All about wheelchair curling: Canada looks to continue podium streak

Wheelchair curling became an official sport at the Paralympic Winter Games in 2006 and since then its growth has been astonishing at the international level. At the 2025 World Championships there were 12 countries entered, while 11 more contested the B pool world crown. At the mixed doubles worlds, there were 21 countries participating.

Curling is one of Canada’s most popular sports and like their Olympic counterparts, Canada’s Paralympic teams have continued a tradition of amazing international success.

Some of the great names in Canadian wheelchair curling include 2025 Canadian Paralympic Hall of Famer Sonja Gaudet, a triple Paralympic Games champion, skips extraordinaire Jim Armstrong and Chris Daw, as well as Dennis Thiessen, who just retired last month.

With less than six months to go until the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, get ready to cheer on the Canadian Paralympic Team by learning all about this thrilling and popular sport, below.

PARALYMPIC ORIGINS AND CANADA’S HISTORY IN THE SPORT

As is the case with Para ice hockey, wheelchair curling did not originate in Canada. It is also a relatively new sport. It began in Europe in the late 1990s before being introduced a few years later in North America.

Canada, however, didn’t waste any time to put its imprint on the game. It won the silver medal at the inaugural world championships in 2002 held in Switzerland then took the first three gold medals at the Paralympic Winter Games – 2006, 2010 (held in Vancouver) and 2014.  

Chris Daw skipped Team Canada at the first worlds and first Games while Jim Armstrong, a six-time Brier competitor, took the helm for the next two Paralympic golds as well as three world titles.

In fact, the Canadians have been on the podium at every Games, the only country to achieve that feat. It added bronze at both the 2018 and 2022 Paralympic Winter Games.

In world championships competition, Canada has won three gold medals, all under skip Armstrong in 2009, 2011 and 2013, four silver and two bronze, the last one most recently at the 2025 worlds.

Canada has also hosted the worlds twice, winning gold in Vancouver in 2009 and silver in Richmond, B.C. in 2023.

The first mixed doubles world championships were held in 2022 in Finland. Canada has one bronze earned by Dennis Thiessen and Collinda Joseph in 2023 in Richmond. There have been different winners in the first four editions of the mixed doubles worlds: Sweden, Latvia, South Korea, and Japan.

Mixed doubles will be contested at the Paralympic Winter Games for the first time this March in Milano Cortina. Unfortunately, Canada did not qualify for the Games in mixed doubles.

RULES, EQUIPMENT, CLASSIFICATION

In wheelchair curling, each team is mixed, and one female athlete must be on the ice at all times during the competition. Teams are composed of five athletes: a lead, second, vice-skip, skip, and alternate. 

The game consists of eight ends. In wheelchair curling there is no sweeping, which means each throw must be even more precise. The player’s wheelchair must be stationary during the throw, and the stones are pushed by a delivery stick with a bracket that fits over the rock handle.

Usually for the first three throwers, the skip will be at the other end providing guidance and positioning their broom to where to aim in the house.

If the teams are tied at the completion of eight ends, extra play continues for as many ends as required to break the tie. The sport is played with the same rocks and on the same ice as standing curling.

Wheelchair curling can be played by people with a wide range of disabilities, and eligible athletes at the international level typically require a wheelchair for daily use or are only able to walk short distances.

LOOKING AHEAD AT MILANO CORTINA

At the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, wheelchair curling will take place at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium. The competition schedule has already been announced.

Canada opens the preliminary round team tournament against host Italy on March 7, followed by matches against Great Britain and Norway on March 8, Latvia on March 9, China and Sweden March 10, Slovakia March 11, and South Korea and USA March 12. The semifinals and bronze medal games are on March 13 and the gold medal game on March 14.

China enters the tournament as the favourite as the defending champions and gold medallist at three of the last four world championships including the 2025 edition. The Canadians have reached the podium at every Paralympic Winter Games since the sport was added in 2006 and at the last three world championships with silver in 2023 and 2024 and bronze in 2025.

South Korea, Norway and Scotland have also reached the podium at the last three worlds since Beijing 2022. Sweden was the silver medallist at Beijing 2022.

Canada is expected to ice a very experienced squad, including longtime team members Ina Forrest (a four-time Paralympian) and skip Mark Ideson (preparing for his fourth Paralympic Games).