Curling may seem like a relaxed sport but make no mistake, every time a rock is delivered, there is a ton of pressure on the curler throwing it. That pressure might be even greater in wheelchair curling, where unlike its able-bodied counterpart, there’s no sweeping of rocks to make them travel farther or straighter. A rock has to be right on, right away.
Curling made its debut on the Paralympic program as a single mixed-gender tournament at the 2006 Games in Torino, Italy, and has grown from an eight-team tournament to 12 teams by 2018. Canada won the first three gold medals before it was knocked off by China four years ago, though the Canadians still managed a bronze medal. Team USA is still looking for its first Paralympic medal in the sport; its best finish was fourth at the 2010 Vancouver Games.
Unlike most other Paralympic sports, wheelchair curling utilizes little specialized equipment. The ice surface and the curling stones are exactly the same as those used in Olympic curling. Players don’t even need specialized wheelchairs. The primary piece of equipment is a stick to reach down to the ice and cradle the handle of the stone to make a throw. Players will deliver the rock and release it with a counter or clockwise spin to indicate the direction of curl.
One key difference from Olympic curling is that Paralympic teams must consist of at least one man and one woman. Team USA consists of three men — skip Matthew Thums, vice skip Steve Emt and second David Samsa — and one woman, lead Oyuna Uranchimeg, plus alternate Pam Wilson. Games also last eight ends in the Paralympics, as opposed to ten at the Olympic Games.
Updated on February 13, 2022. For more information, contact the sport press officer here.