Jay Merchant (born 16 May 1982) is an Australian curler and curling

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

originally from Canada.

Personal life

Merchant was born and grew up in

Coronation, Alberta Coronation is a town in east-central Alberta, Canada that is surrounded by the County of Paintearth No. 18. It is located at the intersection of Highway 12 and Highway 872, approximately west of the Saskatchewan border. History Coronation ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...

. His father, Archie curled in national oilman's competitions and his mom and older brother curled as well. After highschool, Merchant attended the

University of Lethbridge , mottoeng = ''Let there be light'' , type = Public , established = , academic_affiliations = Universities Canada , endowment = $73 million (2019) , chancellor = Charles Wease ...

where he studied for a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. He spent the majority of his time working in oil and gas as a labourer and then became an executive with M&N Construction in between his studies. He was a member of then Member of Parliament

Rick Casson Richard L. Casson (born December 30, 1948 in Calgary, Alberta) is a Canadian politician. Casson was a member of the Conservative Party of Canada in the House of Commons of Canada, representing the riding of Lethbridge from 1997 to 2011. Before ...

's steering committee and curled out of the Lethbridge Curling Club. He played juniors in Alberta and made it to provincials a number of times. In 2003 he played for University of Lethbridge at the

CIS/CCA Curling Championships The U Sports Curling Championships is a Canadian university curling tournament conducted by U Sports, to determine a national champion. The tournament involves the champions from each of Canada's four regional sports conferences. The event is sanc ...

; they were in the top five. Merchant continued to compete in men's and competed in provincials in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Quebec in various levels of the sport. In the 2000s, he curled on the

World Curling Tour The World Curling Tour (WCT) is a group of curling bonspiels featuring the best male, female, and mixed doubles curlers in the world. History The World Curling Tour was founded by former World Champion Ed Lukowich, with later assistance from J ...

, and was a member of the

Guy Hemmings Guy Hemmings (born May 10, 1962) is a Canadian curler from Sorel. Hemmings gained prominence after reaching the final of the Brier in 1998 and 1999. He is considered an ambassador for the game, not only in his home province of Quebec but acro ...

' team in 2008. In 2007 the Australian Winter Olympic Committee asked him to migrate to Australia on a distinguished talent visa. In 2010 he moved to Australia to coach and play with the Australian National Team and pursue a law degree at

Bond University Bond University is Australia's first private not-for-profit university and is located in Robina, a suburb in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland. Since its founding on 15 May 1989, Bond University has primarily been a teaching-focused higher e ...

, which he completed in 2012. Merchant studied a master's degree in business law at Bond University. He also completed his Juris Doctor and postgraduate diploma in legal practice. Merchant currently is a sergeant of police and is also a barrister working predominantly in the Queensland Magistrates Courts. He is a law and government lecturer at universities in Australia and abroad and has a lecture series called 'The Prosecution Rests with Jay Merchant'. Merchant also colour commentates on television, radio and is a contributor to print media in areas of sport, law, and government.

Teams and events

Men's

Mixed doubles

Record as a coach of national teams

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Merchant, Jay 1982 births Living people Australian male curlers Australian curling champions Australian curling coaches Australian people of Canadian descent Canadian expatriate sportspeople in Australia Curlers from Alberta Sportspeople from Red Deer, Alberta University of Lethbridge alumni Canadian male curlers Australian barristers Australian prosecutors Australian police officers