British Curling’s wheelchair curlers will make their last competitive appearance this weekend ahead of the World Wheelchair Curling Championships that take place next month.
The Euro Super League takes place in Trondheim, Norway (10-12 February) and will give athletes the chance to experience a combined team and mixed doubles event, replicating what will happen in Canada next month at the World Champs.
Norway, Sweden, England and Scotland will all be taking part this weekend and Paralympian David Melrose will be making a welcome return to elite curling, competing for Scotland in the Mixed Doubles event with Charlotte McKenna, while Hugh Nibloe, Gregor Ewan, Jo Butterfield and Meggan Dawson Farrell will compete in the team event, as Robert McPherson and Gary Logan are unable to travel this weekend.
Their fellow British Curling programme squad mate Stewart Pimblett will meanwhile be representing England in the Mixed Doubles along with Rosemary Lenton.
“The weekend is a taster session for me,” said Pimblett.
“For Rosemary and me it will really be about learning to work together as a new pairing and I am feeling really positive about that, so I am looking forward to it and I am hoping that we play well.
“At the end of the day being part of the British Curling squad where we all train and compete together obviously going up against those squad mates is different but we are on the ice as England and Scotland and we have a job to do and we will all be wanting the ‘W’.
“While Rosemary and I are going to this event as a new team, we have known each other for a long time and have curled together in team events at a few World B’s, so we know each other well but the Mixed Doubles discipline is going to be a new challenge for me and I am relishing it.
“Rosemary has a lot of knowledge of curling which she brings to the unit and I am bringing what I have learnt with British Curling in the high performance environment with some great players and coaches, so I am aiming to bring that to the ice and I think together we will learn a lot in Norway.
“Hopefully we can build on the great sessions we have had together over the past few weeks and I would like to see us put all of that hard work into practice this weekend. Don’t discount us, we will be there and I am sure we will give it our all.”
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England Mixed Doubles Team
Stewart Pimblett
Rosemary Lenton
Scotland Mixed Doubles Team
David Melrose
Charlotte McKenna
Team Scotland
Jo Butterfield
Meggan Dawson Farrell
Gregor Ewan
Hugh Nibloe
Images: PPA Graeme Hart