WHEELCHAIR MIXED DOUBLES NATIONALS GET UNDERWAY AT WINDY CITY
Photo by: World Curling
[EDEN PRAIRIE, MN, January 9, 2025] — Six teams will compete for the USA Curling Wheelchair Mixed Doubles National Championship this week at the Windy City Curling Club in Villa Park, IL.
Defending champions Oyuna Uranchimeg and Matt Thums are back to defend the title they captured last year in Fort Wayne, but they’ll be tested by a field that includes several Paralympians.
Other former champions are in the field, including Pam Wilson and David Samsa, now competing with new teammates. Laura Dwyer and Steve Emt had a strong run last season, and were both part of the team that captured gold at the World Wheelchair Curling-B championship, qualifying the United States for the 2025 World Wheelchair Curling Championship.
"The level of play continues to increase at this event, and we're expecting a very competitive championship," remarked National Wheelchair Coach Pete Annis. "I'm excited to see these athletes develop, and look forward to building on our results at the 2025 World Wheelchair Mixed Doubles Championship."
At the 2024 Worlds, Uranchimeg and Thums went through the qualifying round undefeated, but were beaten in the quarterfinals and eliminated.
Wheelchair Mixed Doubles follows the rules of the Mixed Doubles discipline that debuted at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. Two stones are placed in play at the start of the end, no stones can be removed from play until the fifth rock of the end, teams throw five stones per end, and teams have one opportunity in each game to call a Power Play.
In addition to Emt, playing with Dwyer, the field in Illinois includes many Paralympians. Penny Ricker and Dave Samsa, Pam Wilson and Dan Rose, Terri Meadows and David Box, and Steve Davis and Megan Lino will all be competing at Windy City.
Being able to host this championship is an extraordinary achievement for Windy City. The club had a devastating fire last spring, but the leadership and its members were undaunted, and the club re-opened in November.
“We’re thrilled to not only bring this championship to Windy City, but also to recognize the resilience of the club in the face of extraordinary adversity,” noted USA Curling CEO Dean Gemmell. “Their recovery is a testament to the community of curlers they have built, and their commitment to this event speaks volumes about the love for the sport among its members.”
More information about this event can be found here.
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About USA Curling
Founded in 1958 and headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, USA Curling is the National Governing body for the Olympic sport of curling and the Paralympic sport of wheelchair curling in the United States. The mission of USA Curling is to grow, strengthen, and advocate for the Olympic and Paralympic sport of curling in the United States by prioritizing accessibility and programmatic development from grassroots to podium. USA Curling is sponsored by Columbia Sportswear, Twin Cities Orthopedics, Training HAUS, Toyota, ISS (Ice, Sports & Solar), Rock Solid Productions, Jet Ice, and Laurie Artiss. USA Curling is a proud member of the World Curling Federation and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. To learn more, visit usacurling.org.
