National Wheelchair Program hosts Leduc Mixed Doubles Event

Fourteen teams took to the ice at the Leduc Curling Club in Alberta for the Leduc Mixed Doubles Wheelchair Curling Event from Dec. 6-9.

This was the second edition of the bonspiel, hosted by the National Wheelchair Curling Program and Leduc Curling Club. The event brought together 28 athletes from Canada and the United States with the goal of supporting the development and growth of mixed doubles wheelchair curling in Canada.

The team of Ina Forrest and Mark Ideson won the championship final 8-3 over Sarah Benevides and Gil Dash. Ideson is a two-time event champion, winning the 2022 edition with Shauna Petrie. Collinda Joseph and Dennis Thiessen won the B final over Jill Hopkins and Jon Thurston, 6-5. Cecilia Carroll and Douglas Dean defeated American duo Batuyun Uranchimeg and Matt Thums in the C event final, 7-3.

“Mixed doubles is a discipline I enjoy and it is challenging at the same time,” said Ideson. “I’m continuing to learn the strategy of mixed doubles, and I find it suits the strengths of my game which is more of a drawing style. I really enjoyed playing with my partner Ina and being part of an excellent field from Canada, with many provinces represented, as well as teams from the USA. The Leduc facility is incredible, with eight sheets, excellent ice makers, and great volunteers.”

The event ran from Wednesday to Saturday, with all teams having the opportunity to play a guaranteed eight games, including a semifinal session where all 28 competitors took to the ice.

During the event, the rosters for the upcoming 2024 World Wheelchair Curling Championships were announced. In mixed doubles, Canada will be represented by Joseph and Thiessen, who won bronze at the 2023 Worlds. The mixed team for the World Wheelchair Curling Championship comprises Ideson, Thurston, Forrest, Dash, and Chrissy Molnar. All the athletes competing at the Worlds were also competing in Leduc in the mixed doubles event. The World Championships take place this March in Gangneung, South Korea.

“It was really encouraging to see the high calibre of play, with lots of shots being made and a fantastic spectator experience,” said Dana Ferguson, Mixed Doubles Coach of the National Wheelchair Program. “With mixed doubles still being a relatively new discipline, the increased level of play in Leduc shows hard work and learning as the athletes gain more experience by playing in events like this.”

Admission was free at the Leduc Recreation Centre, and every game was streamed by Curling Stadium and scores tracked via CurlingZone, enhancing visibility for the sport. The games are available to watch on demand on CurlingZone’s YouTube Channel.