News update: Powerful team named for wheelchair curling world championships

OTTAWA – Canada will ice powerful squads for the March 2024 Wheelchair Curling World Championships and the mixed doubles wheelchair curling worlds.

Both events will be held in Gangneung, South Korea, the curling venue for the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games in PyeongChang. The foursome event is set for March 2-9 immediately followed by the mixed doubles March 10-16.

Mark Ideson of London, Ont., is the foursome skip for a fifth straight worlds and will shoot lead. He is joined by second Gil Dash of Wolseley, Sask., third Ina Forrest of Spallumcheen, B.C., and fourth Jon Thurston of Dunsford, Ont.

The same group won the silver medal at the 2023 worlds in Richmond B.C. The change on the team is newcomer Chrissy Molnar of Trent Lakes, Ont., as the fifth. Earlier this year, Canada expanded its NextGen Program, and Molnar, a new national program athlete, will be wearing the Maple Leaf for the first time in international competition.

Collinda Joseph of Ottawa and Dennis Thiessen of Sandford, Man., return as the mixed doubles team. They won bronze last year in Richmond.

Paralympic Games champion Greg Stewart ends brief retirement

Greg Stewart of Kamloops, B.C., has announced he’ll defend his Paralympic Games shotput title in Paris in 2024.

The 7’2’’ Stewart had announced his retirement from competitive sport in June 2022, but the experience in Tokyo in 2021 with all the COVID restrictions didn’t meet his expectations.

“I’ve felt a sense of discomfort, disconnection from a sport that I love so much,” he said in a social media post. “I want to compete and actually experience the Paralympic Games, not through the eyes of COVID.”