada (7-5 over United States)[2](https://worldcurling.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Annual-Review-2022-2023.pdf) |
| Men's medals | Gold: Canada (11-3 over Korea); bronze: United States (8-7 over Japan)[4](https://worldcurling.org/2022/11/men-final-pccc/) • [2](https://worldcurling.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Annual-Review-2022-2023.pdf) |
| Promotions | Guyana men and Chinese Taipei women won their B-Divisions and were promoted for 2023[2](https://worldcurling.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Annual-Review-2022-2023.pdf) |
| Notable firsts | Kenya men beat Nigeria 11-10 in the first all-African match-up at a World Curling Federation championship; India men won their first-ever WCF championship game[2](https://worldcurling.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Annual-Review-2022-2023.pdf) |
## Purpose and format
The championships were introduced to give developing Member Associations from the Americas and Pacific-Asia zones a chance to compete on an equal playing field, improve their world rankings, and ensure that all world championship places were earned on the ice.[3](https://worldcurling.org/2022/10/pccc-faq/) European nations continued to qualify for the world championships through the [European Curling Championships](https://www.edgepedia.org/european-curling-championships).[1](https://worldcurling.org/2022/10/pccc2022-preview/)
All teams played a round-robin. In each A-Division, the top four teams advanced to the semi-finals, with the semi-final winners meeting in the gold medal game.[3](https://worldcurling.org/2022/10/pccc-faq/) Because of the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, a special arrangement enlarged the women's A-Division from eight to nine teams for this year only; as a result, the bottom two women's teams were relegated, and the women's A-Division was to revert to eight teams the following season.[3](https://worldcurling.org/2022/10/pccc-faq/) In the men's competition, the bottom-placed A-Division team was relegated.[3](https://worldcurling.org/2022/10/pccc-faq/)
## Team changes before the event
**China's withdrawal.** On 5 October 2022 the World Curling Federation was informed that the Chinese Curling Association had withdrawn its men's and women's teams, both of which had been entered in the A-Division. The FAQ attributed the absence to travel-related difficulties, and China was required to compete in the following season's B-Divisions.[5](https://worldcurling.org/2022/10/pccc2022-china-withdrawal/) • [3](https://worldcurling.org/2022/10/pccc-faq/) The women's place was initially given to [Chinese Taipei](https://www.edgepedia.org/chinese-taipei) and the men's place to [Kazakhstan](https://www.edgepedia.org/kazakhstan).[5](https://worldcurling.org/2022/10/pccc2022-china-withdrawal/)
**Corrected replacements.** A review then uncovered an error in the ranking system used to select those replacement teams. Because no previously completed edition of a qualifying championship or lower division existed, the federation's Competition Policy & Procedure Manual required world ranking to be used. Once the issue was corrected, Australia men and New Zealand women were promoted to the A-Division, while the Kazakhstan men's and Chinese Taipei women's teams moved to the B-Division.[6](https://worldcurling.org/2022/10/pccc2022-line-ups-amended/)
## Women's competition
The women's A-Division comprised Australia, Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, New Zealand, and the United States; the B-Division comprised Chinese Taipei, Kenya, Mexico, and Nigeria.[1](https://worldcurling.org/2022/10/pccc2022-preview/) Hosts Canada were represented by the reigning world bronze medallists skipped by Kerri Einarson, while Japan's Fujisawa Satsuki led a team that had taken Olympic silver the previous season.[1](https://worldcurling.org/2022/10/pccc2022-preview/)
After round-robin play, table-topping United States faced fourth-placed Korea, and second-placed Canada met third-placed Japan in the semi-finals. Korea beat the United States 11-4 and Japan defeated Canada 6-5. Canada then took bronze with a 7-5 win over the United States, and Japan became the first-ever women's Pan Continental champions, beating Korea 8-6 in the final.[2](https://worldcurling.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Annual-Review-2022-2023.pdf) New Zealand's fifth-place finish qualified the country for a world championship for the first time.[2](https://worldcurling.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Annual-Review-2022-2023.pdf) In the B-Division, Chinese Taipei beat Mexico 8-7 to win the title and earn promotion for the following year.[2](https://worldcurling.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Annual-Review-2022-2023.pdf)
## Men's competition
Canada, skipped by [Brad Gushue](https://www.edgepedia.org/brad-gushue), entered as Olympic bronze medallists and world silver medallists.[1](https://worldcurling.org/2022/10/pccc2022-preview/) Canada finished as round-robin leaders and beat fourth-placed Japan 8-2 in their semi-final, while Korea defeated second-placed United States 9-6.[2](https://worldcurling.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Annual-Review-2022-2023.pdf)
In the gold medal game on 6 November, Canada beat Korea 11-3 to win the first-ever men's Pan Continental title. Canada opened with a draw for two points, led 7-1 after four ends, and stole three in the fifth for a 10-1 lead at the halfway break.[4](https://worldcurling.org/2022/11/men-final-pccc/) The United States took bronze by defeating Japan 8-7.[2](https://worldcurling.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Annual-Review-2022-2023.pdf)
**B-Division and relegation.** Guyana beat India 8-5 in the men's B-Division final to gain promotion to the 2023 A-Division, replacing Brazil, the bottom team in the men's A-Division, which was demoted.[2](https://worldcurling.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Annual-Review-2022-2023.pdf)
## Firsts for developing nations
The round-robin produced several milestones recorded in the federation's annual review: Kenya men beat Nigeria 11-10 after an extra end in the first all-African match-up at a World Curling Federation championship, and India men won their first-ever WCF championship game, beating Kazakhstan 7-6.[2](https://worldcurling.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Annual-Review-2022-2023.pdf) Kenya and Nigeria women were making their debut appearances on World Curling ice.[1](https://worldcurling.org/2022/10/pccc2022-preview/)
## References
1. [First Pan Continental Curling Championships ready for Calgary, Canada, World Curling](https://worldcurling.org/2022/10/pccc2022-preview/)
2. [World Curling Federation Annual Review 2022-2023](https://worldcurling.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Annual-Review-2022-2023.pdf)
3. [FAQ: Pan Continental Curling Championships, World Curling](https://worldcurling.org/2022/10/pccc-faq/)
4. [Canada men win first Pan Continental Curling Championships, World Curling](https://worldcurling.org/2022/11/men-final-pccc/)
5. [China withdraws from Pan Continental Curling Championships, World Curling](https://worldcurling.org/2022/10/pccc2022-china-withdrawal/)
6. [Pan Continental Curling Championships 2022 A-Division line-ups amended, World Curling](https://worldcurling.org/2022/10/pccc2022-line-ups-amended/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Racket and precision ball sports › Racket and precision ball sports › Precision-aim and throwing sports (bowling, darts, curling, boules) › Curling › Curling championships and events › Pacific-Asia and Pan Continental curling championships*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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