United States, Japan and England qualify for World Wheelchair Curling Championship 2025

United States claimed the World Wheelchair-B Curling Championship gold medals after defeating Japan in final, 9-4, at the Kisakallio Sport Institute in Lohja, Finland.

England won bronze against Czechia, 7-6.

The three medalling teams have now secured their spots in the World Wheelchair Curling Championship 2025, in Stevenston, Scotland from 1-8 March. They will join previously qualified: Norway, Canada, China, Sweden, Latvia, Korea, Slovakia, Italy and Scotland (hosts). These teams—with the exception of Scotland who qualify as the host nation—secured their spot based on their results at the World Wheelchair Curling Championship 2024 in Gangneung, Korea.

MEDAL GAMES

Japan took a 2-0 lead after three ends, but United States began their triumph in the fourth end with a big score of five. They followed this up with a steal of three, to take an 8-2 lead, going onto an eventual 9-4 victory.

Team Japan in the final © World Curling / Ansis Ventins

The bronze medal game was a closer affair, with Czechia and England trading leads four times until the fifth end, tied 5-5. England had a steal of one in the sixth, to go up 6-5, then forced Czechia to a single in the seventh. Tied 6-6 in the final end, England’s Stewart Pimblett made a draw to the four-foot behind cover to earn their winning and qualifying point.

Gold medal game final score: United States 9-4 Japan
Bronze medal game final score: Czechia 6-7 England

Team England © World Curling / Ansis Ventins

The medalling teams are:

Gold: United States – Skip Matthew Thums, third Shawn Sadowski, second and vice-skip Stephen Emt, lead Batoyun Uranchimeg, alternate Laura Dwyer, and coached by Pete Annis.

Silver: Japan – Fourth and vice-skip Takahashi Hiromi, third and skip Kashiwabara Kazuhiro, second Iwata Tsutomu, lead Matsuda Kana, alternate Kagami Hiroki, and coached by Mochida Yasuo.

Bronze: England – Skip Stewart Pimblett, vice-skip Jason Kean, second Julian Mattison, lead Karen Aspey, alternate George Potts, coached by Tory and Rosemary Lenton.

See the full championship results here.