Jamie Johnson (curler)
Encyclopedia
Jamie Haskell (born July 18, 1980) is a member of the United States
women's curling
team at the 2006 Winter Olympics
.
Jamie was born in Bemidji, Minnesota
, and is the older sister of Team USA skip Cassandra Potter. She usually plays third on her sister's team, and together they have won the silver medal at the 2005 World Championships
, the championship at the U.S. Trials in February 2005, and the gold medal at the 2002 Junior World Championships
. Playing third, Jamie excels at take-outs and setting up key shots for her skip.
Growing up in Bemidji (which is also home to Team USA men's skip Pete Fenson
), the Johnson sisters were born to curl. Their grandparents and great-grandparents were avid curlers, and their parents, Tim and Liz Johnson, won the U.S. national mixed curling title in 1980. In fact, that championship came when Liz was five months pregnant with Jamie; according to Johnson family legend, shortly after Jamie's birth, she was placed in the bowl-shaped trophy her parents won at Nationals.
Coming off a silver medal at the 2005 Worlds, the U.S. Women anticipated a strong showing at the Torino Games. Jamie and her teammates' first trip to the Winter Olympics failed to live up to their expectations, though, as the team finished well shy of the medal round with just 2 wins. The team was the youngest (average age: 22) ever to represent the United States in curling at the elite level.
at Bemidji State University
, but her emphasis was in exhibit design
while Cassie specialized in graphic design
. Jamie finished her degree in 2005, and is currently looking for a job in the field (there are no such jobs in Bemidji). In the meantime, she and several of her U.S. teammates have been working part-time at the local Home Depot while preparing for the Olympics (she works in human resources
). She and her sister like to play tennis
and go fishing
when they are not traveling with the team or working on their respective games at the Bemidji Curling Club. Jamie recently married Nate Haskell.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
women's curling
Curling
Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
team at the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
.
Jamie was born in Bemidji, Minnesota
Bemidji, Minnesota
Bemidji is a city in Beltrami County, Minnesota, United States. Its population was at 13,431 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Beltrami County. Bemidji is the most major city in North Central Minnesota and the largest commercial center between Grand Forks, North Dakota and Duluth,...
, and is the older sister of Team USA skip Cassandra Potter. She usually plays third on her sister's team, and together they have won the silver medal at the 2005 World Championships
2005 World Women's Curling Championship
The 2005 World Women's Curling Championship was held from March 19-27, 2005 at the Lagoon Leisure Centre in Paisley, Scotland. The tournament was the first since the 1988 event to be held separately from the 2005 Ford World Men's Curling Championship....
, the championship at the U.S. Trials in February 2005, and the gold medal at the 2002 Junior World Championships
World Junior Curling Championships
The World Junior Curling Championships is an annual curling tournament featuring the world's best curlers who are 21 years old or younger. The competition for both men and women occur at the same venue. The men's tournament has occurred since 1975 and the women's 1988...
. Playing third, Jamie excels at take-outs and setting up key shots for her skip.
Growing up in Bemidji (which is also home to Team USA men's skip Pete Fenson
Pete Fenson
Peter Fenson is an American curler, skip of the men's rink which represented the United States at the 2006 Winter Olympics. The rink took the bronze medal, the first ever Olympic medal for the United States in curling...
), the Johnson sisters were born to curl. Their grandparents and great-grandparents were avid curlers, and their parents, Tim and Liz Johnson, won the U.S. national mixed curling title in 1980. In fact, that championship came when Liz was five months pregnant with Jamie; according to Johnson family legend, shortly after Jamie's birth, she was placed in the bowl-shaped trophy her parents won at Nationals.
Coming off a silver medal at the 2005 Worlds, the U.S. Women anticipated a strong showing at the Torino Games. Jamie and her teammates' first trip to the Winter Olympics failed to live up to their expectations, though, as the team finished well shy of the medal round with just 2 wins. The team was the youngest (average age: 22) ever to represent the United States in curling at the elite level.
Personal life
Like her sister, Jamie studied Design TechnologyDesign Technology
Design and Technology is a school subject offered at all levels of primary and secondary school. In some countries such as England it is a part of the National Curriculum. It is offered in many countries around the world such as Brunei, Bermuda, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Jordan...
at Bemidji State University
Bemidji State University
Bemidji State University is a public state university in Bemidji, Minnesota, USA, located on the shores of Lake Bemidji. It is a part of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities .-History:BSU was founded in 1919 as Bemidji State Normal School...
, but her emphasis was in exhibit design
Exhibit design
Exhibit design is the process of developing an exhibit—from a concept through to a physical, three-dimensional exhibition...
while Cassie specialized in graphic design
Graphic design
Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
. Jamie finished her degree in 2005, and is currently looking for a job in the field (there are no such jobs in Bemidji). In the meantime, she and several of her U.S. teammates have been working part-time at the local Home Depot while preparing for the Olympics (she works in human resources
Human resources
Human resources is a term used to describe the individuals who make up the workforce of an organization, although it is also applied in labor economics to, for example, business sectors or even whole nations...
). She and her sister like to play tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
and go fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
when they are not traveling with the team or working on their respective games at the Bemidji Curling Club. Jamie recently married Nate Haskell.