Scottish official Caithness stepped down as WCF President last year, being replaced by American Beau Welling and ending a 12-year stint at the head of the Federation.

She has already been named the WCF's first honorary member and awarded the Olympic Order, and this was the first opportunity to induct her into the Hall of Fame.

Entries to the Hall of Fame were in the builder and athlete categories, and joining Caithness in the former is Canada's Jack Lynch.

Lynch was a renowned journalist, who was recruited by the then-International Curling Federation in 1988 and is credited with driving an increase in membership to help the sport secure Olympic medal status at Nagano 1998 and the development of the zonal system.

The athletes inducted to the Hall of Fame are Scotland's Ewan MacDonald and Peter Smith, and the United States' Bill Strum.

MacDonald represented Britain at three consecutive Winter Olympic Games from Salt Lake City 2002 to Vancouver 2010, and was world champion with Scotland in 1999, 2006 and 2009 as well as European champion in 1999 and 2008.

Smith featured when curling was a demonstration sport at Calgary 1988 and at Vancouver 2010, and was a three-time world and European champion.

Strum medalled in all four World Championships in which he featured.

Lynch and Strum have been posthumously inducted.

Welling offered his congratulations to the five inductees into the Hall of Fame.

"I am delighted to see that Kate Caithness has been inducted at the first opportunity for tireless work in growing our sport around the world over the years," he said.

"Without Kate’s dedication our sport would not be in the wonderful place we find ourselves.

"Our second builder inductee Jack Lynch was one of the key individuals in returning curling to the Olympic Winter Games and his contribution to our sport cannot be underestimated.

 "The records on the ice of Scotland’s Ewan MacDonald and Peter Smith are deeply impressive.

"They became multiple world and European champions during their long and illustrious careers.

"Bill Strum, from the United States, holds the distinguished record of medalling in every World Championship he played, including three world titles.

 "All of our 2023 inductees are extremely worthy recipients of the Freytag Award, which is the highest honour we can bestow in our sport."

The Hall of Fame was created in 2012 as the WCF's highest non-playing honour.