It may have been the emotion of the moment, but Jones left the door open a crack to unretire.
“This moment, it’s really hard to say goodbye to be honest,” Jones said. “I’m just like loving it. I don’t want my kids to look back on life and think that their mum was never front-row centre cheering them on, like my mum was for me.
“So that’s the biggest reason, but they keep asking me to change my mind, so we’ll see.”
Unbeaten run to 2014 Olympic gold
Jones won her half-dozen Canadian crowns between 2005 and 2018 after making her Hearts debut in 2002 in Brandon, Man.
Jones, Kaitlyn Lawes, Jill Officer and Dawn McEwen went undefeated at 11-0 to win a 2014 Olympic gold medal in Sochi, Russia. That foursome also won a world title in 2018 in North Bay, Ont.
Jones won her first world championship in 2008 in Vernon, B.C., with front end of Officer and McEwen and third Cathy Overton-Clapham. Jones’ teams won Canada’s Olympic women’s trials in both 2013 and 2021.
“A really fierce competitor. I’ve been playing against her for a long time,” said Hearts bronze medallist Kate Cameron, who lost 12-7 to Jones in Sunday’ semifinal.
“Growing up curling in Manitoba, I think she just shaped what a lot of athletes wanted to be.”
