Women's world champion Muirhead, will lead her compatriots Anna Sloan, Vicki Adams and Claire Hamilton in the tournament, with four-time world silver-medallist Margaretha Sigfridsson heading the Swedish squad of Maria Prytz, Christina Bertrup and Maria Wennerstroem.

Miyo Ichikawa, Emi Shimizu, Chiaki Matsumura and rising star Satsuki Fujisawa make up the Japanese team that will be looking to win back the Ryder-Cup style Continental Cup crown from holders North America.

Former world champion David Hay of Scotland and three-time world champion Peja Lindholm of Sweden will return as team captain and coach respectively.

"We are thrilled that the world champions have decided to play in the first WFG Continental Cup ever staged outside of Canada," said Nevada Lieutenant Governor Brian Krolicki, speaking ahead of the 10th staging of the tournament.

"We look forward to welcoming some of the world's elite curlers representing Asia, Europe and North America to our iconic entertainment capital.

"We will do everything we can to ensure that the athletes and fans have an exciting and memorable experience of a lifetime."

The Continental Cup features six teams from North America competing against six teams representing the rest of the world in various disciplines of curling during four days of competition, including traditional team games, mixed doubles, singles, mixed skins and standard skins games.

Satsuki Fujisawa will lead the Japanese team in Las Vegas

With a total of 60 points available, the first team to accrue more than 30 points will be declared the winner, and the World Team will be looking to even up the overall scores at five wins apiece in the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, since the tournament was first contested in 2002.

One point will be awarded for a win and a half-point for a draw in each of the six mixed doubles and six singles matches as well as for the nine men's and nine women's team games, while five points will be on offer to the winner of each of the six skins matches.

The winning team will share a prize fund of $52,000 (£31,636/€37,789) equally between the 24 players and team captain and coach, while the side which amasses the highest points total from the six skins matches will pocket an additional $13,000 (£7,909/€9,447) to be split equally.

The North American team line-up will be finalised later this year.

The men's and women's teams representing the United States will be decided at the 2014 United States Olympic curling trials, running from November 10 to 17 while the two Canadian men's and women's sides will be finalised following the Canadian curling trials taking place in Winnipeg from December 1 to 8.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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