Wheelchair curling at the 2006 Winter Paralympics
# Wheelchair curling at the 2006 Winter Paralympics

Wheelchair 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 the lower part of the body that required the everyday use of a wheelchair.

Teams from eight nations, each containing five athletes, entered with four teams advancing from a group stage to a knockout round. Canada won the sport's first Paralympic gold medal beating Great Britain in the final. Sweden won the bronze medal.

## Medalists

| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| - | - | - | - |
| Mixed | Canada (CAN) Chris Daw Gerry Austgarden Gary Cormack Sonja Gaudet Karen Blachford | Great Britain (GBR) Frank Duffy Michael McCreadie Tom Killin Angie Malone Ken Dickson | Sweden (SWE) Jalle Jungnell Glenn Ikonen Rolf Johansson Anette Wilhelm Bernt Sjöberg |

## Preview

Wheelchair curling is played according to the rules of the World Curling Federation, the only modification is that there is no sweeping and stones may be played by hand while leaning over the side of the wheelchair, or pushed by a delivery stick. To be allowed to compete athletes must have a physical disability in the lower part of the body that required the everyday use of a wheelchair. Teams are mixed but must contain at least one member of each sex. Wheelchair curling was first introduced in Switzerland in 2000 and the first World Championships were held in the same country in 2002. It is governed by the World Curling Federation (WCF); as of 2009, 24 of the WCF's member associations were involved in the sport.

This was the first appearance of the sport at the Paralympic Games; the International Paralympic Committee had granted official medal status to mixed gender wheelchair Curling in March 2002. The organising committee of the Turin Games in 2006 agreed to include wheelchair curling in their programme.

The British team, competing as Scotland and made up of Frank Duffy, Ken Dickson, Tom Killin, Angie Malone and Michael McCreadie had won the gold medal at the World Championships in January 2005 in Glasgow; Denmark and Switzerland won the silver and bronze medals. Britain had also won the 2004 World Championships, and were considered favourites for a medal.

## Event summary

Eight teams competed and the format was a round-robin tournament; each nation played all others in a group stage with the top four qualifying for medal playoffs. Canada topped the group, Great Britain finished second and Sweden finished third, all three qualifying for the semi-finals. Denmark and Norway finished joint fourth and faced each other in a tie-breaker match to decide who took the final position in the semi-finals; Norway beat Denmark 4–3 to advance.

The semi-finals saw first seeds Canada play Norway and Great Britain face Sweden. Canada beat Norway 5–4 and Great Britain stole three in the 1st end of their game, going on to win 7–3 win. Sweden only managed to curl 35% as a team, with skip Jalle Jungnell struggling at 23% for the game. Sweden and Norway met in the bronze medal match, the Swedes won 10–3.

In the final Great Britain faced Canada. Trailing 6–3 in the final end British skip Frank Duffy had an opportunity with the last stone of the tournament for an open hit of a Canadian stone that would have scored four for Britain and won them the gold medal. He threw too hard and the shot tracked an inch wide allowing Canada to score one and win 7–4.

## Teams

The following athletes represented their nations in the 2006 Paralympic wheelchair curling tournament;

| Team | Roster | Roster | Roster | Roster | Roster | Roster |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Team | Skip | Third | Second | Lead | Alternate | Coach |
| Canada | Chris Daw | Gerry Austgarden | Gary Cormack | Sonja Gaudet | Karen Blachford | Joe Rea |
| Denmark | Kenneth Ørbæk | Rosita Jensen | Jørn Kristensen | Sussie Pedersen | Bjarne Jensen | |
| Great Britain | Frank Duffy | Michael McCreadie | Tom Killin | Angie Malone | Ken Dickson | Tom Pendreigh |
| Italy | Egidio Marchese | Andrea Tabanelli | Pierino Gaspard | Rita Dal Monte | Emanuele Spelorzi | |
| Norway | Rune Lorentsen | Geir Arne Skogstad | Paul Aksel Johansen | Lene Tystad | Trine Fissum | |
| Sweden | Jalle Jungnell | Glenn Ikonen | Rolf Johansson | Anette Wilhelm | Bernt Sjöberg | Olle Brudsten, Thomas Wilhelm |
| Switzerland | Urs Bucher | Manfred Bolliger | Cesare Cassani | Madeleine Wildi | Erwin Lauper | |
| United States | James Pierce | James Joseph | Wes Smith | Danell Libby | Augusto Perez | |

## Round-robin standings

Final round-robin standings

Key :

* Teams to playoffs
* Teams to tiebreaker

| Country | Skip | W | L | PF | PA |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Canada | Chris Daw | 5 | 2 | 38 | 29 |
| Great Britain | Frank Duffy | 4 | 3 | 40 | 30 |
| Sweden | Jalle Jungnell | 4 | 3 | 36 | 34 |
| Denmark | Kenneth Ørbæk | 4 | 3 | 34 | 34 |
| Norway | Rune Lorentsen | 4 | 3 | 44 | 37 |
| Switzerland | Urs Bucher | 3 | 4 | 33 | 32 |
| Italy | Egidio Marchese | 2 | 5 | 28 | 43 |
| United States | James Joseph | 2 | 5 | 25 | 39 |

## Round-robin results

All times are local (UTC+1).

### Summary

| Team | | | | | | | | | Record |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Canada | | 6–3 | 7–6 | 5–3 | 7–6 | 4–5 | 5–1 | 4–5 | 5–2 |
| Denmark | 3–6 | | 3–5 | 5–4 | 7–3 | 2–10 | 8–2 | 6–4 | 4–3 |
| Great Britain | 6–7 | 5–3 | | 8–5 | 6–7 | 7–2 | 3–4 | 5–2 | 4–3 |
| Italy | 3–5 | 4–5 | 5–8 | | 3–9 | 7–1 | 0–14 | 6–1 | 2–5 |
| Norway | 6–7 | 3–7 | 7–6 | 9–3 | | 4–7 | 5–4 | 10–3 | 4–3 |
| Sweden | 5–4 | 10–2 | 2–7 | 1–7 | 7–4 | | 5–6 | 6–4 | 4–3 |
| Switzerland | 1–5 | 2–8 | 4–3 | 14–0 | 4–5 | 6–5 | | 2–6 | 3–4 |
| United States | 5–4 | 4–6 | 2–5 | 1–6 | 3–10 | 4–6 | 6–2 | | 2–5 |

### Session 1

12 March, 11:00

| Draw 1 - Sheet A | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Great Britain (Duffy) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Switzerland (Bucher) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Draw 1 - Sheet B | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Final |
| Denmark (Ørbæk) | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Canada (Daw) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| Draw 1 - Sheet C | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Final |
| Sweden (Jungnell) | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| United States (Joseph) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Draw 1 - Sheet D | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Final |
| Italy (Marchese) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Norway (Lorentsen) | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 9 |

### Session 2

12 March, 16:00

| Draw 2 - Sheet A | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| United States (Joseph) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Norway (Lorentsen) | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| Draw 2 - Sheet B | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Final |
| Sweden (Jungnell) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Italy (Marchese) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Draw 2 - Sheet C | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Final |
| Switzerland (Bucher) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Canada (Daw) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Draw 2 - Sheet D | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Final |
| Great Britain (Duffy) | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Denmark (Ørbæk) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |

### Session 3

13 March, 11:00

| Draw 3 - Sheet A | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Sweden (Jungnell) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| Canada (Daw) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Draw 3 - Sheet B | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Final |
| Great Britain (Duffy) | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| Norway (Lorentsen) | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 |
| Draw 3 - Sheet C | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Final |
| Italy (Marchese) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Denmark (Ørbæk) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| Draw 3 - Sheet D | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Final |
| Switzerland (Bucher) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| United States (Joseph) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 |

### Session 4

13 March, 16:00

| Draw 4 - Sheet A | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Denmark (Ørbæk) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| United States (Joseph) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Draw 4 - Sheet B | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Final |
| Italy (Marchese) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Switzerland (Bucher) | 6 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 14 |
| Draw 4 - Sheet C | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Final |
| Great Britain (Duffy) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| Sweden (Jungnell) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Draw 4 - Sheet D | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Final |
| Norway (Lorentsen) | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| Canada (Daw) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7 |

### Session 5

14 March, 11:00

| Draw 5 - Sheet A | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Italy (Marchese) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Great Britain (Duffy) | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 |
| Draw 5 - Sheet B | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Final |
| Canada (Daw) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| United States (Joseph) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Draw 5 - Sheet C | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Final |
| Denmark (Ørbæk) | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| Norway (Lorentsen) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Draw 5 - Sheet D | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Final |
| Sweden (Jungnell) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| Switzerland (Bucher) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 |

### Session 6

14 March, 16:00

| Draw 6 - Sheet A | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Switzerland (Bucher) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Denmark (Ørbæk) | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| Draw 6 - Sheet B | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Final |
| Norway (Lorentsen) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Sweden (Jungnell) | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| Draw 6 - Sheet C | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | EE | Final |
| Canada (Daw) | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Great Britain (Duffy) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Draw 6 - Sheet D | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Final |
| United States (Joseph) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Italy (Marchese) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 |

### Session 7

15 March, 11:00

| Draw 7 - Sheet A | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Canada (Daw) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Italy (Marchese) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Draw 7 - Sheet B | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Final |
| United States (Joseph) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Great Britain (Duffy) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Draw 7 - Sheet C | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Final |
| Norway (Lorentsen) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| Switzerland (Bucher) | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Draw 7 - Sheet D | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Final |
| Denmark (Ørbæk) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Sweden (Jungnell) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 10 |

### Tie-breaker

15 March, 16:00

| Sheet A | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Norway (Lorentsen) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Denmark (Ørbæk) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |

## Medal round

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Gold medal game | Gold medal game | Gold medal game |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2 | Great Britain (GBR) | 7 | | | |
| 3 | Sweden (SWE) | 3 | | | |
| 3 | Sweden (SWE) | 3 | 2 | Great Britain (GBR) | 4 |
| | | | 1 | Canada (CAN) | 7 |
| 1 | Canada (CAN) | 5 | 1 | Canada (CAN) | 7 |
| 4 | Norway (NOR) | 4 | Bronze medal game | Bronze medal game | Bronze medal game |
| | | | 3 | Sweden (SWE) | 10 |
| | | | 4 | Norway (NOR) | 2 |

### Semi-finals

17 March, 11:00

| Sheet B | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Canada (Daw) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| Norway (Lorentsen) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Sheet D | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Final |
| Great Britain (Duffy) | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| Sweden (Jungnell) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 |

### Bronze Medal Game

17 March, 16:00

| Sheet C | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Sweden (Jungnell) | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 10 |
| Norway (Lorentsen) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |

### Gold Medal Game

18 March, 11:00

| Sheet C | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Canada (Daw) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
| Great Britain (Duffy) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
