TEAM USA WINS GOLD AT 2021 WORLD WHEELCHAIR-B CURLING CHAMPIONSHIP
© WCF / Jiri Snitil 2021
With a gold medal finish at the 2021 World Wheelchair-B Curling Championship, Team USA, consisting of Matt Thums (Weston, Wis.), Steve Emt (Hebron, Conn.), David Samsa (Green Bay, Wis.), Pam Wilson (Denver, Colo.), and Bat-Oyun “Oyuna” Uranchimeg (Burnsville, Minn.), has qualified for the 2021 World Wheelchair Curling Championship in Beijing, China from October 23-30, 2021.
Qualifying for the 2021 World Wheelchair Curling Championship was step one for the Team in continuing their road to Beijing 2022, as the World Wheelchair Curling Championship will be an opportunity to earn Paralympic qualification points to secure the United States a spot in the 2022 Winter Paralympics in Beijing, China.
To qualify for the 2022 Games, 11 places will be offered to the Member Associations of the World Curling Federation who have gained the most qualifying points from the World Wheelchair Curling Championships held in 2019, 2020, and 2021. The field at the 2022 Games will be 12 teams in total, as China will earn a berth as the host nation.
Click here to view Paralympic qualification points standings.
Based on the current standings, combined with the two other countries who have qualified for the 2021 World Wheelchair Curling Championship by finishing in the top three at the World-Bs (Switzerland and Italy), the United States can secure a berth to the 2022 Games by achieving either of the following scenarios:
Finishing ahead of Italy
OR by finishing in seventh place or higher
With a busy spring and summer ahead, including Paralympic Pre-Trials and Trials to determine the lineup of Team USA, the athletes look to embody the same mantra that found them success in Loha, Finland.
“One stone at a time, one game at a time, one day at a time,” said Uranchimeg.
USA Curling is sponsored by Toyota, Goldline, Twin Cities Orthopedics, Training HAUS, Brakebush, ISS (Ice, Sports & Solar), Sitrin, Traveler’s Choice, and Volt, and is partnered with IHG, Rock Solid Productions Inc., 12th End Sports Network, Laurie Artiss Ltd. – The Pin People, and United Airlines.