Gina Aitken

Last updated

Gina Aitken
Gina Aitken 2018 ACC-2.jpg
Aitken at the 2018 WCT Arctic Cup
Born (1993-11-17) 17 November 1993 (age 30) [1]
Team
Curling clubCurrie & Balerno Curling Club
Skip Rebecca Morrison
Third Jennifer Dodds
Second Sophie Sinclair
Lead Sophie Jackson
AlternateGina Aitken
Mixed doubles
partner
Grant Hardie
Curling career Curling pictogram.svg
Member AssociationFlag of Scotland.svg  Scotland
World Championship
appearances
3 (2022, 2023, 2024)
World Mixed Doubles Championship
appearances
5 (2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019)
European Championship
appearances
2 (2022, 2023)
Medal record
Women's curling
Representing Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland
European Curling Championships
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2022 Östersund
World Junior Curling Championships
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2015 Tallinn

Gina Aitken (born 17 November 1993) is a Scottish curler from Edinburgh. She is currently the alternate on Team Rebecca Morrison. She won a silver medal as skip of the Scottish women's team at the 2015 World Junior Curling Championships and has competed in the World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship five times.

Contents

Curling career

In back-to-back years, 2014 and 2015, Aitken skipped her team to victory at the Scottish Junior Championships, with teammates Naomi Brown, Rowena Kerr, and Rachel Hannen. [3] At the 2014 World Junior Curling Championships Aitken's team finished the round robin with a 3–6 record, missing the playoffs. [4] Returning to the World Juniors in 2015, they found much more success. Aitken and Team Scotland finished the round robin in second place with a 6–3 record. In the page playoffs, Team Scotland defeated the number one seeded Canada in the 1 vs. 2 game and Sweden in the semifinals, thus setting up a rematch with Team Canada in the final. In the final, Canada, skipped by Kelsey Rocque, got their revenge, defeating Scotland 8–2. [5] Earlier in the 2014–2015 season, Aitken and her juniors team also won bronze at the Scottish Women's Curling Championship, Aitken's best finish at that championship. [6]

Aitken has also competed in the Scottish Mixed Curling Championship, playing third for Bruce Mouat in 2015 [7] and 2016. At the 2016 Championship they won the bronze medal. [8]

Aitken is also prolific in mixed doubles, where she has won the Scottish Mixed Doubles title five times. The first four championships, Aitken competed with her longtime teammate Bruce Mouat. [9] [10] Each Scottish title earned Aitken the right to represent Scotland at the World Mixed Doubles Championship, with her best finish being 4th at the 2016 Championship where they lost to the United States team of Joe Polo and Tabitha Peterson in the bronze medal match. [11]

For the 2018–19 season, Aitken decided to focus on mixed doubles with her new teammate Scott Andrews. [12] Andrews became injured shortly before the Scottish Mixed Doubles Championship, but Duncan Menzies filled in for Andrews and together they won Aitken her fifth Championship. [13] Andrews was healed in time for the 2019 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship, where they finished tied for 9th place, losing to Team Estonia in the first round of the playoffs. [14]

Personal life

Aitken started curling when she was only seven years old [15] and comes from a curling family: her father David won the 1986 World Juniors, [16] her mother Morna has competed at two World Senior Curling Championships, [17] [18] her sister Karina was the alternate for Aitken's silver medal winning 2015 World Juniors team, [19] and her sister Tasha has also competed at World Juniors. [20]

Aitken graduated with a degree in Film and French from Glasgow University. [21] She currently works in marketing. [22]

Teams

Women's

SeasonSkipThirdSecondLeadEvents
2011–12Gina AitkenKaty Richardson Rowena Kerr Rachel Hannen SWCC (8th)
2012–13Gina AitkenKaty RichardsonRowena KerrFiona TelferSWCC (7th)
2013–14Gina Aitken Naomi Brown Rowena KerrKaty RichardsonSWCC (5th)
Gina AitkenNaomi BrownRowena KerrRachel Hannen SJCC Gold medal icon.svg
WJCC (7th)
2014–15Gina AitkenNaomi BrownRowena KerrRachel HannenSWCC Bronze medal icon.svg
SJCC Gold medal icon.svg
WJCC Silver medal icon.svg
2015–16Gina AitkenRowena KerrLaura RitchieHeather MortonSWCC (7th)
2016–17Gina AitkenRowena KerrRachael HallidayRachel Hannen W. Univ. (5th)
SWCC (5th)
2017–18 Claire Hamilton Gina AitkenRachael HallidayRachel HannenSWCC (SF)
2018–19 Rebecca Morrison (Fourth)Gina Aitken (Skip) Mili Smith Sophie Sinclair
2019–20Rebecca Morrison (Fourth)Gina Aitken (Skip)Mili SmithSophie Sinclair
2020–21Rebecca Morrison (Fourth)Gina Aitken (Skip)Mili SmithSophie Sinclair
2021–22Rebecca MorrisonGina AitkenSophie Sinclair Sophie Jackson SWCC Gold medal icon.svg
2022 WWCC
2022–23Rebecca MorrisonGina AitkenSophie SinclairSophie Jackson 2022 EuCC Bronze medal icon.svg
SWCC Gold medal icon.svg
2023 WWCC (12th)
2023–24Rebecca Morrison Jennifer Dodds Gina Aitken / Sophie SinclairSophie Jackson 2023 EuCC (5th)
2024 WWCC

Mixed

SeasonSkipThirdSecondLeadEvents
2014–15 Bruce Mouat Gina AitkenMark Munro Rachel Hannen SMxCC (DNQ)
2015–16Bruce MouatGina AitkenMark MunroRachel HannenSMxCC Bronze medal icon.svg

Mixed doubles

SeasonMaleFemaleEvents
2012–13 Bruce Mouat Gina Aitken SMDCC Gold medal icon.svg
WMDCC (7th)
2013–14Bruce MouatGina AitkenSMDCC Gold medal icon.svg
WMDCC (9th)
2014–15Bruce MouatGina AitkenSMDCC (SF)
2015–16Bruce MouatGina AitkenSMDCC Gold medal icon.svg
WMDCC (4th)
2016–17Bruce MouatGina AitkenSMDCC Gold medal icon.svg
WMDCC (11th)
2017–18Bruce MouatGina AitkenSMDCC (QF)
2018–19 Scott Andrews
Duncan Menzies
Gina AitkenSMDCC Gold medal icon.svg
WMDCC (9th)
2019–20Scott AndrewsGina AitkenSMDCC Silver medal icon.svg
2020–21 Ross Paterson Gina Aitken
2021–22 Euan Kyle Gina AitkenSMDCC (QF)
2022–23 Grant Hardie Gina AitkenSMDCC (SF)
2023–24Grant HardieGina Aitken

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References

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  13. "Gina Aitken wins her fifth Scottish Mixed Doubles curling title". Edinburgh Evening News. 23 December 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  14. "World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship 2019". World Curling Federation. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
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  17. "Morna Aitken". World Curling Federation. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
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  20. "Tasha Aitken". World Curling Federation. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
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