Para sport notebook: Team Canada wins gold at Grand Slam of Curling

Photo credit: Anil Mungal/Curling Canada

LONDON, Ont. – Team Canada Red scored at least one point in each of the first six ends on route to an impressive 7-2 victory over Great Britain to win the gold medal on Sunday at the inaugural wheelchair event at the Grand Slam of Curling.

The Canadian team was comprised of Paralympians Ina Forrest of Spallumcheen, B.C., (second), Jon Thurston of Dunsford, Ont., (third) and Mark Ideson of London, Ont. Gil Dash of Kipling, Sask., and Collinda Joseph of Stittsville, Ont., shared the lead duties.

‘’We wanted to be mostly in the house ,’’ said Forrest, a four-time Paralympian about the game. ‘’We didn’t want to have a whole lot of rocks on the front. Keep it a clean game that’s easier to play on to play on and a little less draw ice.’’

At the conclusion of the game, the London crowd saluted the Canadian team with a rendition of Oh! Canada interrupting the women’s semifinals taking place two sheets over.

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‘’What a feeling it was just so cool,’’ said Thurston about the serenade. ‘’We just felt the support of the whole crowd cheering us on. It was a special game and an amazing opportunity. Hopefully there’ll be more Grand Slams for us in the future.’’

Canada White, skipped by Chrissy Molnar of Bobcaygeon, Ont., took the bronze medal match 5-4 over Italy. Molnar’s teammates were Dennis Thiessen (Sanford, Man.), Karl Allen (Keene, Ont.), Jill Hopkins (Toronto), and Marie Wright (Moose Jaw, Sask.).

The Invitational is the first of several international stops for Canadian wheelchair curlers this season. Next is the International Wheelchair Curling Tournament in Wetzikon, Switzerland, Oct. 16–19, followed by the Stirling Wheelchair Curling Invitational in Scotland, Oct. 21–24, and the International Wheelchair Curling Tournament in Prague, Czech Republic, Nov. 21–23.

Canada fourth in controversial match at Para archery world championships

GWANGJU, South Korea- Paralympian Kyle Tremblay of Deep River, Ont., and Daniel Comeau of Shannon, Que., delivered a remarkable fourth place finish in the compound men’s open doubles wheelchair event on Saturday at the Para archery world championships.

Comeau and Tremblay opened the tournament defeating Italy 150-146 and India 152-150 to reach the semifinals. In the final four match against the U.S., Canada lost 152-147 and in the bronze medal match the duo fell to Great Britain 144-141.

‘’We were not very lucky in the bronze match,’’ said Comeau, also 17^th in individual competition. ‘’On three occasions the timing device was defective when it was our turn to shoot. It was frustrating and destabilizing and broke our tempo.

‘’It was my first worlds and I’m very pleased. I know a top-eight is a realistic goal individually and as a team we can reach the podium.’’

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Canadian Para rowers gain valuable experience at worlds

Canada’s Para rowing team at the world championships in Shanghai, which concluded on the weekend, will look to build on a solid debut.

In the PR3 mixed coxed fours, Canada took eighth place overall by placing second in the B final. The Canadian crew was comprised of Abby Durliat of St. Catharines, Ont., Stuart Chase of Kamloops, B.C., Johan Berner of Lethbridge, Alta., Danielle Main of Toronto and coxswain Teija Patry of Kingston, Ont.

‘’With our first ever international races under our belts I can’t say that I feel anything but pride for this crew,’’ said Main in an Instagram Post. ‘’ Despite a critical equipment malfunction that changed the trajectory of our race, we came off the start line strong and united. I have no doubt in my mind that our crew of first-time doers on the world stage will pull off a stellar time.’’