Despite missing a berth in the 2009 World Championships, the Australian curling team still has the possibility of competing at the 2010 Vancouver Games, but their fate is now out of their hands.

The team of Hugh Millikin, Ian Palangio, Sean Hall, Steve Johns and Steve Hewitt had a disappointing result in the Pacific Curling Championships last week, finishing a surprise fifth behind China, Japan, host team New Zealand and Korea, thus forfeiting a place at the 2009 world titles.

The team’s Olympic chances now rest on the results of the European Championships in early December and, depending on the outcome there, on the results of the world titles in early April.

“It was just a week where everything went wrong,” said skip Hugh Millikin.

“We had chances to win, and we would have if we had played up to our usual form.”

“Whether it was the pressure that got to the team or whether it was just one of those weeks like you sometimes have in golf where every putt lips out, I don’t know.”

“We had fairly easy chances to win, but didn’t deliver.”

“Now we just have to wait and see what happens.”

The selection process for the 2010 Games takes into account the aggregate results from the World Championships of 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Australia is currently sitting in a qualifying place, but strong showings from other nations in the two coming championships – especially on the part of Denmark and Finland – could see the team out of the Games running.