All three medal winning teams from this year’s World Championships are among a powerful international field assembled for British Curling’s first Wheelchair Mixed Doubles event at the National Curling Academy (NCA) this weekend.
The quality of the competing teams reflects the massively increased focus on the abbreviated version of the sport after it became an additional Paralympic medal opportunity following its inclusion to the Milan Cortina Winter Paralympic Games programme in 2026. 
Three teams from the USA, two from Canada and representatives from Italy, Hungary, Latvia and Norway will feature, along with the domestic contenders, with four British Curling teams, two from English Curling and an additional English team from the Northern Ice club, demonstrating the desire for athletes to have more competition opportunity in the build to the Games in less than three years time.
“It was the perfect opportunity to have this event on the back of the Stirling Wheelchair Curling International in the rink next door to the NCA, many of whom, like our athletes, will double-up and compete in both events,” said British Curling’s Head Paralympic Coach Sheila Swan.
As in the able-bodied game, the added benefit for the sport of increased inclusivity, allowing a wider range of nations to compete for medals, was shown at this year’s World Championships, when Poljina Rozkova and Agris Lasmans claimed the title for Latvia, who have never medalled in the traditional four-player version of the sport.
They defeated the USA in the final with Canada beating China in the third place play-off.
“The introduction of Mixed Doubles to the Paralympics is a hugely exciting opportunity for the sport globally,” said Swan.
“However, Latvia’s success this year underlined the extent to which this opens things up competitively and we are working hard to respond to that challenge.
“At British Curling we have made great strides in recent times in seeking to attract new talent to the wheelchair game and we increasingly believe we are developing the strength in depth to be able to compete in both Paralympic disciplines at Milan Cortina in 2026.
“Events like this week’s are consequently vital to us in terms of looking to identify our best combinations and we are looking forward to assessing the performances of all the British players on show at the National Curling Academy as they take on this calibre of opposition.”
Intriguingly, one of the British Curling pairings sees Charlotte McKenna, who missed out on last year’s Paralympics in Beijing when she suffered a broken leg just days after being selected, playing alongside the man who replaced her in that squad, Gary Smith. 
She made her comeback to top flight international competition at this year’s World Wheelchair Curling Mixed Doubles Championship with a different partner, David Melrose and making that trip to Canada heightened her understanding of what will be required this week and beyond.
“Going to that event was great compensation for missing out on the Winter Paralympics,” said McKenna.
“Dave was brought into the World Mixed Doubles Champs at the last minute and performed brilliantly, but I’d like to think we could have gone further there if we’d had more time to work together.
“The main thing, though, was that there are lots of positives to take from that experience into this competition and it was great to gain good knowledge of the tactics required at that level.”
She noted, too, that in wheelchair curling which does not have sweepers, so sees players’ activity limited to delivering stones, there is an increased sense of engagement in the Mixed Doubles format, saying: “I love this discipline because you feel really involved in the game when there are only two of you playing.”
McKenna also believes that this week’s event will provide the British players with an enhanced understanding of the levels they need to reach as they target Milan Cortina.
“This is a great opportunity as we need more game time within this discipline,” she said.
“It’s great to have such strong opposition coming to the NCA this weekend allowing us benchmark where we are and you also find that you raise your game against these teams.
“We need more events like this in our schedule with good quality opposition as these are the teams that will be pushing us at the World Championships and ultimately the Paralympic Games.”
Please click here for the team list.
Please click here for the draw.
Results:
Draw 1 Results:
Canada Red v British Curling 1 W-L 
England 2 v Northern Ice - 7-5
England 1 v Hungary - 8-7
British Curling 2 v USA 3 - 9-8
Draw 2 Results:
Latvia v Italy – 7-6
USA 2 v British Curling 4 – 13-0
USA 1 v Norway-7-4
Canada White v British Curling 3 -11-1
Draw 3 Results:
Hungary v USA 3 – 4-9
England 1 v British Curling 2 – 8-4
British Curling 1 v Northern Ice – 11-9
Canada Red v England 2 – 8-6
Draw 4 Results:
Norway v British Curling 3 – 6-2
USA 1 v Canada White – 2-10
Italy v British Curling 4 – 10-3
Latvia v USA 2 – 3-8
Draw 5 Results:
Northern Ice v Canada Red – 3-6
British Curling 1 v England 2 – 10-2
USA 3 v England 1 – 9-5
Hungary v British Curling 2 – 6-7
Draw 6 Results:
British Curling 4 v Latvia 3-11
Italy v USA 2 – 10-8
British Curling 3 v USA 1 – 4-8
Norway v Canada White – 2-9
Quarter Final Results:
Latvia v British Curling 1 – 4-5
British Curling 2 v USA 1 – 7-8
Canada White v Italy – 7-6
Canada Red v USA 3 – 5-9
Low Road Quarter Finals:
Hungary v England 1
England 2 v Northern Ice
Norway v British Curling 4
British Curling 3 v USA 2
Due to unforeseen circumstances, the curtailed tournament will be completed as follows:
Finals at 3pm (GMT)
High Road Final:
British Curling 1 v Canada Red
Low Road Final:
England 1 v England 2
Results available on @CurlingZone
Image (below): WCF/Alina Pavlyuchik
