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Curling Canada under fire for limiting eligibility for pregnancy exemptions

Curling Canada was under fire Wednesday after limiting pregnancy exemption eligibility for teams hoping to add an out-of-province free agent at the national playdowns to just the top five rinks in the rankings.

The exemption would allow a team to use a replacement player at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts even if the athlete didn't play in the provincial/territorial championship or meet residency requirements.

However, the decision meant 13 of the 18 teams that qualified for the Feb. 17-26 event in Kamloops, B.C., could not apply to make similar lineup changes if needed. Several prominent curlers — including Olympian Dawn McEwen, Mike McEwen, Felix Asselin and Beth Peterson — criticized the eligibility rule on social media.

"Timing a pregnancy can be stressful and difficult for a lot of women athletes," Dawn McEwen said on Twitter. "A rule that discriminates against some women competing in the same national field is troubling.

"Please give everyone the same opportunity @CurlingCanada."

Timing a pregnancy can be stressful and difficult for a lot of women athletes. A rule that discriminates against some women competing in the same national field is troubling. Please give everyone the same opportunity <a href="https://twitter.com/CurlingCanada?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CurlingCanada</a> <a href="https://t.co/YSFSAj0YBR">pic.twitter.com/YSFSAj0YBR</a>

Details on the exemption were provided Tuesday in a Curling Canada news release that unveiled the Scotties draw.

The organization said the wild-card team skipped by fourth-ranked Kaitlyn Lawes of Manitoba was allowed to use Laura Walker as a replacement for vice Selena Njegovan, who was granted a pregnancy leave.

Nolan Thiessen, Curling Canada's executive director of marketing

Read more on cbc.ca