Canadian Paralympic Sport Awards: Wheelchair curlers keep podium streak alive in Beijing

With an 8-3 victory over Slovakia in the bronze-medal game at the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games, Canada secured its fifth consecutive podium in wheelchair curling.

Matching the team’s result from 2018, Canada has now collected a medal in all five wheelchair curling tournaments since the sport was added to the Paralympic program in 2006 (three gold, two bronze).

Led by skip Mark Ideson in Beijing, Canada was up 4-3 after seven ends with a medal on the line. With two spectacular shots from Jon Thurston in the eighth and final end, Canada came out on top.

Ideson and Thurston were joined on the squad by Ina Forrest, Dennis Thiessen, and Colinda Joseph. The bronze medal marked a fourth Games podium for Forrest, a third for Ideson and Thiessen, and a first for Thurston and Joseph.

“It truly was a group effort – players, coaches, extended staff, everyone putting their best foot forward to do the best we could for Canada,” said Ideson reflecting on the Games experience. “We were really happy with the bronze medal win. Beijing was a different experience; we weren’t allowed to have friends and family there due to COVID restrictions. We really had to support each other as a team to help us make it through the event, and it went really well.”

Beijing 2022 Canadian Paralympic Sport Awards

Best Paralympic Debut by a Female Athlete – Lisa DeJong
Best Paralympic Debut by a Male Athlete – Tyler Turner
Best Team Performance – Wheelchair Curling 
Best Male Athlete – To be announced
Best Female Athlete – To be announced

The Canadian Paralympic Sport Awards recognize outstanding athlete and team performances at the Paralympic Games. For more information visit Paralympic.ca/Sport-Awards.