Charlotte McKenna and Hugh Nibloe will represent the host nation in the final of the World Wheelchair Mixed Doubles Championship in Ayrshire in buoyant mood after a semi-final win over Korea achieved their principal goal for the week by ensuring that ParalympicsGB will be represented in both curling disciplines in Milan-Cortina next year.
While the opportunity to play for their country always carries a huge responsibility in its own right, the Scotland pair had gone into this event knowing that the odds were stacked against them earning that Paralympics spot as they tried to overhaul Canada, Estonia and Japan in the qualifying points table.
The intensity of the pressure had grown throughout the week as they negotiated a difficult round-robin campaign before heading into the knockout stages, performing better than any British Curling pairing has in this event, only for their rivals to match them round after round. 
Early in the week it had looked as if reaching the play-offs would be sufficient, but Japan and Estonia then grabbed two of the last three quarter-final places, with Canada having already secured a top eight spot.
The rankings at that stage meant that winning their quarter-final against Czechia, who had finished one place above them in the round-robin, would then be enough if their main rivals lost their quarter-finals against the teams that had finished in second and third position.
While McKenna and Nibloe duly produced their best performance of the week to beat the Czechs 10-4, Japan and Estonia also overturned the odds in beating Canada and Norway respectively to join the Scots in the semi-finals.
While they played one another, the Scots were up against the Koreans who had finished top of the standings and they looked in danger of missing out on the Paralympics in heart-breaking fashion when they trailed 4-1 at the midway break.
Defeat would have left them in a winner take all bronze medal match, but instead they rallied brilliantly, scoring a two at the fifth, levelling the match with a steal at the sixth, then after holding the Koreans to a single shot when they took their powerplay at the seventh, scoring two at the last as they used their own powerplay to ideal effect in securing the 6-5 win.
“I guess all week it’s been at the back of our minds all week that Paralympic qualification was primarily what we were here to do, but we didn’t think at any point that we would have had to make the final to guarantee that qualification, so the weight that’s come off our shoulders now is huge,” said Nibloe, who was part of the home line-up that won silver in the team event the last time the World Championships were held in Scotland six years ago.
“We’re absolutely delighted that there will be seven wheelchair curlers going to the Paralympics next year.
“It’s opened up a whole lot more competition within our squad and hopefully this will drive everybody else on.
“It’s been difficult and it was against the odds.
“We knew we had to finish a place higher than Japan and Estonia, or two places higher than Canada.
“Part of the way through the week it looked as if Estonia and Japan might drop off early and the quarter-finals might have been enough.
“However, both of them rose to the challenge as well and gave it their all to get there, so it’s been tough, but we’ve managed to do our jobs with Charlotte managing to pull me through and keep me level.”
They now have the chance to re-set their sights and become World Champions and Nibloe said they are determined to do everything they can to seize that opportunity.
“Heading into the gold medal match against Japan and guaranteed another World Championship medal, I would love to make it gold,” said Nibloe.
“I’ve got two bronze and a silver, so gold would be the cherry on top, but I’m just delighted that I’m going to be playing in a World Championship final in Scotland for the second time in my life.
“Charlotte’s worked so hard over the years too and she’s got family here, so it’s an absolutely brilliant opportunity for her to play in front of friends, family, Scottish fans, teammates.”
World Curling Mixed Doubles Championships (March 11-16)
Day One -Tuesday 11 March
Session 2
Scotland – England 11-4
Session 4
Scotland – Turkiye 9-2
Day Two – Wednesday 12 March
Session 5
England – Slovakia 4-10
Session 7 – 16.30
England – Turkiye 9-5
Session 8
Scotland – Korea 5-10
Day Three – Thursday 13 March
Session 10
Scotland – Hungary 4-8
Session 12
Scotland – Slovakia 6-3
England – ESP 10-3
Day Four – Friday 14 March
Session 13
England – Hungary 8-7
Session 16
England – Korea 10-11
Scotland – ESP 9-6
Day Five – Saturday 15 March
Quarter Finals
Scotland – Czechia 10-4
Semi Finals
Scotland – Korea 6-5
Day Six – Sunday 16 March
Bronze medal match – 10.00 Korea - Estonia
Gold medal match – 16.00 Scotland - Japan
Please click here for results
Watch LIVE streamed games on Curling Stadium Europe and The Curling Channel
Scotland Mixed Doubles Team
Hugh Nibloe (skip)
Charlotte McKenna
Coaches:
Head Coach: Sheila Swan
Team Coach: Niall Ryder
England Mixed Doubles Team
Stewart Pimblett (skip)
Karen Aspey
Coaches:
Head Coach: Tony Lenton
Coach: Rosemary Lenton
For more information on our Paralympic Pathway Programme and opportunities please email: Cheryl.lappin@britishcurling.org.uk
Image: World Curling
