2010 Year In Review  12/28/2010

This website and associated blog saw 302 posts in 2010. To read #303 and our 2010 Year in Review, CLICK HERE

News from Northern Ontario  12/28/2010

Ten curlers and four coaches attended the CCA's Development Camp in Thunder Bay the week before Christmas. Fort William Coach Dave Kawahara reports that it gave "quite a boost" to everyone attending.

He was especially appreciative of the opportunity to hear the responses of people with the experience of Wendy Morgan, Daryl Neighbour and Laura Farres to the same questions that have been asked of the everyday coaches like himself. "The in-class sessions were very interactive and excellent questions and responses flowed. It was a very successful camp," he said.

Four teams are expected to compete in the N. Ontario Provincials at the Fort William CC in Thunder Bay, February 25-27. Sudbury has formed a team of athletes with experience in other disciplines, who Wayne Ficek, reigning provincial champion, feels will be strong competitors once they gain more on-ice experience.

The title this year, though, is expected to be a contest between two-time champions Team Ficek representing Kenora (though two of the team live in Dryden) and Thunder Bay's Carl Levesque who skipped a selected N. Ontario team at the 2008 Nationals.

Team Ficek, after claiming 4th place in 2009, went 3-6 last March. "As under achievers last year I expect if I can get back to the Nationals that only a play off position would be tolerable this year," Wayne told me today.

News from P.E.I.  12/28/2010

Amber Nicholson of the Journal-Pioneer reports that less than a year since Crapaud Community CC invited its first wheelchair users onto the ice, it is hosting an Atlantic Canada High Performance Wheelchair Camp January 14-16.

Eric Payne of Warren Grove, who curls Tuesday evenings at the club, believes the camp will be a significant steppingstone for wheelchair curling on P.E.I.

"It's going to bring attention to (the sport) here on P.E.I. It's going to help the sport itself grow in the Maritimes and it's going to help extend the network of wheelchair curling across Canada," he said.

Read the full report

The three-day High Performance Wheelchair Camp is geared toward athletes who have or plan to compete at the Wheelchair Curling Nationals. Camp activities include technical review on and off-ice, drills, strategy, mental preparation, team dynamics, video analysis and three games. Special guest instructors include national team coach, Wendy Morgan, and national team mental trainer, Dr. Laura Farres.

Curlers planning to participate in the camp are asked to confirm their attendance by Saturday, Jan. 1, via e-mail to hradford@nscurl.com. For more information contact Gayle Johnston at 368-1071.

Funeral for Frank Duffy December 30 12/28/2010 

Update 2.30PM PST - Wednesday December 29 - I have received an email saying that the funeral has been delayed, possibly until January 12. When I have more information, I will post it here.

Frank Duffy’s funeral is due to take place in Falkland Church (Scotland) on Thursday, December 30, at 10.30am before interment at the village cemetery at 11.45am.

Family and local reaction to his death can be read in this report from Fife Today.

Quiz Answers can be found HERE  12/28/2010

The 2010 Christmas Quiz  12/25/2010

Here's this year's Christmas Quiz. Answers in a couple of days.

1. From the list of people below, identify who

A) left a double world championship team to coach his national squad at the 2010 Worlds Qualifying

B) was deposed as skip of his Paralympic team by his 3rd.

C) withdrew from the Paralympics after failing a drug test.

D) described wheelchair curling as the roller derby of curling.

E) withdrew from his national team shortly after being selected, because of shoulder surgery.

a) Jim Armstrong b) Glen Ikonen c) Patrick McDonald d) Jens Jäger e) Per Christensen

2. Which current Team Canada Paralympian has 13 siblings? Jim Armstrong, Darryl Neighbour, Ina Forrest, Sonja Gaudet, Bruno Yizek.

3. Which Province held a 3 on 3 two team playdown to see who would claim the girl?

4. He provided online commentary at the Paralympics, and was inducted into the London ON Sports Hall Of Fame. Who is he?

5. Who said of skipping “It makes me think. If I don’t come off the ice with a headache, I didn’t think hard enough,” Chris Daw, Goose Perez, Rune Lorentsen, Michael McCreadie, Hak Sung Kim

 6. Which 4 sport Paralympian said prior to Vancouver: "It takes you right round the world, you see some amazing places. I'm away somewhere every month, it's a full-time job now." Sonja Gaudet, Jalle Jungnell, Jens Jäger, Tom Killin

7. True or False

a) feet may not touch the ice during delivery
b) a delivery is legal if any part of the rock is touching the guidelines either side of the centre line
c) at WCF events the time clocks stop during the one minute time outs when coaches may speak to their team
d) players may be substituted during a game but must play the same position as the person they replace

8. As hosts of the 2011 Worlds, the Czech Republic took one of the eight spots allocated to the points leaders at the previous three Worlds. Who lost out from automatic qualification?

9. The oldest athlete at the Paralympics was 75. What country did he curl for?

10. Which country arrived at the 2010 World Wheelchair Qualifying Championships, but was not allowed to play?

11.What continent saw it's first dedicated curling ice opened to wheelchair users?

12. Whose Canadian record will be snapped in March 2011 at seven consecutive National Championship appearances?

13. Pair the player with their team

A) Jostein Stordahl
B) Patrik Burman
C) Claudia Huttenmoser
D) Egidio Marchese
E) Katsuo Ichikawa
F) James Pierce
G) Mi-Suk Kang
H) Aileen Neilson
I) Marcus Sieger

a) Germany b) Great Britain c) Italy d) Japan  e) Korea  f) Norway g) Sweden h) Switzerland i) USA

14. Eight of the nine players listed in #13 share something in common. Who is the odd person out?

15. Why did power wheelchair users have reason to celebrate a 2010 WCF decision.

A very Happy Christmas to you all from Eric and Cate, and please consider making a donation towards the maintenance of this website by clicking on the link on the front page.

Team Canada to play in Lanarkshire International Jan 18-19  12/24/2010

Canadian national team coach Joe Rea will be taking his gold medal winning Paralympics team; Jim Armstrong, Darryl Neighbour, Ina Forrest, Sonja Gaudet and Bruno Yizek, to Scotland in January for a pre-Worlds warm-up.

Wendy Morgan confirmed today that despite apparently uninformed speculation, Jim Armstrong has both his passport and a ticket. The team will leave for Edinburgh January 16, returning January 20.

They will be playing in the Lanarkshire International, January 18-19, in Hamilton, organized by the South Lanarkshire Wheelchair Curling Club.

Teams competing include two each from Scotland, Germany and Russia as well as Canada, Czech Republic and Sweden.

Sweden will be coached by their long-time skip Jalle Jungnell, who retired from international competition as a player after wining bronze at the Vancouver Paralympics.

McCreadie wants back in  12/24/2010

Bob Cowan, who follows wheelchair curling in Scotland, has a blog post introducing Tony Zummack, but he buries the lede.

Michael McCreadie, who stepped up from 3rd to skip Scotland/Great Britain when Frank Duffy retired after Torino, and then took a sabbatical from international play after Vancouver, says he wants to be part of the new Scottish program.

Cowan quotes McCreadie: "I encountered Tony and his Alberta Team at the Richmond International in Vancouver in 2008. Alberta won the competition beating Jim Armstrong's team in the final.

"Tony comes to Great Britain with knowledge and experience of coaching wheelchair curlers at high level - his record speaks for itself. I am excited and feel sure he will bring his own methods, strategies and coaching expertise to enhance the skills of present and future players. This is a fresh start for all a journey which I hope again to be part of. The selection panel should be congratulated in their choice of coach."

Canada have tough opening at Prague Worlds  12/24/2010

Team Canada will face two fancied teams on the opening day of the 2011 World Wheelchair Curling Championships in Prague, Fenruary 21.

They open against China and then face USA.

Tony Zummack's Scotland open with a bye and then face Russia and the Czech Republic.

The full schedule can be found HERE.

Team Canada is expected to be announced early in January.

"The job I have been working towards for 16 years" Zummack 12/22/2010

Team Great Britain's new coach, Tony Zummack from Calgary Alberta, says he has always known that he wanted to become involved with coaching at the national level.

"You can't argue with the success of Canada's national program," he told me today. "Gerry Peckham and Joe Rea have been very successful, and you can't expect it to be dismantled to let someone else have a go. So when I learned about the British job last October, I decided to apply."

It was announced today that Zummack will replace Tom Pendreigh as the British Wheelchair Curling Coach, joining a team of five national high performance coaches. He has a four year contract that runs through the end of 2014, and will begin his duties in January.

He feels the experience he gained coaching Calgary's Team Smart, perennial Alberta Champions, over the past two plus seasons, has prepared him for the challenge.

"Team Alberta works just as hard and does the same things in training as Team Canada. What they don't have is the financial resources for sports psychologists and trainers and opportunities for travel.

"But what we have done in Calgary is a solid grounding for what needs to be done in a national program. I am just sorry that I won't be there to see them compete in Edmonton, but I know they are good enough to win a national championship, especially with the return of Bruno Yizek, who brings so many things to the team."

The Zummack's will be relocating to Stirling, Scotland which is north of both Glasgow and Edinburgh. Their daughter will transfer to Sterling University after her winter semester, but Tony is anxious to get to Scotland to meet his new team.

"They have a high performance squad that is about the same size as in Canada, and their team for the 2011 Worlds in Prague has already been picked, so it will be a case of getting to know them and seeing where we are," he says.

So your first job will be to pick a skip? "Who says I'll be the one to choose who skips?" he replied, which on reflection was a pretty athlete-centred answer.

British wheelchair curlers have under-performed expectations for several years now. "I'm not going to be making big changes right away," said Zummack. "It will take time to assess the players and the program. I'll have the summer to discuss with Performance Director Dave Crosbee what if any changes should be made.

"I'll also be travelling and watching other players. As a full-time coach part of my job will be talent identification. That's a lot easier in a geographically smaller country like Scotland, where it will be possible to drive to regularly see players in the way that Canada's size makes more difficult.

"I'm looking forward to working with Dave Crosbee and Rhona Martin, people with more international experience than I have. But I am confident that I can bring success to the program. Success brings funding and funding brings success. I am really looking forward to the challenge."

Alberta's Tony Zummack to coach Team Great Britain 12/22/2010

Tony Zummack, coach of Alberta Provincial Champions Team Smart for the past three seasons, has been chosen as the new Head Coach for British Wheelchair Curling. His was one of two non-UK appointments to the five person elite curling coaching team announced today that is expected to bring Olympic and Paralympic success back to British curling.

He replaces Tom Pendreigh who I understand did not interview for the wheelchair curling position. Great Britain/Scotland had 3rd, 7th, and 5th World Championships finishes since their silver in Torino, and posted a 3-6 (tied for worst) record in Vancouver.

Zummack, a professional curling and golf teacher, will give up his job as curling supervisor at the prestigous and private Glencoe Club in Calgary. He has worked with the players now skipped by Jack Smart since 2008 curling out of the Ogden CC, coaching them to a silver medal at the 2009 Nationals.

Team member Bruno Yizek has since won a gold medal at the Vancouver Paralympics, and Anne Hibberd played for Canada B at the recent Richmond Cashspiel.

His task in Scotland will expand beyond the role he played in Alberta, where he was the coach of a club team competing against other club teams. On the technical side it will be interesting to see whether Zummack continues Pendreigh's "deliver from the rings" experiment, and also whether he introduces, as he did in Calgary, the off-side brace, long championed on this blog and website as a tool for increased delivery accuracy.

"I am looking forward to the opportunity and challenge," he told me this morning.

Team Fitzgerald repeat as Nova Scotia champions 12/19/2010

Team Fitzgerald, with Laughie Rutt at 3rd, Trendal Hubley-Bolivar 2nd and lead Debbie Earle, defeated Team Brown 3-0 in a best of 5 series to represent Nova Scotia at the 2011 National Championships in Edmonton AB in March.

A good crowd was on hand to see Team Fitzgerald take an easy 9-2 victory in the first game with Fitzgerald stealing in the early ends and building up a big lead.

The second game came down to skip rocks with the score tied. Fitzgerald had the hammer and did a good job of keeping a path to the four foot open on the right despite a Brown rock buried, biting the four foot. Fitzgerald outdrew it and Brown could not duplicate the shot or remove it on his last stone, leaving Fitzgerald with a 5-4 win.

The third game was also close. tied 2-2 at the break. Brown took one with hammer in the 5th but gave up a deuce in the 6th. In the 7th Fitzgerald opted for a guard rather than an open tap to lie three. It was the decisive stone, as Brown's attempted draw rubbed it, coming up short and allowing Fitzgerald to steal two.

In the eighth end Brown, needing to score 3, had a shot buried dead on the button early behind two guards and a rock in the twelve foot in front of the t-line but well to the left. Fitzgerald then added to the rock pile in front by blocking more and more of the scoring area. Brown also contributed to the pile with a wrecked draw attempt to sit three.

On 3rd's last rock Fitzgerald asked for the take out of the Brown's second shot rock in the twelve foot, and Rutt's takeout rolled full four foot behind cover and ended Brown's chances, Fitzgerald winning 6-3.

Line score for each game ca be found HERE.

It is the fourth consecutive year that Fitzgerald will skip a rink at Nationals.

Armstrong remains on Team Canada after disciplinary review  12/19/2010

Here is the CCA's CEO Greg Stremlaw's statement concerning the review of Team Canada skip Jim Armstrong's actions for which he is expected to be sentenced in Seattle Federal Court on January 28th.

"As I think you are aware, a formal, comprehensive review of the situation was undertaken by a designated review committee including interviews with appropriate parties, consultation with stakeholders and a review and assessment of all pertinent and available documentation. As a result of this, the review committee did recommend a course of disciplinary action to the CCA which was approved and implemented. We feel that the disciplinary actions taken are fair and appropriate to the situation given the facts and information available to the review committee at this time. The disciplinary actions do include specific conditions, therefore, should any new facts or information become available which are relevant to this situation either before, during or after the January 28th court date, this matter can be revisited and further action taken if and as required.

"At this time, the athlete is still a part of the National Team program and will continue to train and compete as such."

Frank Duffy suicide before court appearance  12/16/2010

Jamie Beatson of the Scotsman.com reports that Frank Duffy took his own life, setting himself and his car alight in a car park prior to a scheduled bail hearing, after previously being arrested in connection with sex offences.

A court source said: "As far as we know he was accused of offences against young girls." The offences are alleged to have occurred between January 2000 and November 2010.

Read the report

Frank Duffy dead at 51: "the first wheelchair curling superstar" 12/16/2010

I received some very sad news this morning. Frank Duffy died suddenly.

"In my eyes he was the 1st wheelchair 'superstar' I will miss him an awful lot," Michael McCreadie wrote in an email.

Frank was born in 1959 and was first introduced to the sport of curling at age 12 on a frozen pond in Falkland in Fife. When he was 35, a 12 foot fall from a ladder left him with an L1 spinal cord injury and life in a wheelchair.

He had been a skilled curler before his injury and was involved in Scottish wheelchair curling from the beginning, skipping Scotland to two World Championship titles in 2004 and 2005 followed by a silver medal at the 2006 Paralympic Winter Games.

He also won many domestic championships and Sportsmanship Awards, coached at WCF camps, and following his retirement from international curling in 2006, chaired the Scottish Wheelchair Curling Association (2006-2008) and was a Director for British Curling from 2007-2010.

I met Frank at the Kelowna Cashspiel in 2005, which he won. He was a gentleman, soft-spoken but disciplined. I had, as an event organizer, staked out some wheelchair accessible refreshment venues, but Frank disapproved. He told me the game (back then) was one of draws and taps. Ironic that the iconic image of his career will be his look of anguish as he sees his Torino gold medal take-out shot miss by millimeters.

Frank was someone who put into the sport more than he took out, working not just when the cameras and note-pads were out, but serving to develop and direct the sport he loved.

He will be missed.

CurlBC shares $350K Olympic windfall  12/15/2010

CurlBC will share in a $350,000 windfall from 50/50 sales during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games by the Canucks for Kids Fund (CFKF) to support programs that benefit disabled athletes in British Columbia.

CurlBC CEO Scott Braley said, “These funds will enable Curl BC to develop an adapted curling physical education program with the goal to overcome participation barriers experienced by children with disabilities throughout BC.”

Read the full story HERE.

Ontario High Performance Development Camp Feb 11-12  12/14/2010

Ontario's CCA High Performance Development Camp will be held Friday and Saturday February 11-12, 2011 at the Peach King Centre in Grimsby during the 2011 Dominion Tankard Ontario Men’s Curling Championship.

The camp is intended for curlers who “have the potential to be recruited into the (post 2011) national pool…and they will be contacted for years 2012-2013 for future development and possible selection to the national team or to train with the national program at national training camps."

Application fee $50, maximum numbers 16, deadline Jan 7, 2011. Check HERE for more details.

Nova Scotia Provincials begin December 18  12/12/2010

The Nova Scotia Wheelchair Curling Championship will be held at the Lakeshore Curling Club. The first two games of the best of five series start December 18th at 10.00am and 3.00pm. Game 3 is December 19th at 8.00 am with games 4 and 5 if necessary, 1.00pm December 19 and 6.30 pm on the 20th.

Line scores from each game can be found on livecurling.com

Michael Fitzgerald, with Laughie Rutt, Trendal Hubley-Bolivar and Debbie Earle face Richard Brown, playing with Terry Cousineau, Steve Parfitt and Shannon Sweet, in a rematch of last year’s championship.

8th Annual Pat "O" Reid Memorial Bonspiel January 9th   12/11/2010

The 8th Annual Pat "O" Reid Memorial Bonspiel is planned for Sunday January 9, 2011 at the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club. It is open to able-bodied and wheelchair curlers in any combination.

Organizers hope to have a Competitive Wheelchair Division as in previous years. To accommodate those that couldn't make it to last year's event, the day has been moved to a Sunday, and the starting time moved up to 10:30 am so we can be finished around 7:00 pm for the convenience of out of town participants.

O.C.C. Team Ranking System points may be awarded to Competitive Wheelchair teams if numbers permit a separate Competitive Division. Full details HERE.

Curling promotes inclusion  12/11/2010

"In his capacity as board chair of the Richmond Centre for Disability, writes Don Fennell of the Richmond Review, "Vince Miele spends a lot of time promoting inclusion, independence and empowerment."

The article, a wrap-up of last week's Richmond International Cashspiel, features Vince Miele, who has toiled unremarked to bring a first class event to the lower Mainland, and never mentioned that he won a National Championship last March.

Curling is an easy sport to integrate wheelchair users, noted Miele. You can read the article HERE.

BC extends deadline for provincial championship entries 12/10/2010

CurlBC has announced that the entry deadline for teams wishing to participate in the Provincial Championships has been extended to Monday December 13.

The event is scheduled to take place in Kimberley February 3-6, which unfortunately is about as far away from the main body of wheelchair curlers as is possible without holding the event in Alberta.

An entry fee of $240 and the availability of six Paralympians, may have made a long distance journey over mountainous winter roads less than appealing to curlers who may have attended an event more centrally located.

CurlBC were slow to move away from a selection system, but it has worked well for them, with both National finalists last year coming from BC. Championships are spread around the province for the very best of reasons, and the organisers in Kimberley were very proud to be chosen to host the event.

But at this stage of the sport's development, does it make sense to schedule an event so far from potential participants that there may not be enough teams to make hosting worthwhile? CurlBC have already been forced to abandon its region based participation criteria for wheelchair curling.

On a different note, it will be interesting to see whether the Vancouver medalists choose to participate, and if so, whether they follow the example of the Scots, who tend to spread their experience over different teams in the interests of encouraging participation.

Issue 3 of Atlantic Canada's Wheelchair Curling News available 12/10/2010

Those living in Atlantic Canada have a monthly newsletter organised by Laughie Rutt. In the 3rd issue, there is information about the Mayflower CC access improvements, the CCA talent identification and development camp, Provincials at the Lakeshore CC. renovations at the Caladonian CC in Pictou NS, and a possible spiel in Frederickton at the end of January if there's sufficient interest.

You can access the newsletter HERE.

Those living within reach of Lower Sackville are reminded that all wheelchair users are welcome at the recreational Saturday afternoon on-ice sessions at the Lakeshore CC. Email Laughie for details.

British wheelchair curling funding cut in half  12/9/2010

The BBC reports that British Government funding through UK Sport for Olympic and Paralympic programs, while showing an overall increase, has concentrated on sports where there is the best likelihood of medals. Wheelchair curling has had its funding reduced from UKP 450,000 (C$ 711,000) to UKP 223,000 (C$ 356,000).

British performances have fallen below expectations at the last Worlds and Paralympics, and that disappointment is demonstrated in the 48% reduction in funding over the next four years. That is not to say that additional funds would not be made available if the team started appearing on the podium again, as a major source of funding comes from the National Lottery, which has recently generated higher than expected revenue.

The Scots squad that makes up the British team were generously funded as full time athletes leading up to the Paralympics. It will be interesting to see how this reduction affects the team's performance and what areas; financial support, travel, training courses, international competition, will be cut.

Read the BBC report for full details.

UPDATE: An anonymous blog commentator cites cites a post on the RCC website that British curling will receive £2,288,900 from UK Sport for the period between now and the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2014, which "more than doubles the funding British Curling received in the previous four-year cycle."

They do not cite a source, nor do they contradict the BBC report that funding for wheelchair curling has been slashed.

Gerry Peckham, Canada's National Program Director, said news of the cut if true, was "Tragic news for such a strong wheelchair curling Nation."

As for Canada, he said, "We have maintained our funding level subsequent to 2010 which is fabulous considering there are no more sponsor dollars coming our way [winter sport] via VANOC. The challenge for curling has always been to ensure we get our fair share of the funding pie. Our biggest road block is the fact that as a sport we only account for 3 medals total."

Thank you  4/18/2010

I'd like to thank those who have made a donation to support the wheelchair curling website and blog. Because of you, most of the expenses of putting them online this year have been covered.

If you have been thinking about making a contribution in any amount, it's not too late. You can donate by credit card by clicking on the link on the front page of this website, or you can email me at eric@wheelchaircurling.com for my address if you'd prefer to send a cheque.

Knowing that my efforts are appreciated makes a difference not only to what I can do, but also to how motivated I feel to do it.

Thanks.

Eric

Cape Cod MA hosting summer spiel July 22-25 4/18/2010

A couple of years ago the Cape Cod CC undertook an extensive renovation of its 40 year old building, specifically to offer the opportunity for wheelchair users to participate in the club's activities.

This summer the club is hosting an international spiel and Team USA and Team Germany have already committed to attend, as well as several domestic American and Canadian teams.

Entry deadline has been extended and will now close May 9th. Contact Marc DePerno 315-737-2459 if you have any questions.

The club is situated in Falmouth, MA, 70 miles south of Boston. CLICK HERE for event details

Proposed rule changes need further study  4/18/2010

Prior to the World Curling Federation's meeting in Cortina April 7th, a lengthy document was circulated detailing proposed changes to the eligibility rules for wheelchair curling. The document attempted to describe in highly tyechnical language exactly what degree of disability would be necessary for an athlete to become eligible to compete in WCF sanctioned events such as the World Championships and the Paralympic Games.

The document attempted to draw a line somewhere between full-time wheelchair user and able-bodied, that included everyone with a significant disability affecting their lower limbs or gait such that a wheelchair would be necessary for them to curl.

The regulations would have to be sufficiently specific and clear to allow eligibility of athletes to be determined by a classifier, but also in the event of a dispute, provide objective criteria for an appeal panel to judge a classification decision.

At present there is no appeal protocol: the original classifier's opinion is final.

Under the new proposal, curlers would be given a designation of qualified, or not qualified, or qualified subject to future review. Decisions to accept or reject an athlete could be appealed to a panel of two classifiers not involved in the original decision.

It has, however, proven more complicated than expected to draw up clear and acceptable eligibility criteria, and the language in the original proposal was not accepted at the meeting and will be reviewed. The delay may mean that the new WCF rule book, due in June, will again not contain a procedure for appeal of an eligibility assessment.

This issue should be seen in the context of Michael McCreadie's concerns that wheelchair curling is fast becoming a sport played by amputees and low level paraplegics to the exclusion of more significantly disabled wheelchair users, and against the guiding principles of Paralympic sport.

Is it better for the future of wheelchair curling that the widest possible pool of potential participants be eligible to compete, or should it be. at least at the international level, a sport inclusive of a range of disabilities requiring wheelchair use? Is the decision different for countries with few facilities than for Canada with many?

Wheelchair curling administrators are already discovering that the definition of wheelchair user is complicated and subjective; and that's just the beginning.

News from British Columbia   4/18/2010

The Cranbrook Daily Townsman reports that Kimberley will host the 2011 BC Wheelchair Curling Championship from Feb. 3-6, 2011

"It's a natural fit," said club president Gord Jenkins, "given the types of improvements the club has made since its building was condemned a few years ago.

“When we did the renovations, we said, ‘Let's make this a barrier-free facility.'”
[read more]

The 2010 championship banner will hang in the Richmond CC as four of the five team members play there. The 2011 Worlds are scheduled for Prague February 21 - March 3, so it is possible that Sonja Gaudet, Ina Forrest and Jackie Roy will be available in 2011, potentially doubling the number of teams that may compete.

National silver medalist Alison Duddy was profiled in the Quesnel Cariboo Observer.

"For my first time out to the nationals, I’m happy,” Duddy said.“But at the same time there is a little bit of bittersweet.”

The sweet side of getting the silver medal Duddy said, was the one − two finish for the B.C. teams, and they did it on home ice in front of family and friends.

“[But] we had our chances in the gold medal game, unfortunately we just couldn’t pull it out.”

Duddy also acknowledged the play of opposing skip Cormack, particularly in the gold-medal game, as one of the highlights of the tournament.

“In one end we were sitting six and he had to make a perfect shot and he did to count one,” Duddy explained, adding Cormack did the very same thing in a subsequent end with her team sitting with five counters in the rings. [read more]

CurlBC is inviting applications for its High Performance program which is open to all players and coaches in BC. Details can be found HERE.

Finally, with Team Canada and the national championship final virtually all-BC affair, to what do you attribute BC's success, and what must happen outside of BC to broaden the spread of competitive honours?

Is it simply success breeding success? The presence of Jim Armstrong? What do you think?

News from the Scottish Wheelchair Curling Association  4/18/2010

The Royal Caledonian Curling Club, the national governing body for curling in Britain, has posted news from the AGM of the Scottish Wheelchair Curling Association.

After detailing changes in committee membership, the post continued:

There were interesting points made on various topics which will be followed up by the Committee.

The meeting closed with a vote of thanks to the Chair, and was followed by afternoon tea kindly hosted by South Lanarkshire Wheelchair Curling Club.

Alas, no mention of what was in the sandwiches.

Marc DePerno, USA team leader, wins Spirit Award  4/18/2010

Marc DePerno, team leader for the 2010 Paralympic wheelchair curling team, has received an O.C. Tanner Inspiration Award after being nominated by James Joseph.

The O.C. Tanner Inspiration Award honours those frequently left behind the scenes. Those who ignited the spark. Encouraged the dream. Awakened the quest for glory. It honours those who will never receive a medal of their own. But instead made it possible for someone else.

Read Jimmy's nomination letter.

Big win for wheelchair curlers at WCF meeting  4/7/2010

The World Curling Federation's semi-annual meetings have been held in Cortina this week, during the Men's World Championships. There were several important issues discussed that directly affect wheelchair users, and one indirect decision that may be just as influential in the long term.

First, the current ban on power wheelchairs has been lifted. As has been discussed on our blog, the ban served no equitable purpose. Power wheelchairs proffered no advantage to the athlete and imposed no burden on the ice. Removing the ban, in the absence of evidence that it served an explicable purpose, was overdue.

I do not have any details beyond the announcement, but I do know that the CCA was fully supportive of a lifting of the ban. I also know that the British team had been asked their opinion, and also supported allowing the use of power chairs in WCF competition.

While this decision is unlikely to mark an immediate influx of power chair users, it will have an impact on decisions made by national coaches. In my pre-Paralympic discussion with Team Canada coach Joe Rea he mentioned that the ban at WCF events influenced his decision about whether to work with power chair users at the national level.

Some time ago Great Britain skip Michael McCreadie circulated a discussion paper suggesting that rules changes needed to be made to ensure that a wider range of level of disability is represented in national teams. The power chair decision may indicate that his arguments are being heard.

The most dramatic news from Cortina was that sitting President Canadian Les Harrison has been deposed by his vice-President Kate Caithness of Scotland. While Les Harrison was cordial when I spoke to him last year, he referred all discussion of wheelchair curling to Kate Caithness.

There was also a detailed revision of eligibility rules for wheelchair curling presented at the meeting, but no news has surfaced yet.

Photos from the 2010 Canadian National Championships   3/29/2010

Scott Thompson took photos at the Championship and has posted them HERE.

A look back at the Paralympics  3/24/2010

Canada won their gold medal, Korea reawakened to the form that saw them runners-up at the 2008 Worlds, Sweden persevered past a miserable start and a tie-break day suspension of their last rock thrower, and USA did not quite go-all-the-way. The Richmond press hailed the Darryl and Jim show, while the Okanagan press celebrated Ina and Sonja and we all see what we want to see.

Read the rest of the article.

Looking back on the 2010 Canadian Nationals  3/23/2010

Ten teams of wheelchair curlers present significant logistical challenges to any venue hosting a Canadian National Wheelchair Curling Championship. Every organising committee works long and hard, fielding friendly and enthusiastic volunteers. This year's co-chairs Gerry Austgarden and Deanna Tuokko had the advantages of proximity of the host hotel to the curling club, the space for 50 plus wheelchairs to manoeuvre inside the club, a schedule that avoided a three draw day, and almost perfect weather.

Experience showed in the results. The top three teams all had ex-Team Canada members throwing fourth stones, and it was probably no co-incidence that the BC teams, Manitoba and Alberta, the teams that reached the play-offs, have the longest record of participation in the Championship, with mostly players experienced in week long competition. [read the rest of this article]

Canada repeat as gold medalists at Paralympics  3/20/2010

Canada saw off the semi-final challenge of a weakened Swedish team in the morning semi-final and then raced out to an early 8-1 lead at the break against Korea in the final. Then Korea took two, stole one, stole another one and were lying two with Canadian skip Jim Armstrong's last rock to come.

Four year's ago at Torino, Great Britain had last rock needing an open hit to win gold against Canada. In Vancouver, Armstrong needed an open hit to win the gold medal. The ParalympicSport.tv cameras focused on his face as he took his shot, and it took several seconds for the smile to appear as he realised that it was on line. Ina Forrest slapped him on the back in congratulation as Canada took out a Korean stone, giving up another steal, but posting an 8-7 win.

Sweden beat USA for the bronze.

Full results can be viewed on our Paralympics page. 

The BC Host team crowned National Champions  3/20/2010

The BC Host team won the all BC final of the 2010 Canadian National Wheelchair Curling Championships at the Kelowna CC this afternoon.

Gary Cormack (skip), Rich Green (3rd), Vince Miele (2nd) and alternating leads Corinne Jensen and Samantha Sui had the best record in the round robin, with their only loss to Nova Scotia. They also beat BC in the 1 vs 2 game in a testament to the depth of talent among wheelchair curlers in BC.

In the battle of Torino gold medalist 4th rock throwers, Gary Cormack's 63% shooting out-shone BC's Gerry Austgarden, and picked up a team that was outscored at every other position. He also saved them from disaster and a possible early exit in the second when his last rock came through a narrow port for shot with BC were lying 6.

You can read our notes as the play happened, on our blog.

Full results are available on our Nationals page.

Updates from Nationals and Paralympics 3/20/2010

Just back from the Nationals banquet, where Chester Draper of Northern Ontario won the Sportsmanship Trophy, and Arlene Ursel, Dennis Thiessen and Chris Sobkowicz of Manitoba and Martin Purvis of Alberta won places on the All-Star Team. Photographs are HERE.

The Nationals and the Paralympics results pages are up-to-date. News and commentary will be added later.

Brief notes from the Page playoff games at the Nationals can be found on the blog HERE.

Congratulations to Team Canada who held off a late rally by Korea to win the gold medal at the Paralympics. Final score 8-7.

The Nationals semi-final will begin 9.30 Sunday with the final at 2pm.

Swedish 4th rock thrower thrown out of Paralympics 3/19/2010

Glenn Ikonen, who began the Paralympics throwing third stones for Sweden before changing places with his skip Jalle Jungnell after Sweden's 0-3 start, has been banned for two years for failing a drug test. Though the ban is subject to appeal, he has been withdrawn for the remainder of the competition.

As reported in the Vancouver Sun, the news came just hours before the Swedish team was due to take on Italy in a tie-break to decide who faces Canada in Saturday's semi-final.

Alternate Patrik Kallin threw second, with Jungnell returning to 4th stones. Despite the off-ice drama, Sweden beat Italy 6-5, stealing 2 in the final end. With Sweden sitting shot on the 4 foot and second shot back 12, Italy's skip Tabanelli chose a takeout for the win rather than a draw to the 12 for a tie, and crashed on a front stone.

“Of course we were totally shocked and sorry for Glenn who played so well for us in the round robin,” said Jungnell “He felt he had done everything right about the medication. But Patrik [who shot 75 per cent] came in and did a good job for us. He plays for us in our normal club games back home. We knew he was a good player.”

Canada vs Sweden and USA vs Korea take place 10am Saturday, with the medal games beginning at 3.30.

For tables and schedule see our Paralympics page.

Nationals - Final Round Robin Draw  3/19/2010

On the final round robin day at t he Canadian Nationals in Kelowna BC it could have been a host committee nightmare 5-way tie for the fourth playoff spot, but at the end of the day only Alberta posted the necessary two wins to join BC Host, BC and Manitoba.

BC Host and Manitoba fought a war of attrition in the last draw, with singles all the way to the eighth end when suddenly the Host team were sitting 4 and Manitoba had to draw to the four foot to save the game. Chris Sobkowicz's draw was a little light and BC Host stole two for a 5-4 win. We watched the game and there are a few notes at the end of this post.

BC Host (8-1) will play BC (7-2) in the Page playoff 1 vs 2 game tomorrow, the winner going straight through to Sunday's 2PM final. The loser will play the 9.30AM Sunday semi-final against the winner of the 3 s 4 game, Manitoba (6-3) vs. Alberta (5-4).

Page playoff games start at 2pm Saturday.

For full scores and table go to our Nationals page.

Nationals Day 5 - Last playoff spot still open  3/19/2010

BC, BC HOST and Manitoba have qualified for Saturday's Page Playoffs at the 2010 Canadian Wheelchair Curling Nationals in Kelowna, BC.

In the battle of the top teams, BC HOST beat BC 7-1, stealing their way to a 6-0 lead after four. Manitoba dispatched Newfoundland and Labrador 12-0 and still have a chance to make the 1-2 Page Playoff game if they beat the host team this afternoon.

All the teams that entered the day with a chance to make the playoffs are still alive. Saskatchewan missed an opportunity to post a fifth win when they fell to Quebec 11-2. When we asked Quebec coach Al Whittier what he'd fed his team for breakfast, he said, "Good Quebec poutine."

Alberta beat Ontario 10-2 and Nova Scotia beat Northern Ontario 10-3. Alberta, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia, with a win this afternoon, are guaranteed at least a tie-breaker. Ontario and Northern Ontario need all three of those teams to lose to have a four- or five-way tie-breaker.

Tie-break to decide who plays Canada in semi  3/18/2010

Italy played themselves into a tie-break with a spectacular last shot 8-7 win over Canada in the final round robin draw. In a replay of yesterday's game against Korea, Canada had shot stone on the button, and Jim Armstrong's attempt at a guard slightly over-curled. But while the Korean skip over-threw his take-out sending the stone wide, Italian skip Tabanelli threw a controlled weight hit and stick to score the winning point.

The result didn't change Canada's position as they were already guaranteed first place. They will play either Italy or Sweden, the only two teams to have beaten Canada this week.

Ina Forrest, who led all seconds during round robin, sat out to give her sore shoulder a rest and Alberta's Bruno Yizek had an opportunity to play.

Italy earned a tie-break game against a resurgent Sweden, who saw off Germany 10-3. Jens Jager sat out to give his alternate a game. Marcus Sieger skipped.

Great Britain finished on a win, 10-4 over Japan, with Michael McCreadie sitting in favour of alternate Jim Sellar. It's been a very disappointing tournament for the all Scottish rink, and hopefully Michael will not have ended his curling career on the bench.

Switzerland lifted themselves from the foot of the table with a win over Norway 10-4.

The tie-break game is at 2pm Friday, with the semi-finals on Saturday at 10am and the medal games at 3.30pm

Canadian Nationals - Draw 7 3/18/2010

Saskatchewan beat Chris Sobkowicz's Manitoba despite being 5-0 down at the break. Single steals in the 6th and 7th and a steal of 2 in the 8th brought a mighty cheer from the Saskatchewan supporters glued to the upstairs lounge window. Saskatchewan 2nd Marie Wright shot a game best 58% to her province in the fourth playoff spot. With two draws to go tomorrow, when they will play Quebec and Ontario, they are looking good to at least claim a tie-break.

Leaders BC were completely befuddled by inconsistent Alberta who stole a 6-0 lead after 5 ends. They almost let BC back into the game in the 5th when with BC sitting one behind a pile of front stones, Alberta skip opted to hit the BC shot stone rather than give up the one with a guard. His shot promoted a second BC stone, Gerry Austgarden pushed another into the rings through the opened port and with BC sitting 3 and a stone to come, Alberta were looking ruin in the face.

But Smart's last rock draw was just wide and heavy enough to wick off a stone at the edge of the 12 and roll to the button for shot, and another steal.

Ontario, flush from their morning trophy victory, took 5 in the opening end and spent the rest of the game giving it back, losing 9-7.

N. Ontario gave Quebec an early 3 point lead then posted a four and a couple of steals in an 8-6 win. BC Host went off to a 5 point lead against Newfoundland and Labrador, and won 6-4.

The two BC teams are guaranteed a playoff spot, with Manitoba needing to win just one of their games to join them. Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec are the only teams mathematically eliminated from the playoffs.

For full scores and table go to our Nationals page.

Cameron wins John McCrae Trophy in battle of Ontarios 3/18/2010

A Canadian National Championship is a fine thing, but pride was at stake when Northern Ontario played Ontario, or Southern Ontario as the Ficek rink called them, for the John McCrae Trophy. This year Bruce Cameron's team repossessed it, winning 7-5 on the strength of a 4 spot just before the break.

BC continued their unbeaten cruise to the playoffs, 10-2 over slumping Newfoundland and Labrador. Alberta continued to disappoint their traveling fans, losing to a very serious and self-possessed Manitoba side 7-5.

Saskatchewan scored the last 9 points of the game, overcoming a 7-1 deficit to beat Nove Scotia, and BC Host, despite swapping 4 in the opening end, ran out easy winners over Quebec, 12-5

Canada and USA qualify for playoffs 3/17/2010

In a game that would decide who stood at the top of the table with one day of round robin play to go, Canada (7-1) beat Korea (5-3) by a somewhat flattering score of 6-4.

Canada's steal of one in the second, when a Korean attempted pick buried a Canadian stone on the button, was the difference until the final end. Canada had shot stone buried behind seven stones. Korea called time out. Their options were a fancy double run back, or throw a bomb onto the pile and see what happened.

Korea have the reputation for throwing big weight though they have succeeded by drawing when they had to. This time they chose the big weight option. and they managed to open a port to shot stone.

Jim Armstrong attempted to block it but his draw over-curled. A straight hit and stick by Korea would have left Canada with a tricky shot to save the game. But skip Haksung Kim, revved from his previous shot, over-threw when what was needed was a controlled weight take-out. The shot sailed wide and Canada could smile for the first time in the evening.

USA (6-2) lost a rock on a measurement in the second against Japan, but still posted a six and won 8-2. Italy ruined Norway's hopes of a playoff spot, despite throwing away a 7-2 lead in the eighth. They took 2 in the extra to win 9-7.

Korea, Sweden, Germany and Italy will play for the remaining playoff spots tomorrow. For tables and schedule see our Paralympics page.

Draw 5 Nationals - Team Canada alumni leading the way 3/17/2010

The teams with Team Canada players throwing last rocks remain at the top of the table as we pass half-way of the Canadian National Championships in Kelowna BC.

Quebec had a chance to upset unbeaten BC. They went into the 4th end break 2-1 ahead and in the 6th were lying 4 with skip stones to come. BC coach Al Moore, husband of TV curling pundit Linda Moore, was waving frantically at the upstairs window signalling for his team to call a time-out (rules state that time-outs can only be called on the ice). Gerry Austgarden's attempted draw was short of the front guards.

Quebec skip Ben Lessard attempted to throw a guard but hogged his stone, and Austgarden made no mistake with his final stone, coming into the rings for shot. Lessard attempted to hit it, but threw wide, giving up a steal and a lead that BC never surrendered. Final score 5-2, with BC stealing singles in each of the last 4 ends.

Alberta struggled for most of their match against the tournament's tough luck side, Nova Scotia. Jack Smart showed his lack of confidence in his draw weight when in the 4th he attempted a tap with half the house open. "It was a good choice, it was lined up," coach Tony Zummack said, though it resulted in a Nova Scotia steal.

Nova Scotia had taken one in the first and then stole the next four ends to go ahead 6-0. Alberta took their 4 points in the 6th when Smart played a tricky hit to promote 3 stones into scoring position. It was Alberta's one success as they came up on the short end of a 6-4 scoreline.

When Saskatchewan win they win big, 11-3 over Newfoundland and Labrador who have come back to earth with a bump after opening the competition with a 13-3 win.

BC Host relied on a 4 in the sixth to counter a series of singles by Ontario. Their 6-5 win keeps them tied with Manitoba, who beat N. Ontario 8-5, a game back of BC.

For full scores and table go to our Nationals page

Draw 4 Canadian Nationals BC keep rolling; Quebec get a win 3/17/2010

BC are showing the depth of their curling talent, posting their fourth win without their skip and lead from the two previous years. Mind you they do have Torino gold medalist Gerry Austgarden throwing last rocks and adding his experience to the game calling.

This morning they beat Nova Scotia 7-5 on the strength of a 4 in the 3rd. Nova Scotia pulled to within one with a steal of two in the 7th but could not repeat as BC took their single, and the game, in the final end.

Nova Scotia, after a first round walloping by Newfoundland and Labrador, have played tough, with a win over Gary Cormack's BC Host side, and narrow losses to BC and Manitoba, both very experienced sides.

Quebec were blown out in their first two games, but took Alberta to an extra end in Game 3 and this morning went one better. 5-4 over Newfoundland. A three in the 3rd helped in a game of singles.

BC Host beat Sakatchewan 9-5 and share second spot in the table with Manitoba, who stole 5 in the 2nd against Ontario and won 10-3.

N. Ontario beat Alberta 8-4, two steals of two making the difference.

For full scores and table go to our Nationals page

Canada back on top with 15-1 win over Switzerland 3/16/2010

Canada (5-1) weren't affected by less than 50% shooting from their skip as the rest of the team shot better than 70% in the 15-1 dismantling of Switzerland (2-4). A 5 just before the break started the rout and a 6 in the 6th ended it early.

Norway (3-3) beat Japan (2-4) 11-3 and Germany (3-3) stole a single in the 8th to edge Italy (2-4) 7-6.

In the evening draw USA (4-2) blew a chance to at least tie their game against Sweden in the eighth. Sitting one with skip stones to come, they chose to chase the Swedish 2nd shot stone that was on the edge of the 12, rather than coming anywhere full 12 to sit two. The stone flashed and Sweden hit shot stone to run USA out of rocks.

Sweden (3-3) have won three in a row; beating Norway, Canada and USA to work themselves very much back into contention. Promoting Glenn Ikonen to 4th stones appears to have worked, as skip Jalle Jungnell continues to struggle, but no longer with last rocks.

Great Britain (2-4) avoided a 5th defeat, beating Germany  9-2 and can still say they have a chance at a playoff spot. Korea (4-2) pulled level with USA and one game behind leaders Canada beating Italy 9-3, and Japan edged Switzerland (2-4) 6-5 in an extra end.

With three matches to play in the round robin, every team still has a chance of making the playoffs.

Line scores and tables on our Paralympics page

Day 2 - Canadian Nationals Draw 3  3/16/2010

Ontario (2-1) stole the first 4 points to go ahead of Newfoundland and Labrador (1-2) 5-3 at the break. Whatever it was they ate, it came back to bite Newfoundland as Ontario scored another 9 points for a 14-5 win.

BC (3-0) continued their unbeaten record. They stole 2 in the 4th to go ahead of Saskatchewan (1-2) 4-2 and gave up just a couple of singles in the second half while scoring 3 and winning 7-3.

BC Host (2-1) stole 2 in the 5th and 1 in the 6th to beat N. Ontario (1-2) 6-4. Third Mark Wherrett was the only N. Ontarian with better than 50% shooting, but he was bested by opposing 3rd Rich Green who shot 59% for the host team.

Quebec (0-3) finally found the rings and took an early 5-1 lead over Alberta (2-1) but gave back 5 in steals in the second half. They scored 3 to tie Alberta in the 8th but in the extra end without the hammer, conceded a single and lost 9-8.

Manitoba (2-1) with steals of two in ends 2 and 3 opened an early 5-0 lead over Nova Scotia (1-2) but a steal of 3 in the 5th brought the bluenosers level. They couldn't hang on though, dropping a 7-6 decision.

For line scores check our National Championship page.

Day 2 - Canadian Nationals - Draw 2  3/16/2010

Defending champions BC had all they could handle in their morning draw against the rookies from Ontario and the decisive play was with skip stones in the 8th end.

Ontario had hammer down one, and were sitting at least 3 with no obvious way into the house for BC. After a timeout, BC decided on a long run back, which though didn't threaten shot stones, did open a narrow port.

Ontario attempted to block it with a guard that was over-curled enough to widen the port, and Gerry Austgarden threw an up-weight hit on shot stone back 4. He had to stick and he did. Bruce Cameron attempted to follow him down to at least force an extra end, but was light and BC won 8-6.

Though his overall statistics were not impressive, Austgarden made key shots and saved the game. For Ontario, Doug Morris at 3rd threw an impressive 69% to set up his skip, but it came down to a single tough but makeable last rock that didn't reach its target.

BC are the only team to have won both their matches, while Quebec are still looking for their first win after being blanked by Manitoba 9-0.

In other games Nova Scotia beat BC Host 8-6, Alberta downed Saskatchewan 8-4 and N. Ontario brought Newfoundland and Labrador back to earth with a 10-1 win.

USA tied at top of table as Canada crash to Sweden 3/15/2010

It too an extra end after USA surrendered 3 in the 8th against Great Britain (1-4), but USA (4-1) pulled out an 8-7 win to tie Canada at the top of te table at the end of Day 3 at the Paralympic Games.

Canada (4-1) surrendered their unbeaten record in an 8-4 loss to Sweden. Read match report HERE. Norway stopped Korea's momentum, winning 9-6 and Germany lost to  Switzerland 9-3.

Michael McCreadie said after the team's 4th loss (to USA) "It can be a cruel game at times. Although we are losing the team dynamics remain strong. Aileen is an excellent last rock thrower. There's such a small margin between winning and losing, but we are still thinking playoffs if we can win the rest of the way. The ice was very swingy today, but we just have to adapt to the conditions."

Read article on McCreadie by Lyndon Little HERE

Heavy ice was also on Swedish skip Jalle Jungnell;s mind,though he pulled off wins over two favoured sides today (Norway and Canada). "We tried to play our normal game, "he said, "butwe've been struggling with the ice. It's so heavy."

That was a sentiment echoed by Norwegian skip Rune Lorentsen. “It’s tricky ice. I don’t know the feel of the rocks. We do the same things as other teams but our rocks don’t behave the same. It makes us a little unsure. [Against Sweden] we always play crappy matches. No good play and we were very nervous.”

Table leaders Canada and USA each play a single game tomorrow; Canada against Switzerland in the morning and USA against Sweden in the evening.

Full details of all the draws can be found by following the links on our front page.

Day 1 - Nationals - BC and Manitoba play an extra end 3/15/2010

Defending champions BC defeated Manitoba 7-6 in the opening game of the Canadian National Championships in Kelowna. We posted some notes on the blog as we watched the game. The ice grew steadily heavier until it was taking 11 second hog to hog to come just short of the rings.

The extra end saw an empty house as every stone fell short until Austgarden managed to get the last rock of the game through the pile and get it to stop just touching the rings back 12 to score the winning point.

The BC Host team skipped by Gary Cormack swapped singles with Alberta until a steal in ends 7 and 8 saw them pull ahead 6-3.

Saskatchewan landed a 5 on N. Ontario in the 6th en route to a 10-5 win. Newfoundland took 5 in the 1st against Nova Scotia and never looked back, winning 13-3, the same score Ontario, the one totally rookie squad posted against Quebec.

Full details of all the draws can be found by following the links on our front page.

BC vs Manitoba marquee matchup Day 1 of Canadian Nationals 3/15/2010

BC, the only provincial team to have won a Canadian National title, will open their defense against last year's bronze medalists Manitoba in the opening draw, 7.30 PM at the Kelowna CC.

Last year's BC skip, Jim Armstrong, is playing for his country in Vancouver so Torino gold medalist Gerry Austgarden will be throwing last rocks for the BC provincial champions. Frank LaBounty throws third with skip Whitney Warren at second and rookie Alison Duddy replacing Jackie Roy at lead. Austgarden is holding the broom the first two ends with Warren holding for 3rd and 4th stones.

"Everyone knows what they're doing, what their role is," LaBounty assured me at the players' reception last night.

Manitoba will be looking for the breakthrough that get's them into a final game. They have Chris Sobkowicz at skip, who made Team Canada at last year's Worlds at the expense of Austgarden and BC Host skip Gary Cormack. George Horning comes in at second replacing Michael Alberg.

Other machups: BC Host vs Alberta, Quebec vs Ontario, Newfoundland vs Nova Scotia, and N. Ontario vs Saskatchewan.

Tonight draw begins at 7.30 after the opening ceremonies. There will be two draws a day tomorrow through Friday at 9.30 and 2 pm.

Student reporter tells Team Canada stories 3/15/2010

Lisa Odland, a Students Live reporter, has posted the back stories of the Team Canada members on her West Coast Kid blog, including a short video interview with Sonja Gaudet. Read and watch it HERE.

Inside the head of Team USA skip Goose Perez  3/15/2010

Last season the rap on the American skip was that he was a talented thrower who was perhaps too much of a prima donna for the good of the team.

That seems to have changed this year as he has grown into his role and learned more about the game. The increasing role of no-nonsense Army vet Patrick McDonald in the team may also have had an influence.

It's certainly a more humble Perez who appears in this interview, which gives a good insight into what goes through his mind as he skips his team. Read it HERE.

Canada not distracted by Norway's pants  3/14/2010

Norway entered the ice wearing turquoise and white checkered pants that the late Payne Stewart would have been proud to wear at the 19th hole on a sunny day. They have always played Canada tough, and today was no exception as they went out to an early 3-0 lead after 3 ends and held a one point advantage with hammer going into the 8th.

Jim Armstrong threw a perfect guard with his first stone and then came around with his last stone to sit two. Norwegian skip Rune Lorentsen crashed on the guard to give Canada a 6-4 win. Match report HERE

Lindon Little's report in the Vancouver Sun suggests that Canada needed every bit of Jim's ice-reading experience to counter difficult ice conditions; heavy with huge late swing. Norway protested the result of a measurement, a protest that was denied after video review.

USA played Germany, the team that robbed them of a medal at last year's Worlds. Germany stole the first 4 points, but USA played patiently and scored singles in the last three ends to take the game 6-5. Match report HERE.

USA skip said: "I have nothing but praise for our team. In the second end we made some mistakes and missed an easy draw. But I said to the guys that we have to believe we can still make it, even though we were four points down. If we get steals of one or two, we'll be fine."

A disappointed Jens Jager bemoaned his last shot: "On my last takeout I was too slow. It was a good match and we had control. I was just too slow on the last one."

Korea beat Japan 7-5 and Italy brutalised Switzerland 13-4 in six ends in the other morning draws.

Switzerland didn't fare any better in the evening against Great Britain who finally posted a win, staying close through the break before stealing a key four points in the fifth end and winning 10-2.

Italy posted their second win of the day, 9-1 over a hapless Swedish side struggling to find their first win and the form that won silver against the same teams a year ago.

For full results and line scores visit our Vancouver Paralympics page.

The Canadian Nationals - who's going to win?  3/14/2010

Bookmark the 2010 Nationals page for results

The 2010 Canadian Nationals begin tomorrow with nine provincial and one host team making up the field.

Defending champions BC do not have Jim Armstrong or Jackie Roy, but have added Torino gold medalist Gerry Austgarden at 4th stones. BC's host team also figures to be stronger than previous hosts with another Torino Paralympian, Gary Cormack, at skip.

Ontario are the rookie team but went through the most challenging qualifying championship, and have also made an effort to travel as a team to gain competition experience. Skip Bruce Cameron has worked as hard as anyone to further the cause of wheelchair curling and beat tough opposition to get to Kelowna, but is untested in a long event

Alberta is also a team that traveled this season, competing in the Richmond Cashspiel. Anne Hibberd returns to the side after being unable to travel to last year's event. She replaces Bruno Yizek who is watching Team Canada from the bench.

Kenoran Wayne Ficek again defeated his Thunder Bay rivals and has had a year to build experience. Manitoba have one change this year, with George Horning replacing Michael Alberg.

Newfound and Labrador's Joanne MacDonald is the one female skip, moving from 3rd to take the place of Chris Daw, now commentating on Paralympic TV. Saskatchewan make one change, at alternate, and Nova Scotia have a new lead, Debbie Earle. Quebec brings two females in the squad that welcomes Ben Lessard back from injury.

So who will win? There has only ever been two winners of the Canadian National Championships; Team Canada through 2006 and then Team BC. Is this the year to see Manitoba step up? They looked unhappy at times last year and have a new coach this year. Alberta have the experience but Anne Hibberd has to show she can play third.

BC have experience despite their rookie lead. If they can work out whose team it is and what role each player has, they'll do well. And Northern Ontario have the fire to improve on the disappointment of last year's playoff loss.

Comments are open for who you think will make the playoffs.

Paralympics - Day 1  3/13/2010

By the end of the first day of competition, many of the questions that had invited speculation in the build-up to the Vancouver Paralympic Games seemed settled.

Jim Armstrong was not only fit to play, but his team avoided the shaky start that nearly cost them at last year's Worlds. They hammered Great Britain 9-2 in the opening draw, and then ran ahead of USA in the evening 8-2 at the break before closing out a 10-5 win to post a 2-0 record.

Great Britain had something to prove; that their delivery position experiment could pay dividends a year after a disastrous Worlds, and that the combination of Michael McCreadie skipping from 3rd while Aileen Neilson threw last rocks, could produce wins.

Their decisive loss to Canada and the narrower last end loss to Norway will not help their confidence, though it will have come at a good time for Norway who in Draw 1 threw away a 6-4 lead over Germany by giving up 6 in the 7th end of a 10-6 loss.

Sweden came in with a new coach, Tomas Nordin, and it was to be seen whether he could add the missing ingredient that might convert last year's solver medal into gold. They suffered a 7-6 loss to Switzerland in the early draw, then played Korea tight through 5 ends before falling apart, and suffering a total meltdown in the final end. Down 2, they threw 5 complete misses and left looking dejected, losing 8-4. It will take all Nordin's experience to rebuild  the smiles from the team who last year at least looked as though they were enjoying themselves.

USA, despite giving up two 3-enders stole a comfortable 9-6 win over Korea in the opening draw, and while it is never pleasant to give up a 4, and 4 more to consecutive steals playing Canada, who they beat in round robin play last year, they will probably feel their day was worthwhile, and their biggest hurdle behind them.

Germany played just one game and must feel, with their winning 6-spot, that their luck has carried over from their last shot at the 2009 Worlds. And in the battle of the unknowns, Japan, with 75 year old Takashi Hidai at second, beat Italy 9-6.

Canada play Norway in Draw 3 their only game on Day 2.

New to wheelchair curling? Watch this video  3/13/2010

BBC Sport has a series of videos introducing wheelchair curling and also the members of the wheelchair curling team.

Michael McCreadie, skip of Team Great Britain, was the only curler to be given the honour of carrying his nation's flag at the Opening Ceremonies of the Vancouver Paralympics.

In the video [see blog] he gives a full explanation of how wheelchair curling is played, ending with encouragement for people to come out and try the sport. There's lots of people who will help, he says, concluding:" Give me a call and I'll turn up also."

One interesting note from the video: they edited in the last rock thrown by Frank Duffy from the Torino Games, where Great Britain had an open hit to win gold. It starts at 2.00 into the video.

Other videos including video profiles of Team GB curlers, can be found HERE.

Team USA give lessons in Robson Square  3/12/2010

The coach and members of Team USA gave some lessons to on-lookers in Robson Square.

[from Inside Vancouver blog] Out on the Robson Square ice, members of the Team USA wheelchair curling squad were giving a demonstration and free lesson. Onlookers with disabilities made their way into the rink and formed a circle of wheelchairs around the American coach, who explained the basics of “rocks,” “houses” and keeping score. Watching the demonstration – with kids in wheelchairs and on crutches taking turns slinging 42-pound curling stones down the ice – I got a glimpse into a little of what Paralympic competition is about: inclusion, optimism and improvisation.

Information pages for Paralympics and Nationals  3/12/2010

I have created pages for the statistics of the matches played at the Vancouver Paralympics and the Kelowna Nationals.

I will attempt to update them at least daily. I will also write and link to news items as I have time. Those will likely appear first on the wheelchair curling blog.

There will be some coverage of wheelchair curling on Paralympic Sport TV where 2006 gold medal skip Chris Daw will be providing commentary. The CCA have announced they will be posting information on Team Canada on their website. They also have a space on their site for information from the Nationals.

The best way to keep in touch with what coverage may be available on this site and the blog, is to follow WheelChairCurl on Twitter.

Highland Wheelchair CC give-it-a-go in Inverness March 16 3/12/2010

Highland Wheelchair Curling Club are inviting wheelchair users and those with mobility impairments to a come and try event at Inverness Ice Centre on Tuesday 16th March between 1.30-3.30pm.

Those taking part will be given an introduction to the sport, a lesson on the ice, while also having a go at the Hot Shots competition, which is part of the Try Curling initiative that is being run this month by the Royal Caledonian Curling Club.

For further information, or to book a place at the event contact Mo Simpson, secretary of Highland Wheelchair Curling Club, on 01463 716227 or 0779 871 0404.

Gaudet and Armstrong make Macleans Top 10 3/12/2010

Team Canada lead Sonja Gaudet and skip Jim Armstrong make the Macleans.ca 10 Paralympians to watch.

Takashi Hidai, at 75 this year's oldest Paralympian  3/11/2010

[Information from the Tokyo Five blog]

Takashi Hidai plays 2nd for Japan and at 75 years old is not only the oldest person to ever join the Japanese Paralympics Team, but will be the oldest competitor at the Vancouver Games.

When he was 31 years old, he was working in Tokyo as an electrician on a construction site when a crane fell on him, paralyzing him from the waist down.

He credits the love of his wife and daughter (who was three years old at the time) with helping maintain his positive attitude after his tragedy.

He is an accomplished archer, traveling to England in 2005 to compete in the World Archery Championship.

“Being 70 years old (at the time), I was really surprised to make it to the World Championships!” he said.

About five years ago, an acquaintance who participated in a local Wheelchair Curling workshop suggested Mr. Hidai try curling. He doubted that he would be able to maneuver his wheelchair on ice at the age of seventy, let alone compete against people forty or fifty years younger than him, but now excels at it.

Takashi Hidai lost his daughter, whom he said constantly encouraged him with a smile, nineteen years ago from cancer. She was only 28 years old and had just became a mother.

He wishes she was still here to encourage him when he plays at the 2010 Paralympics in Canada next month.

"If I don’t have headache, I didn’t think hard enough" - Perez 3/11/2010

Team USA's Augusto 'Goose' Perez says he loves skipping. “It makes me think. If I don’t come off the ice with a headache, I didn’t think hard enough,” he told Grant Granger of the Abbotsford News. Read the article HERE.

The USA team trained at the Abbotsford CC at the invitation of Linda Kirton, who will be taking the oath on behalf of the officials at the Paralympic Opening Ceremony tomorrow evening.

Goose took (friendly) exception to my suggestion in the Paralympic preview that he loves the hero shot.

"If we end up wih a tough shot either because of misses or errors in game calling on my part, then i am ready to take responsibility. I have always avoided the hero shot which may win you games but not championships. The fact is that in the past by our own mistakes, probably mostly in errors of mine in calling the game, we have found ourselves in a spot to throw not the shot we wish but the one we had to. One thing is right, if it needs to be thrown i don't shy away if that's the only choice we see. Remember most heroes end up dead!"

Team Newfoundland & Labrador at RE/MAX Centre tonight  3/11/2010

Joanne MacDonald, the onlu female skipping a provincial team, will be demonstrating wheelchair curling at the RE/MAX Centre, home of the St. John's CC, this evening.

Aileen Neilson's Paralympic Diary  3/11/2010

Team Great Britain's Aileen Neilson, who throws 4th stones for skip Michael McCreadie, will be writing a diary for the East Kilbride News.

"It was quite a surreal moment, but this was when I knew I had arrived at the Paralympic Games.

Picking up my accreditation card for the Games was an amazing feeling and when I saw my name on that card with the Paralympic emblem on it, I knew I was ready to enjoy and savour every moment of my time in Vancouver."

Read the rest of the first instalment HERE. Great Britain play Canada in the opening draw this Saturday (March 13) and I know I'll be looking for that entry.

World Curling Federation media coverage of Paralympics 3/11/2010

The World Curling Federation will not have their media person at the Paralympics. Joanna Kelly, who took over from The Curling News' George Karys, is in Flims Switzerland covering the World Juniors. Dan Field will be the WCF media person in Vancouver.

Here's their Paralympic Preview media release.

Paralympic preview and predictions 3/10/2010

Play begins at the 2010 Paralympic Games on Saturday when host team Canada takes on the nine nations with the best record over the past three World Championships. Japan, mostly on the basis of a 5th place in 2007, replace China, late-comers to international play, in the one change from the ten teams who competed at the 2009 Worlds in the same venue.

Read my analysis of the teams and their prospects on the blog entry  HERE, where you can also view some photos and add your own predictions to the comments.

Your support does make a difference  3/10/2010

With the Paralympics and the Canadian Nationals almost upon us, I've had several emails asking what I will be doing for the benefit of those family and fans unable to attend the events.

Nothing's free, even if sometimes it feels that way. Had 10% of the regular readership donated $10 at some point this season, Cate and I would be going to Vancouver and giving you the insider perspective that comes from painstakingly building relationships with the coaches and players of all the countries, not just Canada.

So will we be covering the Nationals instead; after all they are taking place just down the road?

That would just be a couple of hundred hours of Cate and my time. What's that time worth to you?

If you'd like to express your appreciation for the past five years of the website, and the past two years of the blog, click on the Donation button on the front page to send a donation in any amount via Cate's PayPal account.

Armstrong hoping exposure will boost sport  3/9/2010

"We'll probably enjoy a bit of spinoff ... and get some exposure that otherwise might have taken years to get. And wheelchair curling is a very entertaining game, it truly is," Jim Armstrong told the Canadian Press.

Read the full interview HERE.

Armstrong wins Sport BC Harry Jerome Comeback award  3/8/2010

Sport BC today announced that Jim Armstrong, skip of the reigning World Champion and defending Paralympic Champion wheelchair curling team, has been awarded the Sport BC Harry Jerome Comeback award.

"Each year the recipient embodies the qualities that make sport so compelling,” said Rick Christiaanse, Executive Vice-President of Sport BC. "Jim Armstrong is no exception. Throughout his athletic career, Jim’s knowledge, sportsmanship and dedication to his sport have elevated the level of both able-bodied and wheelchair curling.”

“We are proud to present him with this award as a tribute to his journey.”

The award will be presented March 31, 2010 at the 44th Annual Sport BC Athlete of the Year Awards. Armstrong will be honoured for his long road back to amateur sport alongside 19 other athletes, coaches, and officials who represent BC’s best.

You can read full details of the announcement HERE.

Jim has known about the award for a couple of weeks, but asked me not to publicise it. "I'm hoping they'll wait till after the Paralympics," he told me, "so it won't be a distraction."

It may be a distraction, but it's certainly an honour.

Coverage of Paralympic wheelchair curling  3/8/2010

Last year at the 2009 Worlds, Cate and I live-blogged and reported every Canadian match. We were able to do that because the CCA helped with our expenses.

We had hoped to do something similar at the Paralympics, but despite approaching every possible source of funding, we were not able to cover accommodation and on-site costs. A couple of offers of accommodation did not materialise, so although we have media accreditation, it doesn't look as though we will be attending Canada's defence of their Paralympic gold medal.

The television consortium that covered the Olympics will be producing 25 hours of English language Paralympic programming, almost all devoted to sledge hockey and an evening highlight show.

As far as I know, the only live media coverage of wheelchair curling will be on Paralympic Sport TV

The schedule is on a pdf document at this link.

While it is personally disappointing not to be able to continue the work we bagan at last year's Worlds and take advantage of the relationships we established with athletes and coaches from all the teams, we can't force perceptions of value where they don't exist.

The website and blog have been around just long enough for the service they provide to be taken for granted. We have several thousand readers every week, and no income.

So it goes.

Jim Armstrong "his sport and what it's taught him about life" 3/8/2010

Canada skip Jim Armstrong tells the Vancouver Sun's Yvonne Zacharias: "Yeah, I'm crippled."

Q: What have you learned about yourself and life from this journey?

A: Everybody in the program has their own story. Some have had experiences most of us don't have to deal with in a lifetime. But the silver lining is everybody leaves their ego at the door. You have that common thread of how we got into that position of whatever disability it is. There is that common bond. It just makes everybody that much closer.

Read the interview HERE

Ina Forrest and Sonja Gaudet talk about the Paralympics  3/7/2010

Team Canada 2nd Ina Forrest tells The Vernon Morning Star these Games will mean so much more because her family will be there to watch her. She relished having that experience last year at worlds.

“It was fabulous to have your family attend and see what it is you do. It makes it that much more exciting for yourself.”

Lead Sonja Gaudet says “The experience I had in Torino is a benefit for me. Until I went there I didn’t know how I was going to react in those (big game) situations.

“I’m pretty good at that anyway, blocking out distraction and using distraction in a positive light. To me that’s all good.”

Read what else they had to say HERE

Toronto Star - There's no hard and fast rule for who can play  3/7/2010

Toronto Star reporter Daniel Girard re-works the "curling's healing power" storyline covering Jim Armstrong's re-emergence from the ashes of a career blighted by physical injury.

He also acknowledges controversy over how Jim gets around, "because, unlike most other wheelchair sports, curling's international governing body does not have a hard and fast rule for who qualifies."

WCF eligibility rules, or ambiguous written guidelines? You decide.

GB's McCreadie hints at retirement (again)  3/6/2010

Four years ago, just after Great Britain saw the gold medal they had been favourites to win, flash away with their last rock. skip Frank Duffy and 3rd Michael McCreadie announced their retirement from competitive wheelchair curling.

Frank did quit, but Michael, who'll be 64 on March 16th, soon re-stoked the competitive fires. Next week extends a Paralympic career that began in the pool 38 years ago in ago in Heidelberg, Germany, and continued with bowls, wheelchair basketball and now curling.

"It's good to know that talent is still there from way back then," he told The Press Association's Matt McGeehan.

"(Vancouver gold) would be one of the greatest achievements of my career and maybe a good time to say bye-bye."

Read the interview HERE.

Team Korea training in Mission, BC 3/4/2010

The high demand for ice time shunted the Korean team from their usual Richmond or New Westminster training sites, inland to Mission BC this week, prior to the team moving into the athlete's village over the weekend.

Moo Lee, a Canadian-Korean immigrant who has been helping Korean teams train and compete in Canada, told bclocalnews.com that the team was happy that not only were Missionites hospitable and friendly, but their ice is up to the quality that Olympians expect.

Watch USA train in Abbotsford March 9  3/4/2010

Team USA will again be using the Abbotsford Curling Club as a pre-competition training facility and will hold an open practice session on Tuesday March 9 from 9am till 2 pm with a short break for lunch.

"It's a big deal for our club," said Club Manager Tracy Sones, telling the Abbotsford News that the team had visited her club prior to the World Championships last February.

Canadian wheelchair curlers win Team Of The Year Award  3/3/2010

The Canadian wheelchair curling team was named Team Of The Year after winning the 2009 World Championship.

The True Sport Foundation's award was presented at the 37th Canadian Sports Awards, March 3rd in Toronto, recognising the country's top amateur athletes. The winners were chosen by an independent jury and were selected over the men’s IIHF world championship squad and the national women’s water polo team.

Ina Forrest, Chris Sobkowicz and Team Leader Wendy Morgan attended the luncheon.

Canada lead Sonja Gaudet to carry torch  3/3/2010

The Canadian Paralympic Committee has selected Team Canada lead Sonja Gaudet as one of 25 torch bearers to take part in the Paralympic Torch Relay for the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games.

"These individuals have been selected for their outstanding contribution to the Paralympic Movement.

"Sonia Gaudet is on the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic wheelchair curling team and is the only returning member of the Canadian team that struck gold in Torino, Italy when wheelchair curling made its debut at the 2006 Paralympic Games. Since Torino, she has continued in her winning ways by taking home a gold medal from the 2009 World Championships. She is an ambassador with the Rick Hansen Foundation, the Canadian Paralympic Committee, and VANOC, where she uses the power of sport and her experience of overcoming challenges to motivate and inspire people of all ages."

Click HERE for full list

Wheelchair curling "so much friendlier than regular curling" - Armstrong  3/3/2010

"Everybody is here after going through their own personal difficulties," Armstrong, who was a dentist but sounds like a fair psychologist, told The Vancouver Sun's Kent Gilchrist. "They've been through some of life's reality, and egos are checked at the door.

"It's so much friendlier than able-bodied curling."

Read the whole interview HERE.

The man behind Armstrong's re-emergence 3/2/2010

Canwest's Kent Gilchrist adds a twist to the now familiar story of Team Canada skip Jim Armstrong's return to the ice, suggesting Gerry Peckham, an old teammate and now CCA High Performance Director, will deserve a medal for recruiting Armstrong to the program.

"He may not be on the podium with Armstrong .. but he won't be far away with a block-wide grin pasted on his face. For Peckham, who hooked up with Armstrong to win back-to-back B.C. men's able-bodied titles in 1973 with Jack Tucker skipping and in '74 with Armstrong on the teeline, is as responsible as anyone for getting Armstrong out of his easy chair and into wheelchair curling."

Read the article HERE

When it was announced that Jim would join the training squad, initially as an on-ice consultant, Peckham expressed surprise that any Canadian would object. Two year's later Peckham can indeed take credit for persevering past initial eligibility doubts, and injecting 40+ years of experience at skip, in a sport not yet a decade old.

USA's Jimmy Joseph hoping for gold for daughter's birthday 3/2/2010

Jimmy Joseph told the Herkimer Evening Telegram the Paralympic final falls on his daughter’s third birthday. “Hopefully, I’ll be playing for a gold medal to bring her home as a present,” he said.

Read the full profile HERE

Learn to curl in Austin, Texas  3/2/2010

Last weekend's Learn to Curl session at the Chapparral Ice Center in Austin, Texas, brought out over 400 people, so the club is holding another session Sunday March 7th at 9.30 am.

“I think there’s potential here just to try a sport that really works for every age group or physical ability,” club member Janet Hunter told The Daily Texan. “We have people curling from age 8 to 80, even wheelchair curling.”

Read more about Austin’s Lone Star Curling Club.

Gary Cormack to talk about his Torino gold medal  3/1/2010

Gary Cormack, who played second for Team Canada 2005-2008 and won a gold medal at the 2006 Torino Paralympics, is giving a talk about his journey to the podium.

The multimedia presentation for the whole family is at the Surrey (BC) Museum on Saturday, March 6 from 1-2 p.m. Details HERE.

Cormack was drafted into the Chris Daw led team in 2005 when Ontario's Bruce McAninch left the program. In addition to his Paralympic medal he won a Canadian national title with Team Canada in 2006, and also participated in the 2007 and 2008 World Championships.

He will skip the 2010 BC Hosts team at the Canadian Nationals in Kelowna BC starting March 15th.

BBC Sport introduces GB's professional wheelchair curlers 2/27/2010

The BBC sent a reporter to Stirling to watch Team GB prepare for the Paralympics. As he mentions, curling is the winter Olympic sport that captures the attention of the British public, and after the struggles of the GB Olympic teams, the pressure will be on the McCreadie rink, described as professional wheelchair curlers.

You can watch the video HERE

In the video you can see them delivering from in front of the hack as opposed to near the hogline. WCF rules say that the stone at delivery played from between the hack and the top of the rings, must touch the centre line. Stones played between the top of the rings and the hogline can be up to (approx.) 6 inches from centre, the outer edge of the stone within 18 inches of the centre line.

GB's McCreadie "quietly confident of gold" 2/26/2010

Team Great Britain skip Michael McCreadie told reporters assembled at the team send off celebration at their teams home ice at Braehead: said, “We’re quietly confident of bringing home the gold medals.”

Bob Cowan reports Michael saying: "If we play at our best we will be a real handful for any country in the world .... The GB Paralympic teams work just as hard all year round and prepare for our winter games just as much as the competitors who are presently out in Vancouver for the Winter Olympics.”

You can read the rest of Bob's report HERE.

Also a report from the Paisley Express.

Though the GB team, all Scots, have as much experience and as many medals as any team in the world, for the past two years they've been undertaking what Tom Pendreigh their coach calls a "skill acquisition project." This has included throwing from the top of the rings rather than the near hogline.

Pendreigh expressed surprise when I contacted him last week at the skepticism his project has provoked from those outside his program. He's certain of its advantages and feels his team has overcome "expected and managed" performance dips in the run up to the Paralympics.

GB plays Canada in the first draw, and a good result will give McCreadie, who is still inexperienced at skip, all the confidence he needs to reach the podium.

Wheelchair curling coming to New Brunswick  2/22/2010

The Canadian Paraplegic Association of New Brunswick are working with the Fredericton Curling Club to introduce wheelchair curling to the province.

"Several of our clients said, 'What about wheelchair curling?' New Brunswick and P.E.I. are the only provinces in Canada that haven't fielded wheelchair curling teams to the national championships. Our clients were saying it would be nice to formally introduce it in New Brunswick," the CPA's Haley Flaro told The Daily Gleaner.

"When the Fredericton Curling Club moved into the coliseum, we now had a relatively accessible rink. That was an opportunity to try and get something going."

The give-it-a-go day is Saturday February 27.

Read the article for more information

Team GB putting on a demo Feb 24 at East Kilbride  2/22/2010

Team Britain will demonstrate their sport at the East Kilbride Ice Rink, East Kilbride centre, on Wednesday 24 February, 12noon-1.00pm.

CLICK HERE for details.

Lessard sees off Victoria CC challenge at Quebec Provincial  2/21/2010

Benoit Lessard skipped his Lennoxville CC team to a sweep of the challengers from the Victoria CC in Quebec City. He won the third match of the best of 5 series 11-4, settling down after going behind 4-0 on steals in the first two ends.

The big end was again the downfall for Jean-François Sylvestre, who allowed a steal of 5 in the 4th.

Lessard   0 0 1 5 1 2 2 X - 11
Sylvestre 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 X - 4

The Quebec champions round out the ten teams that will contest the Canadian Nationals in Kelowna BC, March 15-21. It will be their second appearance, after going a very respectable 3-6 in their rookie year.

Team GB enter and win Scottish Championships 2/21/2010

Team Great Britain, all Scots, were one of ten teams competing in this weekend's Scottish Championship at Aberdeen. They went unbeaten, stealing in the 5th and 6th to take the final 7-2 against Jim Elliot. (thanks Bob Cowan)

Full results are HERE

It was never a possibility that Team Canada would compete in a national championship prior to the Paralympics, though Jim Armstrong, before his latest injury, had told me he was open to competing in his provincial championship had not the Nationals been forced to schedule at the same time as the Paralympics.

Hosts Team Lessard 2-0 in best of 5 Quebec Provincial 2/20/2010

Ben Lessard led his Lennoxville CC rink to a 2 game lead in their best of 5 series against Jean-François Sylvestre of the Victoria CC in Quebec City.

The Lennoxville team has only been curling for a couple of seasons, but that experience showed in comfortable 16-4 and 11-2 wins over the rookie visitors.

"The difference for our team was in not giving up big ends," explained assistant coach Dan Janidlo. "The second game was close until we scored 4 in the 7th."

Teams: Lennoxville - Benoit Lessard (skip), Carl Marquis (3rd), Denis Grenier (2nd) and Johanne Daly (lead) with Nicole Huberdeau (5th), coach Alfred Whittier assisted by Dan Janidlo.

Victoria CC - Jean-François Sylvestre (skip), Michel Verreault (3rd), Allan Burridge (2nd), France Sévigny (lead) with Maxime Aubé (5th), and coachesJacques Palasse, Pierre Morneau and Jacques Deschênes.

Championship information can be found HERE

Ottawa's Cameron wins Dominion Ontario Championship    2/20/2010

Bruce Cameron's rink curling out of the RA Curling Club brought Ottawa its first provincial title when he beat three time champion Chris Rees from Toronto 8-3 in the final of the Dominion Ontario Championship.

Cameron lost his third to surgery just before the event but steered his side back from a 3-1 deficit after 2 ends to post four steals in an 8-3 victory.

Cameron 1 0 1 1 1 2 2 X 8
Rees 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 X 3

His win doubles the number of rookies (8 excluding alternates) slated to appear at the Nationals in Kelowna BC, March 15-21, with the final team, Quebec, to be decided tomorrow.

Full championship details can be found HERE

Quebec holds first Provincial Championship  2/19/2010

Wheelchair curling in Quebec began at the Lennoxville CC where Al Whittier, assisted by Daniel Janidlo moulded a group of established athletes accomplished in other disciplines into a team that represented their province for the first time in 2009.

This year a late challenge from Qubec City has meant that there will be a Quebec provincial championship with the winner earning their passage to the 2010 Nationals in Kelowna March 15-21.

The best of five matches series is scheduled for this weekend in Lennoxville. Games times are Saturday February 20, 1pm and 4pm, and Sunday 21st at 9am and if necessary noon and 3pm.

Rees crushes Gregory's hopes of repeat Ontario title  2/19/2010

3-time Ontario champion Chris Rees (Toronto) booked his place in the final of the 2010 Dominion Ontario Provincials by beating defending champion Ken Gregory (Bradford) 10-1 in the semi-final. Gregory, who had relied on a last end 4 in the morning's last round robin draw to squeak into afternoon play, had no answer for Rees, who took 2 in the first and then stole to 9-0 lead after 5 ends.

The Rees rink, with Carl Bax (3rd) Dal Wrigley (2nd) and Shauna Petrie will hope to revenge an extra end round robin defeat, when they meet Ottawa's Bruce Cameron in Saturday morning's final - 10.30 am at the Collingwood CC.

The semi-final loss will disappoint a team that had travelled to Utica for the US Open (as did Bruce Cameron) to gain competition experience. Frank Cannarella (3rd) will also lose his record of appearing in every national championship, an achievement he shared with 2010 Team BC skip Whitney Warren.

Lines scores can be found HERE

Final end 4 puts Gregory in Ontario semi-final  2/19/2010

For most of the game it looked like defending Ontario champion Ken Gregory would become entangled in a three-way tie of 1-3 teams for third place in the Dominion Ontario Provincials at the Collingwood CC this morning.

Down 5-3 after 6, he gave up a steal in 7 but then posted 4 in the final end to give Ottawa's Bruce Cameron his first defeat 7-6. He closed with a 2-2 record, good enough for this afternoon's 2 vs 3 semi-final against Toronto's Chris Rees who beat Richard Fraser 9-4 to finish 3-1.

Cameron (3-1) went straight through to Saturday's final having stolen a 9-8 win over Rees in round robin play.

Final camp and exhibition matches for Team Canada  2/18/2010

Team Canada have their final training camp this weekend at the Richmond CC.

Their last tournament game was in December, but they have brought invitees like Alberta's Jack Smart and Manitoba's Chris Sobkowicz into camp to play alongside Jackie Roy and Bruno Yizek for practice sessions. Last weekend they won 2 of 3 three matches against Whitney Warren's Team BC.

This weekend I am told the Richmond CC has arranged games for Friday and Saturday though I do not have details. The team will attend Friday evening's Olympic women's draw.

for those looking for team news I have this from Team Leader Wendy Morgan:

Team Canada is very excited about the upcoming Paralympic Games in our home country!

We do not feel pressure to compete in Canada, we welcome that opportunity as a rare privilege!

'Home field advantage' for us, will be having family and friends to share this experience with...to celebrate the wins, have comfort after losses and live support in the stands.

Team Canada has been focused on team building, refining strategies, enhancing communication skills and technical tweaking for the last 2 months.

We have had several practice games at our 2 January camps and our final camp this weekend, in Richmond, will focus on final details of competition and event readiness.

We recognize the presence of expectations...that is the reality of sport at the highest level. The roster of countries and players competing in 2010 is one of experience, talent, and this 2010 field is very level.

Team Canada is healthy, anxious to play and most eager to put the Maple Leaf on our backs!

Our primary goal is make the playoff round. Our focus however is one game at a time.

We look forward to cheering on our Ladies and Men's Olympic teams this week in Vancouver.

Go Canada Go!

I also had a lengthy and less general conversation with Coach Rea that I will use in a future post.

Ottawa's Cameron through to Dominion Provincial final  2/18/2010

Bruce Cameron's Ottawa rink rolled to a third victory on Day 2 of the Dominion Ontario Provincials at the Collingwood CC. beating Tpronto's Chris Rees 9-8 on a steal in an extra end. At 3-0 he is assured of a first place finish in the 5 team round robin, and will go straight through to the final.

Bradbury's defending champion Gregory lost to 2008 champion Rees 7-5 in the morning draw but registered his first win in the afternoon, beating Iderton's Claus 11-3. Claus beat Ottawa's Fraser in the other morning game; his team's first ever competitive win.

Cameron plays Gregory in the final round robin draw with Gregory needing a win to assure at least a tie-break. If Rees beats Fraser he'll go into the 2 vs 3 semi-final. If Fraser and Gregory win tomorrow, there will be a three way tie for second. If Cameron and Rees win there's a 3 way tie for third. If Rees and Gregory win they'll face off again in the semi-final.

Tomorrow
Cameron vs Gregory
Rees vs Fraser

Standings after 4 draws
Cameron 3-0
Rees 2-1
Fraser 1-2
Gregory 1-2
Claus 1-3

You can find line scores HERE

Cameron takes early lead at Dominion Ontario Provincials  2/17/2010

Bruce Cameron's Ottawa rink won both their games on the opening day of the Dominion Ontario Wheelchair Curling Championships at the Collingwood CC. Cameron, out of the RA Curling Club beat fellow Ottawan Richard Fraser from the North Greenville CC 9-6 in the morning draw despite giving up a steal of 4 in the 3rd. In the afternoon Cameron posted a 14-1 win over Iderton's Lance Claus

Cameron's rink suffered a blow when their third, Doug Morris. underwent a scheduled back surgery yesterday. Jamie Eddy moved from second, replaced by rookie Andre Beaudin, who has been practicing with Team Cameron all season.
Eddy is in his fourth season of curling and the second on Team Cameron. He represented Canada at sledge hockey in the Lillihammer and Nagano Paralympics. He is legally blind and uses binoculars and a CCA approved guide light to assist his accuracy.
Defending champion Ken Gregory lost his opening draw to Fraser 10-9, after going behind by 6 after two ends. Fraser took 2 with hammer in the eighth for the victory.

In the day's other game, Toronto's Chris Rees, the 2008 champion, beat Claus 13-2.

You can find team members and line scores HERE

it would take a gun to keep me out of the line-up now! - Armstrong 2/16/2010

Want the definitive word on Jim Armstrong's injury status? The message is the same as already described on the blog, but here it is, as requested, from Jim himself.

Hi, Eric:

Thanks for inquiring about my health again. As we had discussed a few weeks ago, I certainly did aggravate my surgerized left shoulder. Ironically, I strained it lifting a box, because the shoulder was actually feeling good enough, I actually forgot to be as careful as I should. I had it medically assessed, and, given the time frame, further surgical repair, even if needed, would be impractical, and would certainly have taken me out of the Paralympics.

Fortunately, our Program now has on staff a tremendous physiotherapist, Paige Larson. Paige has huge professional experience providing treatment for Team Canada at a number of Olympic and Paralympic Games. I have been getting treatment regularly, every two or three days, and I am certainly improving week to week.

As you have indicated, I am struggling with everyday mobility, but it is now more of an inconvenience than a threat to my ability to play. I know it still looks worse than it is, since my neck tends to accommodate for the shoulder tenderness, and I am now dealing with neck stiffness.

The entire team and staff are ready to rock, and it would take a gun to keep me out of the line-up now!

All the best, and keep up the good work, Eric.

When I mentioned Jim's health to national team coach Joe Rae earlier today, he said; "I'll shoot him if I catch him lifting heavy boxes again before the Paralympics."

Had the team prepared for the possibility of Jim's absence? "We have prepared for all eventualities, for the absence of any of our players. And no, I'm not going to say what those plans are."

If I were Joe, neither would I.

Team Gregory looking beyond 2010  2/12/2010

Katie Paialunga, who plays second on Ken Gregory's Bradford based Ontario championship team, admits to looking beyond 2010, to the 2011 Nationals where she hopes the winner will be declared Team Canada, breaking the current selection process.

“We’d like to win the provincial this year,” Paialunga trold Dan Plouffe of the Orléans Star. “However, it’s not our overall goal.”

The next goal for the Gregory rink is to win a national title in 2011, which would then lead to an appearance in the world championships. After being passed over in favour of British Columbia-based individuals to represent Canada at the 2010 Paralympics, the long-term goal Paialunga holds is to compete in the 2014 Paralympic Games in Sochi, Russia.

“We’ve got another four years to get working on being the best team,” she added.

Now she just has to help her team past four other competitors in Ontario's Dominion Provincial Championships at Collingwood CC February 17-20.

Top secret biomechanical research aids TC shooting accuracy  2/12/2010

Team Canada's wheelchair curlers have been part of a top secret research program out of the University of Alberta that has been analysing and subsequently fine tuning delivery motions using computer analysis of high speed photography.

Phys. Ed. lecturer Pierre Baudin said that the research on wheelchair curling was significant because it had not been explored before.

“Probably the biggest impact we had was on the wheelchair curlers. Nobody had ever done research on wheelchair curlers before and so we were starting from scratch there and a lot of the things they were doing were biomechanically incorrect [...] we changed a number of things for all the curlers.”

Read the article HERE

There's a lot that goes into a successfully thrown stone and certainly a biomechanically efficient delivery is an important element. But so too are being disciplined about where you place the stone, and the chair in relation to the stone, and the broom in relation to the chair and the stone, in addition to being able to regulate the speed of the throw when contact with the stone is measured in fractions of a second.

Working out what motions best accommodate a particular wheelchair users muscle set can help, and if the analysis breeds confidence, so much the better.

Armstrong injury update  2/12/2010

Several people have mentioned to me that from their observation, Team Canada skip Jim Armstrong is carrying the injury to his non-throwing shoulder with obvious discomfort. While there has been no official comment from the team, my understanding is that the injury is uncomfortable, and does affect his mobility, but is not expected to be an issue as far as playing is concerned.

Jim is fortunate in that he can use his legs in addition to or in place of his non-throwing arm, to brace his delivery.

Experienced users of manual wheelchairs know what a strain is placed on shoulders. Throwing rocks from a chair compounds that strain. So it is no great surprise that Jim, with body already worn from decades of sweeping, may be feeling pain, particularly if he felt the need to play catch-up in training after being inactive after last year's shoulder surgery and car accident.

Though Canada would prefer a fully fit Armstrong throwing fourth stones, his major contribution to the team is not the ability to throw takeout weight. Were his injury to worsen, they could easily let him skip from lead. Were that to happen though, would they just move Sonja, Ina and Darryl up the order, or would they bring in Bruno at third and sit Sonja?

And who would skip were Jim not able to play? Canadians, especially the coaches, hope these questions will never need answers, but what would you do?

Canada's only female skip bringing her team to Halifax  2/8/2010

Newfoundland & Labrador's provincial team will play a series of exhibition games at the Halifax CC this weekend, February 13-14, against Team Nova Scotia. Both teams finished at 3-6 at last year's Nationals in Nova Scotia.

Newfoundland & Labrador lost their skip when Chris Daw relocated to Vancouver, so Joanne MacDonald steps up from 3rd and will become the first woman to skip a provincial side. Darlene Jackman, Lanie Woodfine and Felix Green all return from last year's rookie provincial squad.

Team Nova Scotia have added Debbie Earle to last year's team, and the exhibitions will be their first opportunity to compete as a provincial unit.

Games are at 9am and 1pm on February 13th, and 11am and 3.30pm on the 14th.

Team Canada finalists for True Sport Foundation's Team of the Year 2/7/2010

Team Canada are one of three finalists for the True Sport Foundation's award of Team of the Year, to be presented at the 37th Canadian Sports Awards, March 3rd in Toronto.

They are up against the men’s IIHF world championship squad and the national women’s water polo team.

“The annual Canadian Sport Awards is the ideal time to honour our amateur athletes,” said Victor Lachance, executive director of the True Sport Foundation. “It will be a great way to cap off the thrill of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics and get revved up for the Paralympic Games.”

Read the press release here.

Meet the new champs, same as the old champs   2/7/2010

It was deja vu all over again in Edmonton and Kenora as Jack Smart and Wayne Ficek successfully defended their Provincial titles.

Smart's Calgary rink, with Anne Hibberd and Bridget Wilson maintaining their record of making every Alberta provincial team, beat Edmonton's Cliff Nuspl 11-2, completing a tournament where they averaged 8 point winning margins in their 5 games.

It was a much tighter affair in Kenora, where local favourite Ficek faced Thunder Bay's Carl Levesque, 7-4 winner over Dawid in Saturday's semi-final. It was a back and forth game with Levesque stealing an early lead but being held to a single with hammer in the 8th, forcing an extra end.

In the extra the play was in the four foot with Ficek second Chester Draper drawing to the top of the 4, and Thunder Bay's Ron Brunelle playing a tap back. Ficek 3rd Mark Wherrett drew to the four foot but Levesque, facing two, put his last rock in the four foot just behind the t-line to sit shot.

Ficek, with his last rock, drew down to it to win by a measurement. Final score 7-6.

Ficek    0 0 2 0 3 0 1 0 1 - 7
Levesque 1 1 0 1 0 2 0 1 0 - 6

Alberta and N. Ontario Provincials Day 2  2/6/2010

In Edmonton, Jack Smart finished round robin play with a 13-3 defeat of Edmonton's Donaldson in just 6 ends at the Alberta Provincials. Nuspal beat Keith 12-3 in 7 ends setting up an all Calgary (Smart and Keith) and all Edmonton (Donaldson and Nuspl) semi-final.

Both semi-finals ended in early 6th end handshakes, as Smart beat Keith 14-1 and Nuspl beat Donaldson 9-1, setting up a north vs. south final, 12.30pm at the Jasper Place CC.

In Kenora, Wayne Ficek beat Richard Dawid 6-3 to advance to Sunday's N. Ontario provincial final against the winner of the Levesque/Dawid semi-final. Results will be posted HERE.

Alberta and N. Ontario Championships underway  2/5/2010

Current champion Wayne Ficek took 6 in the 3rd end of a 9-3 victory playing Thunder Bay's Carl Levesque on home ice in the opening draw of the Shoppers Home Healthcare 2010 N. Ontario Championship at the Kenora CC.

Levesque had a chance to get back on track in the evening draw, facing fellow Fort William curler Richard Dawid. Steals in end 3, 4 and 5 saw him cruise to a comfortable 11-2 win.

Results will be posted HERE.

Teams
Wayne Ficek - Skip, Mark Wherrett 3rd, Chester Draper 2nd, Cindy Hoffstrom & Denise Miault alternate at lead, Tom Wherrett - Coach

Carl Levesque - Skip, Ron Brunelle 3rd, Rick Bell 2nd, Sharon LaFroye - lead, David Kawahara - Coach

Richard Dawid - Skip, Gino Sonego 3rd, Terry Lynch 2nd, Linda Kontunen - lead, Mike Bergquist - Coach


In the Alberta Championship at the Jasper Place CC, Edmonton, defending champion Jack Smart beat Edmonton's Nuspl 8-3 in the opening draw, and fellow Calgarian Keith was doubled up by Edmonton's Donaldson 7-14.

In Draw 2 it was Smart over Keith 14-2 and Nuspl over Donaldson 8-4.

Calgary
Jack Smart - Skip, Anne Hibberd 3rd, Martin Purvis 2nd. Bridget Wilson - Lead
Tony Zummack - Coach

Dale Keith - Skip, Bruce Matthews 3rd, Ron Pawlyk 2nd, Wanda Pizzinato - Lead, Curtis Junor - Alternate, Glen Brunelle - Coach

Edmonton
Cliff Nuspl - Skip, Warren Fleury 3rd, Mike McMullan 2nd, Shawna Walsh - Lead,
Romeo Johnson - Alternate, David Jerke - Coach

Don Donaldson - Skip, Doug MacEachern 3rd, Don Munroe 2nd, Bonna Gerlitz - Lead, Marie Laframboise - Alternate, Wanda Crawford - Coach

Championship weekend for Alberta and N. Ontario 2/4/2010

Two teams from Calgary will travel to Edmonton's Jasper Place CC to challenge two Edmonton teams for Alberta's Provincial Championship. Jack Smart's Calgary champions make one forced change. Last year's 5th, Martin Purvis, replaces Bruno Yizek who'll be on Team Canada duty during the Nationals. They'll play with the confidence of knowing that they have represented their province at every national championship, coming within a whisker of gold in 2009.

The second Calgary team has Dale Keith at skip, Bruce Matthews at third, with rookies Ron Pawlyk at second, Wanda Pizzinato at lead and Curtis Junor as the alternate.

This will be Keith's third appearance at the Provincial Championship, his first as Skip. Matthews is also making his third appearance at this event. The team is Coached by Glen Brunelle, Coordinator of the Calgary Wheelchair Curling Association.

The Shoppers Home Healthcare 2010 N. Ontario Championship sees 2009 champion Wayne Ficek fielding an unchanged team, as his Kenora club hosts Thunder Bay rivals Carl Levesque and Richard Dawid from the Fort William CC. These three teams have just returned from the Ontario Parasport Winter Games, where Levesque took silver and Ficek took bronze.

Team USA works with non-profits to boost adaptive curling  2/3/2010

Team USA is based at the Utica CC and works closely with SITRIN (Success Through Adaptive Recreation and Sports) which has joined forces with The Central Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and United Cerebral Palsey to raise funds to enable all their patients curl.

USA Team Leader Marc DePerno, a SITRIN employee, told the Utica Daily News curling has become a competitive sport for some, but it's also a fun and dynamic rehabilitation tool.

"First and foremost," DePerno said, "it's about collaboration -- friendships, getting out and about; adaptive sports provide an avenue for you to improve your quality of life and self esteem, and make friendships. It's a chance to excel in an area of life you didnt realize you could, and when a person comes to try it, they usually get hooked."

Physically, adaptive curling is excellent, too, DePerno said.

"The great thing is, it does not require as much physical mobility as other adaptive sports," DePerno pointed out. "Curling basically opens the door to a whole other area of disabilities."

Read the whole article.

USA's McDonald has another chance to represent his country 2/3/2010

Californian Patrick McDonald, the only Team USA curler not competing out of the Utica CC, is profiled HERE.

What’s the coolest thing about being a Paralympian?

“I get to represent our country again,” says the patriot, who served as a Cavalry Scout 19 Delta from 1989 to 1992.

Karen Blachford named as 2010 RBC Olympian  2/3/2010

Karen Blachford, a member of the original Team Canada and who retired from the national squad after winning a gold medal at the 2006 Torino Paralympics, has been chosen by the Royal Bank of Canada to be a 2010 Olympian.

Their website description of the program: "The RBC Olympians program hires both Canadian Olympic and Paralympic athletes as community ambassadors who bring Olympic messages of excellence and leadership to Canadian communities.

Athletes are provided with the opportunity to gain valuable skills that will help them prepare for life after sport, while also receiving much-needed funding to help them realize their Olympic and Paralympic dreams."

CLICK HERE for details of her citation.

Whitney Warren skips to BC provincial title  1/31/2010

Prince George's Whitney Warren, one of only two players to have appeared in every National Championship, will this year skip the defending national champions on home ice. His team of Frank LaBounty (3rd), Gerry Austgarden and rookie lead Allison Duddy beat Gary Cormack 7-1 in the final of the three team championship.

Cormack, with Rich Green, Vince Miele and Corrine Jensen blanked the first three ends before taking their single point at the half-time break. Warren scored two in the fifth, stole one in the sixth and made it handshake time with a steal of four in the seventh.

Both teams will compete in Kelowna at the Nationals, March 15-21, with Cormack's team playing as BC Hosts to round out a ten team field.

It is worth noting that both Warren and LaBounty are quads who use power chairs. They have also won gold at the previous three national championships, twice with Jim Armstrong at skip and in 2007 with Darryl Neighbour skipping.

Full provincial championship details HERE

Norway complete sweep in Perth  1/31/2010

Norway finished the final pre-Paralympic tournament with a six game sweep against major opposition in Perth, Scotland. The beat Great Britain, Sweden, Germany and Switzerland and two Scots development teams.

The final table is HERE.

Though Norway's new coach Per Christensen has not officially announced his Paralympic team, it appears from Bob Cowan's photos of the event that the team may be the one that competed at the 2009 Worlds.

Cormack advances to final of BC provincial 1/30/2010

Paralympian gold medalist Gary Cormack's CVCG Avengers, with Rich Green (3rd) Vince Miele and Corrine Jensen advance to the final of the BC Provincials after beating Whitney Warren and Cyril Kinatkin in the three game round robin.

Whitney, with fellow multiple National Champion teammate Frank LaBounty (3rd), Torino gold medalist Gerry Austgarden and rookie Allison Duddy will face Cyril Kinatkin in a semi-final.

The semi-final is at 10am and the final at 2pm Sunday January 31. The losing finalist will become the BC Host Team.

Results can be found here.

Team Canada coach Joe Rea talks to his hometown paper   1/30/2010

Team Canada coach Joe Rea tells Jason Peters of the Prince George Citizen that coaching the national team has fulfilled the dream of wearing a Team Canada jacket that eluded him as a player.


"To have this opportunity to go to a Paralympics in your own country and represent your country is the biggest honour I'll ever have," he said.

Read the interview HERE.

Norway pull ahead of strong Paralympic field  1/30/2010

Norway posted two more wins against Paralympic contenders on the second day of competition at Perth, Scotland. The defeated Sweden 6-4 and Gemany 7-6. They also beat Scotland I 6-4 to end the day 5-0, two games ahead of Great Britain (3-0).

Results can be found HERE.

Norway start strong at season's last pre-Paralympic spiel 1/29/2010

Five national teams and a couple of Scottish development squads are competing at the Dewar's Centre in Perth, playing alongside teams competing for the Scottish Ladies' Championship.

Norway started well, beating Scotland II  9-7 and then Great Britain 6-4. Their coach, Per Christensen, who has yet to officially announce his Paralympic side, had said he didn't want his team to peak too early and Norways performances too date have been patchy. But they have been the side that Canada has found difficult to beat when it mattered.

Great Britain straddled their loss with comfortable wins over Scotland I and Scotland II, with Aileen Neilson reportedly throwing fourth stones.

In other matches, Sweden beat Switzerland 6-3 while Scotland I overcame Scotland II 6-4.  Results can be found HERE.

Using the Paralympics to publicise the sport  1/28/2010

Team GB third Aileen Neilson gave an extended interview to Paul Thomson of the East Kilbride News. She talks about her life before her disability, how she came into wheelchair curling, how she has prepared for Vancouver and her hopes for success.

Scots curlers, who make up the Great Britain team, are generously financed by the government and appear to see publicity as part of their responsibility to the sport. I have recently linked to articles mentioning every member of their team.

Team USA also feature regularly in the press and media, as the USA curling authorities understand that the national team is their best advertisement for increasing participation. Again I have linked to articles on all the team.

Canada has instituted a pre-Paralympics media protocol explicitly discouraging informal press (including me) contact with team members, and insisting that all requests for interviews be cleared with a "media liason officer." Standard procedure. apparently, but just one reason why you'll find so little information about the team on this blog, or read mainstream media stories covering anything other than Jim Armstrong's phoenix-like rise from the ashes of a ruined able-bodied curling career.

Team Canada, also funded by public money, should be doing everything in their power to court publicity, realising that often means not only going out of their way to contact media with stories, but supplying journalists, notoriously lazy, with material.

Instead they issue no press releases, or invitations to watch the team prepare. They don't train in different locales while inviting local curlers to interact with the team, which would attract local TV.

You can call it necessary focus, and claim that gold in Vancouver wipes away all objections, but making a two year campaign solely about winning a gold medal puts everything in just one basket, and we can only hope it's a sturdy one.

To be successful a sport has to make its audience care about the participants. If all Canadians are asked to care about is a gold medal, then it's a disaster getting anything less. But more, once the competition is over, people will stop caring, and that's no way to nuture a sport and provide for the future.

USA skip in "I compete clean" TV anti-doping campaign  1/28/2010

Team USA skip Augusto Perez, and his photogenic family, are part of the US Anti-Doping Agency's latest media campaign. See blog for video.

Premier championnat provincial de curling en fauteuil roulant 

Curling Québec est fier d’annoncer la tenue de son premier championnat provincial de curling en fauteuil roulant qui sera présenté les 20 et 21 février prochain sur les glaces du club de curling Lennoxville, dans la région de l’Estrie.

Le directeur général de Curling Québec ne cache pas son enthousiasme face à cette annonce : « Nous sommes particulièrement excités d’assister à ce moment historique du curling au Québec. La plupart de nos championnats provinciaux existent depuis plusieurs années, certains datent du début du siècle dernier. Par contre, de vivre la première édition d’un événement qui perdurera dans le temps demeure quelque chose de spécial ».

« L’an dernier, nous avons identifié et envoyé pour la première fois une équipe du Québec au Championnat canadien de curling en fauteuil roulant. Cette année, cette équipe devra remporter le titre québécois pour mériter ce privilège » mentionne M. Berthelot.

Précisons que l’équipe championne représentera le Québec au Championnat canadien de curling en fauteuil roulant qui sera présenté du 16 au 21 mars à Kelowna en C.-B.

La directrice générale de l’Association québécoise de sports en fauteuil roulant (AQSFR), Mme José Malo, applaudit cette initiative : « Le curling est un sport inscrit au Jeux Paralympique d’hiver et gagne a être connu puisqu’il peut être pratiqué par la majorité des personnes en fauteuil roulant. Il a été important pour nous de supporter les clubs qui ont initié cette pratique au Québec. Je tiens aussi à souligner le dynamisme et la grande réceptivité de Curling Québec dans ce mouvement. Grâce à ce travail d’équipe cet événement deviendra une tradition québécoise ».

Pour la première édition, deux équipes s’affronteront dans une série 3 de 5. L’équipe qui a représenté le Québec l’année dernière au championnat canadien et aussi représentante du Club de curling Lennoxville est composée du capitaine Benoit Lessard, Carl Marquis (3e), Denis Grenier (2e), Johanne Daly (1ère) et Nicole Huberdeau (5e). Cette équipe est entraînée par le duo formé d’Alfred Whittier et Dan Janidlo.

Ils seront opposés à l’équipe représentante du Club de curling Victoria (Québec), formée de Jean-François Sylvestre (capitaine), Michel Verreault (3e), Allan Burridge (2e), France Sévigny (1ère) et Maxime Aubé (5e). Leurs entraîneurs sont Jacques Palasse, Pierre Morneau et Jacques Deschênes.

Les parties débuteront le samedi 20 février à 13h. La cérémonie d’ouverture sera présentée à 11h et pour l’occasion, nous procéderons au dévoilement du trophée qui sera présenté à l’équipe championne à la fin de cette compétition.

Rick Mercer curls from a wheelchair  1/27/2010

Canadian comedian Rick Mercer filmed a segment on wheelchair curling shown on Canadian TV last year.

For those who missed it, you can view it on our blog

No change in WCF attitude to powered wheelchairs  1/27/2010

When issues concerning wheelchair curling arise at the World Curling Federation, the executive looks to their vice-President Kate Caithness, for guidance. Wheelchair curling is very much "her baby.'

To see how closely and emotionally involved she is, you have only to read the Autumn 2009 issue of Paralympian Magazine (pdf). Without her, not only would wheelchair curling not be standing on a world stage; it is doubtful that Canadian wheelchair users would be playing at all.

The CCA created a team so that Canada would be represented at the World Championships. Then BC, under Linda Moore, were determined that Ontario wheelchair curlers, who made up the original team, would not go unchallenged so CurlBC spent money to create a team. Eight years later we have eight provinces and nine provincial teams, represented at our own national championships.

So we owe Kate Caithness a debt of gratitude for pushing the sport into existence. Her latest project has been to re-examine eligibility and assessment procedures that may bring even more participation.

Which makes it all the more puzzling why the WCF stands by its recommendation that powered wheelchairs be banned from WCF sponsored competition, including World Championships and the Paralympics.

Here is a link to my January Wheelchair Watch (Issue 4) column which outlines the issues as I see them.

GB's Jim Sellar to retire if successful in Vancouver  1/27/2010

Team Great Britain's Jim Sellar, the likely fifth in Vancouver, told the Bellshill Speaker that he will retire from competitive sports if successful in Vancouver. Sellar (53), who is also a champion bowler, has curled for nine years and has represented Scotland at five World Championships, winning gold in 2004.

Read the article HERE.

Gregory takes gold at Ontario Parasport Winter Games 1/24/2010

Ken Gregory's Bradford rink rebounded from a morning final round robin draw defeat by beating Thunder Bay's Carl Levesque in an extra end of the gold medal tie-break game at the Ontario Parasport Winter Games at the Kingston CC.

Gregory went out to an early 5-0 lead with a steal of 4 in the second, but gave back a steal of 3 in the fourth. Levesque took 2 in the eighth to force the extra, but conceded a single to lose 8-7 to the far more experienced Bradford team.

Levesque 0 0 3 1 0 1 0 2 0 - 7
Gregory   1 4 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 - 8

Team Gregory will now be favourites to repeat as Ontario Champions at the Provincials February 17-20 at the Collingwood CC.

Scores are HERE.

In sign of maturing sport, 7 of 9 provinces hold playdowns  1/23/2010

Nine provinces have agreed to send teams to the Canadian Nationals taking place in Kelowna, BC from March 15-21, the same dates as the Paralympics.

It had been hoped to have 10 provincial teams, but PEI made a late decision to wait another year before competing. BC will supply an additional "host" team to make up the numbers as happened last year in Nova Scotia.

In a very positive sign of the maturing of the competitive side of the sport, seven of the nine have held or will be holding playdowns to choose their representatives. Team Saskatchewan were chosen last December, but Team Sobkowicz in Manitoba and Team Fitzgerald in Nova Scotia have already won their berths.

Team formation in BC has been limited by the three females remaining after Sonja Gaudet and Ina Forrest made Team Canada and three-time gold medalist Jackie Roy, who trained with the national team, chose to stay in Vancouver to support them. Three teams compete for the two slots at the Juan de Fuca Centre, January 29 - 31. Ex-Canada teammates Gary Cormack and Gerry Austgarden will be opponents, though neither will skip. Teams are HERE and draw details HERE.

Alberta are holding a four team round robin with playoffs February 5-7 in Edmonton at the Jasper Curling Club. Two teams will be from Calgary and two from Edmonton. Calgary's Jack Smart came within an inch of taking the title from BC at the 2009 Championship, but this year will be without Bruno Yizek who'll most likely be bench warming in Vancouver. Anne Hibberd, who was unable to play last year, steps in at 3rd while Martin Purvis continues at 2nd.

Curling in Quebec has been centred on the Lennoxville CC, but they received a late provincial challenge from the Victoria CC in Quebec City. Lennoxville will host a playdown February 20-21. They will hope to have their skip, Ben Lessard back from the serious injuries he sustained in a water-skiing accident last summer. He'll play with Denis Grenier and Carl Marquis. Competition for the two female slots will be decided at a try-out session between Johanne Daly, Johanne Poulin and Nicole Huberdeau.

Kenora hosts Northern Ontario's three team playdown February 5-7, with local Provincial Champion Wayne Ficek hoping to again upset the Fort William CC's Team Levesque and Team Dawid from Thunder Bay.

Ontario have avoided the angst of last year by agreeing not to penalise areas supporting more than one team.This year the OCA agreed to allow participation up to the total team limit allowed regular curlers; so five teams will compete at the Collingwood CC from February 17-20. Bradford's 2009 Provincial Champion Ken Gregory will face Toronto's Chris Rees, Ottawa's Bruce Cameron and Richard Fraser, and Ilderton's Lance Claus, skipping a rookie squad coached by Ernie Comerford, who jump-started wheelchair curling in Alberta.

Chris Daw commenting from the sidelines  1/23/2010

The Vancouver Sun's Lyndon Little, in an interview posted on Kelowna.com, talks to ex-Team Canada skip Chris Daw about his new life as manager of the Vancouver CC and his thoughts on Canada's Paralympics prospects.

Little writes that Daw insists the last thing he wants to do is to put any undue pressure on the team wearing the Maple Leaf.

"All I'm saying is that I feel this team has every opportunity to hit the podium," assesses Daw. "Having been there before, my advice is they can do it as long as they keep their energy levels up and that their focus on the process remains level. They can't afford to look at the prize before they have it."

Read the full article HERE.

PEI sponsoring another wheelchair curling clinic  1/23/2010

The PEI Curling Association is sponsoring a free demonstration and workshop at the Crapaud Community Curling Club on Sunday January 31. A similar event was held in December, but the inclement weather kept many people from attending. It is hoped that representatives from all PEI curling clubs can attend these sessions.

The wheelchair curling demonstration will be held from 10.00am-1.00pm. Those interested in participating should contact Gayle Johnston at 902-368-1071.

“We are delighted to be able to put on this workshop and clinic,” said Gayle Johnston, Technical Coordinator for the PEI Curling Association. “We encourage anybody who uses a wheelchair, to come out and see what it is all about. Curling is the most social of sports, and disability should be no barrier to participating and having fun.”

PEI had hoped to field a provincial team at this year's Nationals, but have decided till 2011.

Final international during Scottish Men's Championships  1/23/2010

Bob Cowan reminds me that Great Britain will host the final international spiel before the Paralympics when they share the ice with the Scottish Men's Championships at the Dewar's Centre in Aberdeen.

Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and Norway will compete in the seven team field that includes two teams from the Scottish Wheelchair Curling Association's performance pool.

The wheelchair event begins January 29th and you can find the draw HERE.

GB 3rd Aileen Neilson is interviewed in the East Kilbride News HERE.

Team Gregory 4-0 at Ontario Parasport Winter Games   1/23/2010

Ken Gregory's Bradford rink is leading the six team field at the Ontario Winter Games. With one draw to play they have a 4-0 record, and having already beaten Carl Levesque's 3-1 Thunder Bay squad, look set to take home gold regardless of the outcome of tomorrow's draw. They play Kenora's Wayne Ficek, and may be looking for some revenge after the 13-0 drubbing the were handed in a tie-break at he 2009 Nationals.

Scores are HERE.

2010 Ontario Parasport Winter Games - Jan 22-24  1/19/2010

The Royal Kingston CC is hosting the curling component of the 5 sport 2010 Ontario Paasport Games from January 22-24. Six teams wil be competing: Ficek (Kenora), Levseque and Dawid (Thunder Bay), Rees (Toronto), Gregory (Bradford) and Cameron (Ottawa).

The first draw of the round robin event is 10am Friday Jan. 22 with the final scheduled for 2.30pm Sunday Jan. 24. Tie-breaks will only be held in the event of a tie for gold.

The complete Games schedule can be found HERE. Results wll be posted on the Ontario Curling Association's website.

(The Nordic skiing has been cancelled because of lack of snow.)

Team Fitzgerald win Nova Scotia playdown 1/17/2010

Team Fitzgerald beat Team Brown 3-1 in a best of 5 series at the Lakeshore CC today to become Team Nova Scotia.

The series was tied at one overnight, but Fitzgerald stole one for a 5-4 win in an extra end in Draw 3 and, up one without the hammer in the 6th and final end of Draw 4, stole 2 to win 7-4.

Mike Fitzgerald, Laughie Rutt and Trendall Hubley-Bolivar, who all played in the 2009 Nationals, will be joined by rookie Debbie Earle at the Nationals in Kelowna March 15-21.

Four sport Paralympian Tom Killin profiled  1/16/2010

Tom Killin, expected to play second on Team Great Britain in Vancouver, began his Paralympic career at Arnhem in 1980. Now 59, he has competed in four Olympic sports at the games over a 30-year period, including basketball, fencing and table tennis.

"It takes you right round the world, you see some amazing places" Tom told Adam Morris. "I'm away somewhere every month, it's a full-time job now."

Read the complete profile HERE.

Team Great Britain officially announced  1/16/2010

The Royal Caledonian CC, the governing body of British curling, announced a familiar five names as the official Team Great Britain. Michael McCreadie will skip an all Scot squad that includes two other members of the team that suffered the heartbreak loss to Canada in Turin., Angie Malone and Tom Killin. They are joined by Aileen Neilson who took a leave of absence from her teaching job to train ful-time, and Jim Sellar who has attended four World Championships.

Said Michael McCreadie: "It is an honour for me to Skip the British team at the Paralympics in Vancouver. I make up 20% of the playing Team and there are four others who are truly world class performers. We have worked extremely hard to get back into winning ways, with the results from this year's tour clearly indicating we are on the right track. Preparations have gone really well and we plan in the next nine weeks to hone ourselves into a formidable adversary ready to take on the rest of the world."

Read the official announcement HERE.

Curling is expanding in the San Francisco Bay area  1/16/2010

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that curling is coming to downtown Oakland. The San Francisco Bay Area Curling Club is expanding beyond San Jose and Fremont, with a curling Open House at the Oakland Ice Centre on January 30th.

It being California, the rocks are cooled before use.And with one of the largest populations of young and active physically disabled people living in neighbouring Berkeley, there's lots of candidates for wheelchair curling.

Curling began with mostly Canadians, but now it's mostly locals with plans to get local High Schools involved. Read the whole article HERE.

"Don't hold back," says Team USA skip 'Goose' Perez  1/16/2010

Action Online, the magazine of the United Spinal, includes Team USA's Augusto Perez in a group of athletes asked to talk about their outlook on life. As befitting his style of play on the ice, Goose is forthright and positive.

“The first thing is to get over the idea that people look at you because of the chair or any other device. People got better things to do than to worry about how we look, and if they do it is their problem not yours,” Perez says.

Read the rest of his refreshing outlook on life HERE.

Brown and Fitzgerald tied after first day of NS playdown  1/16/2010

Two three man teams are playing a best of five series to decide who claims Debbie Earle and represents Nova Scotia at the Nationals in Kelowna. [see 1/7/2010 post below]. In draw 1 it was Fitzgerald 8-2, with reuslts reversed in the evening as Brown won 7-3. There will be two draws Sunday (17th) and a decider Friday January 22 if necessary.

CLICK HERE for Ian Readey's photos of the day's play.

Team Sobkowicz takes Manitoba playdown   1/16/2010

Chris Sobkowicz will represent Manitoba for the fifth time at the CanadianNational in Kelowna, March 15-21, after defeating Richard Dudek in a best of three playdown at the East St. Paul Curling Club. He made one change from the 2009 team, George Horning replacing Michael Alberg. Alberg played for the challengers, with Don Kalinsky and Effie Loubardias. 

Manitoba are an experienced side and will be favoured to improve on the bronze medals they won at the previous two Nationals; especially with with BC losing JIm Armstrong and Alberta losing  Brno Yizek  to the Paralympics.

Italy take the 2010 Identa Cup  1/10/2010

Andrea Tabanelli skipped Team Italy to a 6-0 record to win Germany's 2010 Identa Cup. Italy was one of two Paralympic teams in the seven team field. Jens Jager's Germany finished 4th with a 3-2-1 record.

At the 2009 Worlds Italy lost their opening draw to Germany, but then won four consecutive matches, including a 9-5 defeat of Canada, before fading to a 4-5 record overall.

Click HERE for full line scores and the final table.

Nova Scotia playdown winner gets the girl  1/7/2010

Making wheelchair curling a mixed gender sport was, according to WCF VP Kate Caithness, a key selling point in the campaign to join Paralympic Games. Recruiting female curlers, however, has been a struggle in Canada.

Nova Scotia came up with a creative solution by having a two team 3 on 3 playdown with the winner claiming Debbie Earle, the lone female, as their fourth member.

The playdown will be best of five games played January 16 and 17, and 22 if necessary at the Lakeshore CC in Lower Sackville, site of the 2009 Nationals.

Team (Richard) Brown has Terry Cousineuau and Keith Williams and Team (Michael) Fitzgerald has Laughie Rutt and Trendal Hubley-Bolivar.

The Lakeshore CC program has been going a few years now and has an active core of players who participate in regular league play and also the stick curling league. A new group is getting started at the Halifax CC, meeting on Sunday afternoons at 3.30 and supported by the Canadian Paraplegic Association. For more information contact Darrell Robar.

Team Saskatchewan selected  1/7/2010

The five person team that will represent Sakatchewan at the 2010 National Championship in Kelowna next March has been selected. There is one change from the 2010 team, with Terry Hart replacing Calvin Bird.

The team: Del Huber (Regina) Gil Dash (Wolseley) Marie Wright (Moose Jaw) Darwin Bender (Regina) and Terry Hart (Regina). The team will again be coached by Lorraine Arguin (Moose Jaw) assisted by Bob Capp (Regina).

Official Team Canada profiles online  1/6/2010

Did you know that Darryl Neighbour has 13 siblings? Find out more about the Team Canada members on the Canadian Paralympic Comittee's website.  Jim Armstrong - Darryl Neighbour - Ina Forrest - Sonja Gaudet - Bruno Yizek

Jim Armstrong interviewed on Shaw TV  1/6/2010

Team Canada skip Jim Armstrong gave an interview to an old friend, Fanny Keifer of Vancouver's Studio 4 Shaw Cable broadcast. Sitting in a regular studio chair, he talked about his transition to wheelchair curling, how strategy in the wheelchair game is different from regular curling, and stumbled into describing eligibility for wheelchair curling in terms of what the rules may become next April.

You can watch the 14 minute interview HERE

2010 Identa Cup in Schwenningen, Germany January 8-10  1/4/2010

Jens Jäger's Team Hunters, who will represent Germany at the Vancouver Paralympics, are hosting the 2010 Identa Cup in Schwenningen, January 8-10.

Seven teams will compete, including squads from Switzerland, Italy and the Czech Republic. The draw is HERE.

Curl at the Callie  1/4/2010

Things may be looking up for wheelchair users in Saskatchewan as I have been contacted twice since Christmas by people involved in promoting the sport. 

At the moment activity is centred on the Callie CC in Regina and wheelchair users have ice time on Monday afternoons. Darwin Bender and Del Huber of 2009 Team Saskatchewan, who finished a very creditable 4-5 in their first appearance at the Canadian Nationals in 2009, are part of a wheelchair team that plays in an Open League Wednesday evenings.

Click on links for earlier news
2009
April 29, 2007 - December 31, 2008
September 2005 - April 13, 2007