Wheelchair curling
Encyclopedia
Curling
Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
for athletes with a disability affecting their lower limbs or gait. Wheelchair curling is governed by the World Curling Federation
World Curling Federation
The World Curling Federation is the world governing body for curling accreditation, with offices in Perth, Scotland. It was formed out of the International Curling Federation , when the push for Olympic Winter Sport status was made...
, and is one of the sports in the Winter Paralympic Games
Paralympic Games
The Paralympic Games are a major international multi-sport event where athletes with a physical disability compete; this includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and Cerebral Palsy. There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which are held immediately following their...
.
Wheelchair curling is played with the same rocks and on the same ice as regular curling, though the rocks are thrown from a stationary wheelchair and there is no sweeping. Rocks may be thrown by hand while leaning over the side of the wheelchair, or pushed by a delivery stick. This is a pole with a bracket that fits over the rock handle, allowing the rock to be pushed while applying correct rotation.
Stones delivered between the house and the near hogline must be placed within 18 inches either side of the centre line and must be released prior to reaching the near hogline.
National and international competitions are played under rules devised by the World Curling Federation. These rules mandate that teams be of mixed gender, and that games be eight ends in duration. Time limits of 68 minutes for each team with one 60 second time out will be enforced by time clocks. Eligibility is limited to people with disabilities such that a wheelchair is used for daily mobility – more specifically, those who are non-ambulant or can walk only very short distances. [Rule 2(g)]
At their April 2010 semi-annual meeting, the World Curling Federation lifted their ban on the use of power chairs at WCF sanctioned events.
Wheelchair curling can be played by people with a wide range of disabilities. All that is needed is the co-ordination to exert a measured pushing force, and a tolerance for cold. It is not an aerobic activity. Without the need for sweepers, wheelchair curling is well suited to two-person formats such as stick-curling.
Wheelchair curling began in Europe in the late 1990s and in North America in 2002. The first World Wheelchair Curling Championships was held in Sursee, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
in 2002, and was won by the host nation who beat Canada 7 - 6 in the final. It started as a Paralympic sport at the 2006 Winter Paralympics
2006 Winter Paralympics
The 2006 Winter Paralympic Games, the ninth Winter Paralympics, took place in Turin, Italy from 10 to 19 March 2006. These were the first Winter Paralympic Games to be held in Italy. They were also the first Paralympics to use the new paralympics logo....
in Torino. Canada, skipped by Chris Daw, won the gold medal, beating Great Britain, skipped by Frank Duffy, 7-4 in the final.
The 2009 World Championship was held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in the same venue used for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Team Canada, skipped by 6-time Brier competitor Jim Armstrong, finished the round robin in 4th place but defeated USA 9-2 in the Page playoff, Germany 10-4 in the semi-final and Sweden 9-2 in the final to win their first ever Worlds gold medal.
Canada repeated as Paralympic Champions in Vancouver 2010 when the all-British Columbia team of Sonja Gaudet, Ina Forrest, Darryl Neighbour and skip Jim Armstrong, after taking an early 8-1ead, defeated Korea 8-7 for the gold medal. Sweden, who had their 3rd Glenn Ikonen disqualified for failing a drug test, beat USA 7-5 to win bronze.
World Wheelchair Curling ChampionshipWorld Wheelchair Curling ChampionshipThe World Wheelchair Curling Championship is an annual world championship held to determine the world's best team in wheelchair curling. It is held every non-Paralympic year.-Medalists:...
- 2002: (Urs Bucher)
- 2004: (Frank DuffyFrank Duffy (curler)Frank Duffy was a Scottish Paralympic curler. He was the skip of the silver-medal winning British team at the 2006 Winter Paralympics. He began curling at age 12 and developed paraplegia due to an accident at 35. His career highlights include sharing Gold at the 2004 and 2005 WCF World Championships...
) - 2005: (Frank Duffy)
- 2007: (Rune LorentsenRune LorentsenRune Lorentsen is a Norwegian wheelchair curling player.He started playing wheelchair curling in 2004. He was the skip when Norway won the gold at the World Championships in both 2007 and 2008....
) - 2008: (Rune Lorentsen)
- 20092009 World Wheelchair Curling ChampionshipThe 2009 World Wheelchair Curling Championship was held from February 21–28 at the Vancouver Paralympic Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada...
: (Jim ArmstrongJim Armstrong (curler)Dr. James P. Armstrong is a former Canadian curler and current wheelchair curler from Richmond, British Columbia. He was a successful curler for much of his earlier career until he had to stop playing because of bad knees and a car accident in 2003...
) - 20112011 World Wheelchair Curling ChampionshipThe 2011 World Wheelchair Curling Championship was held in Prague, Czech Republic from February 22 - March 1, 2011. Ten mixed gender teams competed for four playoff spots...
: (Jim Armstrong)
Paralympic championsWheelchair curling at the Winter ParalympicsWheelchair curling tournaments have been staged at the Paralympic Games since the Winter Paralympic Games in 2006 in Turin.The tournaments are staged for mixed gender teams....
- 2006Wheelchair curling at the 2006 Winter ParalympicsWheelchair curling at the 2006 Winter Paralympics was played at the Pinerolo Palaghiaccio, in Pinerolo, 30 km southwest of Turin. Wheelchair curling was making its first appearance at the Paralympic Games and took the form of a mixed team event, open to athletes with a physical disability in...
: (Chris DawChris DawChris Daw then moving to Strathroy, Ontario where he grew up. He is a Paralympian who has competed in adaptive track, marathon, basketball, rugby, and curling. He was once considered the fastest wheelchair athlete. He is the only Canadian athlete to represent Canada at multiple Paralympic Games...
) - 2010Wheelchair curling at the 2010 Winter ParalympicsThe wheelchair curling competition of the 2010 Winter Paralympics was held at the Hillcrest Park in Vancouver, Canada, from 13 March to 20 March 2010...
: (Jim ArmstrongJim Armstrong (curler)Dr. James P. Armstrong is a former Canadian curler and current wheelchair curler from Richmond, British Columbia. He was a successful curler for much of his earlier career until he had to stop playing because of bad knees and a car accident in 2003...
)