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>> Home > Wheelchair Curling > About Wheelchair Curling

Wheelchair Curling

About Wheelchair Curling


Wheelchair curling was first introduced during the 2000 World Handi Ski Championship in Crans Montana Switzerland. Switzerland and Sweden were the only countries trying the sport at the time and three teams (two from Switzerland and one from Sweden) attended a seminar/workshop along with a representation from the World Curling Federation and other interested parties.

During the seminar there was huge discussion on how to play the game perhaps on a shorter field of play with junior stones. It was decided that the game should be played as close to the regular game as possible and at the close of the seminar the rules were formulated.

The following year the first International Wheelchair Curling Bonspiel took place in Sursee Switzerland. This proved to be a Test Event for the first World Wheelchair Championship which took place in January 2002.

In March that year the International Paralympic Committee granted official medal status to Wheelchair Curling for mixed gender teams. The organising committee of the Torino Paralympic Winter Games in 2006 agreed to include wheelchair curling in their programme.

  • Wheelchair Curling is open to individuals who are non-ambulant or can only walk short distances. This includes athletes with significant impairments in lower leg/gait function, such as spinal injury, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis or double leg amputation, who use a wheelchair for daily mobility.

  • Each team must be comprised of male and female players.

  • It is governed by, and played, according to the rules of the World Curling Federation (WCF), with only one modification for wheelchair users - no sweeping.

  • The first curling world cup for wheelchair players was held in January 2000, in Crans-Montana, Switzerland.

  • The first World Championship was also held in Switzerland in 2002, with the home team winning the title. Scotland would go on to win the subsequent two World Championships.

    • Wheelchair Curling today

    Wheelchair Curling is practiced by athletes in 24 countries The World Wheelchair Curling Championship is held every year except in years when the Paralympic Winter Games take place.

    The World Curling Federation has created a guidance package for ice rinks, participants, coaches and volunteers to get involved in Wheelchair Curling. Please contact the WCF Secretariat or your Member Association for more information.

    Wheelchair Athletes:

    Important documents, including the official WCF Wheelchair Curling Classification list, are available to download on our Wheelchair Athlete Resources page.

    A DVD called 'Curling from a Wheelchair' is available on request and may be ordered through your Member Association.

    Read what WCF President Kate Caithness had to say about Wheelchair Curling in the autumn 2009 edition of The Paralympian (the official magazine of the International Paralympic Committee - IPC). View the PDF in the downloads section below.

    For more about Wheelchair Curling see:

    Downloads

     Wheelchair Curling IPC Paralympian MagazinePDF241Kb   
    Some files may require programs or viewers to open or view the download: Acrobat Reader

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