I've sort of been wondering about this ever since Mixed Doubles seemed to pop up out of no where... Could someone explain why there is Mixed Doubles at Worlds and not Mixed(four person team) at Worlds. I just don't understand how something like Mixed that has been around for so long hasn't made it to the World stage while this new variation has a World competition within a few years of people actually hearing about it for the first time. I heard about Mixed Doubles for the first time in 2006 like a lot of people, and just two years later it's a World event...
Second... So ok we have this new variation of curling, Doubles... Why is it that it started out being marketed as a Mixed competition? I think it would be great to have Men's Doubles or even Women's Doubles... As a guy trying to find a team mate, it is certainly harder to find a competitive woman than it is to find a competitive man that is willing to put the time into making it to worlds... Just because of the number of Men to Women in the sport. Plus I think if they did have a Men's Doubles Nationals or Worlds the popularity of Doubles would grow substantially. This could then end up adding additional leagues to clubs that don't have doubles leagues or more double participants that do have double leagues... which equals more revenue and so on.... Blah Blah Blah...
I love Doubles... Just want to see it grow more, and don't see that happening if it is just sold as a Mixed event at the National and World stage.
Mixed curling just doesn't have the popularity that men's/women's has...at least not yet. They started having a European Mixed championship a few years ago, so there's at least a small chance that eventually there will be a mixed worlds.
One thing that has held it back is (so the rumor goes) because the IOC doesn't want to pay for another four athletes if they were to add another curling event such as mixed, so the WCF came up with mixed doubles to appease them. Two people cost less than four, so there you are.
That's what I've heard anyways, and I have no idea if it's all that correct. If someone knows better then please step up.
The WCF likes the fact that it takes approx. 90 minutes to play the game - so at an Olympic venue, it can easily be scheduled into the Men's / Women's games. A four-person mixed is twice that long and take up too much time during the Olympics.
Also, they want large participation from all curling nations - so for countries that are still inexperienced, it is easier to find two players that can be competitive rather than the four. I think they had 30 nations at the first Mixed Double Worlds.
And, the more nations that play - the more nations will vote in favor of adding it to the Olympics!