PLAYOFF FINISH FOR TEAM USA AT WORLD WHEELCHAIR MIXED DOUBLES CURLING CHAMPIONSHIP 2022
On April 30th, Team USA began their competition at the World Wheelchair Mixed Doubles Curling Championship 2022 in Lohja, Finland.
The Championship, serving as the inaugural world event for wheelchair mixed doubles curling, welcomed 18 member association curling countries from across the world to compete for the world title.
The 18 participating teams were split in two groups of nine to complete a round robin. At the conclusion of the round robin, the top three teams in each pool advanced to playoffs.
Group A consisted of:
Hungary, Sweden, Italy, Korea, Estonia, Switzerland, Scotland, Finland, and Japan.
Joining the United States in Group B were:
Norway, Latvia, Slovakia, Germany, Denmark, Canada, Czech Republic, and Turkey.
Team USA, Dave Samsa and Pam Wilson, qualified to represent the United States at the World Championship by winning the 2022 U.S. Wheelchair Mixed Doubles Curling National Championship at the Kettle Moraine Curling Club in March.
The duo carried that momentum into their World Wheelchair Mixed Doubles Curling Championship debut, topping Germany 9-7 by stealing two points in the extra end to clinch victory.
In game two, Wilson and Samsa fell to Norway after a five-ender in the fourth end proved to be too large of a deficit. Unfortunately for the Americans, this marked the beginning of a three-game losing streak as the team went on to drop matchups first against Czech Republic and then to Canada.
With a 1-3 record and in need of a win, Team USA fended off Denmark to stay alive in the competition.
The U.S. went on to defeat Slovakia and Turkey in day four of competition.
In the final round robin matchup against Latvia, the U.S. was unable to find their way onto the scoreboard until the fifth end, but it was too late to climb back and it was Latvia that came out on top.
Concluding the round robin with a 4-4 record and head-to-head wins over the other teams in Group B tied at 4-4 (Slovakia, Germany, and Denmark), the U.S. clinched the third seed of Group B and qualified for the playoffs.
In the qualification game, the first round of playoff games, the U.S. faced Sweden, the second seed from Group A.
After stealing one to open the game, Sweden quickly rebounded by putting a combined six points on the board in the third and fourth ends.
The U.S. made use of hammer to generate a deuce in the fourth end, but that was the last time the Americans scored in the qualification game, resulting in a 12-3 loss to Sweden.
Despite the qualification game loss, Team USA made a statement at the inaugural World Wheelchair Mixed Doubles Curling Championship, qualifying for the playoffs in a new discipline and finishing top six in the world.
USA Curling is sponsored by Columbia Sportswear, Toyota, Twin Cities Orthopedics, Training HAUS, Brakebush, ISS (Ice, Sports & Solar), and Sitrin, and is partnered with IHG, Rock Solid Productions Inc., Laurie Artiss Ltd. – The Pin People.
