Your support does make a
difference 3/9/2010
With the Paralympics and the Canadian
Nationals almost upon us, I've had several emails asking what I will be
doing for the benefit of those family and fans unable to attend the
events.
Nothing's free, even if sometimes it feels that way. Had 10% of the
regular readership donated $10 at some point this season, Cate and I
would be going to Vancouver and giving you the insider perspective that
comes from painstakingly building relationships with the coaches and
players of all the countries, not just Canada.
So will we be covering the Nationals instead; after all they are taking
place just down the road?
That would just be a couple of hundred hours of Cate and my time. What's
that time worth to you?
If you'd like to express your appreciation for the past five years of
the website, and the past two years of the blog, click on the
Donation
button on the front page to send a donation in any amount
via Cate's PayPal account.
Armstrong hoping exposure will
boost sport 3/9/2010
"We'll probably enjoy a bit of spinoff
... and get some exposure that otherwise might have taken years to get.
And wheelchair curling is a very entertaining game, it truly is," Jim
Armstrong told the Canadian Press.
Read the full interview
HERE.
Armstrong wins Sport BC Harry
Jerome Comeback award 3/8/2010
Sport BC today announced that Jim
Armstrong, skip of the reigning World Champion and defending Paralympic
Champion wheelchair curling team, has been awarded the Sport BC Harry
Jerome Comeback award.
"Each year the recipient embodies the qualities that make sport so
compelling,” said Rick Christiaanse, Executive Vice-President of Sport
BC. "Jim Armstrong is no exception. Throughout his athletic career,
Jim’s knowledge, sportsmanship and dedication to his sport have elevated
the level of both able-bodied and wheelchair curling.”
“We are proud to present him with this award as a tribute to his
journey.”
The award will be presented March 31, 2010 at the 44th Annual Sport BC
Athlete of the Year Awards. Armstrong will be honoured for his long road
back to amateur sport alongside 19 other athletes, coaches, and
officials who represent BC’s best.
You can read full details of the announcement
HERE.
Jim has known about the award for a couple of weeks, but asked me not to
publicise it. "I'm hoping they'll wait till after the Paralympics," he
told me, "so it won't be a distraction."
It may be a distraction, but it's certainly an honour.
Coverage of Paralympic
wheelchair curling 3/8/2010
Last year at the 2009 Worlds, Cate and I
live-blogged and reported every Canadian match. We were able to do that
because the CCA helped with our expenses.
We had hoped to do something similar at the Paralympics, but despite
approaching every possible source of funding, we were not able to cover
accommodation and on-site costs. A couple of offers of accommodation did
not materialise, so although we have media accreditation, it doesn't
look as though we will be attending Canada's defence of their Paralympic
gold medal.
The television consortium that covered the Olympics will be producing 25
hours of English language Paralympic programming, almost all devoted to
sledge hockey and an evening highlight show.
As far as I know, the only live media coverage of wheelchair curling
will be on
Paralympic Sport TV
The schedule is on a pdf document at
this link.
While it is personally disappointing not to be able to continue the work
we bagan at last year's Worlds and take advantage of the relationships
we established with athletes and coaches from all the teams, we can't
force perceptions of value where they don't exist.
The website and blog have been around just long enough for the service
they provide to be taken for granted. We have several thousand readers
every week, and no income.
So it goes.
Jim Armstrong "his sport and what
it's taught him about life" 3/8/2010
Canada skip Jim Armstrong tells the
Vancouver Sun's Yvonne Zacharias: "Yeah, I'm crippled."
Q: What have you learned about yourself and life from this journey?
A: Everybody in the program has their own story. Some have had
experiences most of us don't have to deal with in a lifetime. But the
silver lining is everybody leaves their ego at the door. You have that
common thread of how we got into that position of whatever disability it
is. There is that common bond. It just makes everybody that much closer.
Read the interview
HERE
Ina Forrest and
Sonja Gaudet talk about the Paralympics 3/7/2010
Team Canada 2nd Ina Forrest tells The
Vernon Morning Star these Games will mean so much more because her
family will be there to watch her. She relished having that experience
last year at worlds.
“It was fabulous to have your family attend and see what it is you do.
It makes it that much more exciting for yourself.”
Lead Sonja Gaudet says “The experience I had in Torino is a benefit for
me. Until I went there I didn’t know how I was going to react in those
(big game) situations.
“I’m pretty good at that anyway, blocking out distraction and using
distraction in a positive light. To me that’s all good.”
Read what else they had to say
HERE
Toronto Star - There's no hard and
fast rule for who can play 3/7/2010
Toronto Star reporter Daniel Girard re-works the "curling's healing
power" storyline covering Jim Armstrong's re-emergence from the ashes of
a career blighted by physical injury.
He also acknowledges controversy over how Jim gets around, "because,
unlike most other wheelchair sports, curling's international governing
body does not have a hard and fast rule for who qualifies."
WCF eligibility rules, or ambiguous written guidelines?
You decide.
GB's McCreadie hints at retirement
(again) 3/6/2010
Four years ago, just after Great Britain
saw the gold medal they had been favourites to win, flash away with
their last rock. skip Frank Duffy and 3rd Michael McCreadie announced
their retirement from competitive wheelchair curling.
Frank did quit, but Michael, who'll be 64 on March 16th, soon re-stoked
the competitive fires. Next week extends a Paralympic career that began
in the pool 38 years ago in ago in Heidelberg, Germany, and continued
with bowls, wheelchair basketball and now curling.
"It's good to know that talent is still there from way back then," he
told The Press Association's Matt McGeehan.
"(Vancouver gold) would be one of the greatest achievements of my career
and maybe a good time to say bye-bye."
Read the interview
HERE.
Team Korea training in Mission,
BC 3/4/2010
The high demand for ice time shunted the
Korean team from their usual Richmond or New Westminster training sites,
inland to Mission BC this week, prior to the team moving into the
athlete's village over the weekend.
Moo Lee, a Canadian-Korean immigrant who has been helping Korean teams
train and compete in Canada, told
bclocalnews.com that the team was happy that not only were
Missionites hospitable and friendly, but their ice is up to the quality
that Olympians expect.
Watch USA train in Abbotsford
March 9 3/4/2010
Team USA will again be using the
Abbotsford Curling Club as a pre-competition training facility and will
hold an open practice session on Tuesday March 9 from 9am till 2 pm with
a short break for lunch.
"It's a big deal for our club," said Club Manager Tracy Sones, telling
the
Abbotsford News that the team had visited her club prior to the
World Championships last February.
Canadian wheelchair curlers win
Team Of The Year Award 3/3/2010
The Canadian wheelchair curling team was
named Team Of The Year after winning the 2009 World Championship.
The True Sport Foundation's award was presented at the 37th Canadian
Sports Awards, March 3rd in Toronto, recognising the country's top
amateur athletes. The winners were chosen by an independent jury and
were selected over the men’s IIHF world championship squad and the
national women’s water polo team.
Ina Forrest, Chris Sobkowicz and Team Leader Wendy Morgan attended the
luncheon.
Canada lead Sonja Gaudet to
carry torch 3/3/2010
The Canadian Paralympic Committee has
selected Team Canada lead Sonja Gaudet as one of 25 torch bearers to
take part in the Paralympic Torch Relay for the Vancouver 2010
Paralympic Winter Games.
"These individuals have been selected for their outstanding contribution
to the Paralympic Movement.
"Sonia Gaudet is on the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic wheelchair curling
team and is the only returning member of the Canadian team that struck
gold in Torino, Italy when wheelchair curling made its debut at the 2006
Paralympic Games. Since Torino, she has continued in her winning ways by
taking home a gold medal from the 2009 World Championships. She is an
ambassador with the Rick Hansen Foundation, the Canadian Paralympic
Committee, and VANOC, where she uses the power of sport and her
experience of overcoming challenges to motivate and inspire people of
all ages."
Click
HERE for full list
Wheelchair curling "so much
friendlier than regular curling" - Armstrong 3/3/2010
"Everybody is here after going through
their own personal difficulties," Armstrong, who was a dentist but
sounds like a fair psychologist, told The Vancouver Sun's Kent
Gilchrist. "They've been through some of life's reality, and egos are
checked at the door.
"It's so much friendlier than able-bodied curling."
Read the whole interview
HERE.
The man behind Armstrong's
re-emergence 3/2/2010
Canwest's Kent Gilchrist adds a twist to
the now familiar story of Team Canada skip Jim Armstrong's return to the
ice, suggesting Gerry Peckham, an old teammate and now CCA High
Performance Director, will deserve a medal for recruiting Armstrong to
the program.
"He may not be on the podium with Armstrong .. but he won't be far away
with a block-wide grin pasted on his face. For Peckham, who hooked up
with Armstrong to win back-to-back B.C. men's able-bodied titles in 1973
with Jack Tucker skipping and in '74 with Armstrong on the teeline, is
as responsible as anyone for getting Armstrong out of his easy chair and
into wheelchair curling."
Read the article HERE
When it was announced that Jim would join the training squad, initially
as an on-ice consultant, Peckham expressed surprise that any Canadian
would object. Two year's later Peckham can indeed take credit for
persevering past initial eligibility doubts, and injecting 40+ years of
experience at skip, in a sport not yet a decade old.
USA's Jimmy Joseph hoping for
gold for daughter's birthday 3/2/2010
Jimmy Joseph told the Herkimer Evening
Telegram the Paralympic final falls on his daughter’s third birthday.
“Hopefully, I’ll be playing for a gold medal to bring her home as a
present,” he said.
Read the full profile HERE
Learn to curl in Austin, Texas 3/2/2010
Last weekend's Learn to Curl session at
the Chapparral Ice Center in Austin, Texas, brought out over 400 people,
so the club is holding another session Sunday March 7th at 9.30 am.
“I think there’s potential here just to try a sport that really works
for every age group or physical ability,” club member Janet Hunter told
The Daily Texan. “We have people curling from age 8 to 80, even
wheelchair curling.”
Read more about Austin’s Lone Star Curling Club.
Gary Cormack to talk about his
Torino gold medal 3/1/2010
Gary Cormack, who played second for Team
Canada 2005-2008 and won a gold medal at the 2006 Torino Paralympics, is
giving a talk about his journey to the podium.
The multimedia presentation for the whole family is at the Surrey (BC)
Museum on Saturday, March 6 from 1-2 p.m. Details
HERE.
Cormack was drafted into the Chris Daw led team in 2005 when Ontario's
Bruce McAninch left the program. In addition to his Paralympic medal
he won a Canadian national title with Team Canada in 2006, and also
participated in the 2007 and 2008 World Championships.
He will skip the 2010 BC Hosts team at the Canadian Nationals in Kelowna
BC starting March 15th.
BBC Sport introduces GB's
professional wheelchair curlers 2/27/2010
The BBC sent a reporter to Stirling to
watch Team GB prepare for the Paralympics. As he mentions, curling is
the winter Olympic sport that captures the attention of the British
public, and after the struggles of the GB Olympic teams, the pressure
will be on the McCreadie rink, described as professional wheelchair
curlers.
You can watch the video
HERE
In the video you can see them delivering from in front of the hack as
opposed to near the hogline. WCF rules say that the stone at delivery
played from between the hack and the top of the rings, must touch the
centre line. Stones played between the top of the rings and the hogline
can be up to (approx.) 6 inches from centre, the outer edge of the stone
within 18 inches of the centre line.
GB's McCreadie "quietly confident
of gold" 2/26/2010
Team Great Britain skip Michael McCreadie
told reporters assembled at the team send off celebration at their teams
home ice at Braehead: said, “We’re quietly confident of bringing home
the gold medals.”
Bob Cowan reports Michael saying: "If we play at our best we will be
a real handful for any country in the world .... The GB Paralympic teams
work just as hard all year round and prepare for our winter games just
as much as the competitors who are presently out in Vancouver for the
Winter Olympics.”
You can read the rest of Bob's report
HERE.
Also a report from the
Paisley Express.
Though the GB team, all Scots, have as much experience and as many
medals as any team in the world, for the past two years they've been
undertaking what Tom Pendreigh their coach calls a "skill acquisition
project." This has included throwing from the top of the rings rather
than the near hogline.
Pendreigh expressed surprise when I contacted him last week at the
skepticism his project has provoked from those outside his program. He's
certain of its advantages and feels his team has overcome "expected and
managed" performance dips in the run up to the Paralympics.
GB plays Canada in the first draw, and a good result will give
McCreadie, who is still inexperienced at skip, all the confidence he
needs to reach the podium.
Wheelchair curling coming to New
Brunswick 2/22/2010
The Canadian Paraplegic Association of
New Brunswick are working with the Fredericton Curling Club to introduce
wheelchair curling to the province.
"Several of our clients said, 'What about wheelchair curling?' New
Brunswick and P.E.I. are the only provinces in Canada that haven't
fielded wheelchair curling teams to the national championships. Our
clients were saying it would be nice to formally introduce it in New
Brunswick," the CPA's Haley Flaro told
The Daily Gleaner.
"When the Fredericton Curling Club moved into the coliseum, we now had a
relatively accessible rink. That was an opportunity to try and get
something going."
The give-it-a-go day is Saturday February 27.
Read the article for more information
Team GB putting on a demo Feb 24
at East Kilbride 2/22/2010
Team Britain will demonstrate their sport
at the East Kilbride Ice Rink, East Kilbride centre, on Wednesday 24
February, 12noon-1.00pm.
CLICK HERE for details.
Lessard sees off Victoria CC
challenge at Quebec Provincial 2/21/2010
Benoit Lessard skipped his Lennoxville CC
team to a sweep of the challengers from the Victoria CC in Quebec City.
He won the third match of the best of 5 series 11-4, settling down after
going behind 4-0 on steals in the first two ends.
The big end was again the downfall for Jean-François Sylvestre, who
allowed a steal of 5 in the 4th.
Lessard 0 0 1 5 1 2 2 X - 11
Sylvestre 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 X - 4
The Quebec champions round out the ten teams that will contest the
Canadian Nationals in Kelowna BC, March 15-21. It will be their second
appearance, after going a very respectable 3-6 in their rookie year.
Team GB enter and win Scottish
Championships 2/21/2010
Team Great Britain, all Scots, were one
of ten teams competing in this weekend's Scottish Championship at
Aberdeen. They went unbeaten, stealing in the 5th and 6th to take the
final 7-2 against Jim Elliot. (thanks
Bob Cowan)
Full results are
HERE
It was never a possibility that Team Canada would compete in a national
championship prior to the Paralympics, though Jim Armstrong, before his
latest injury, had told me he was open to competing in his provincial
championship had not the Nationals been forced to schedule at the same
time as the Paralympics.
Hosts Team Lessard 2-0 in best
of 5 Quebec Provincial 2/20/2010
Ben Lessard led his Lennoxville CC rink
to a 2 game lead in their best of 5 series against Jean-François
Sylvestre of the Victoria CC in Quebec City.
The Lennoxville team has only been
curling for a couple of seasons, but that experience showed in
comfortable 16-4 and 11-2 wins over the rookie visitors.
"The difference for our team was in not
giving up big ends," explained assistant coach Dan Janidlo. "The second
game was close until we scored 4 in the 7th."
Teams: Lennoxville - Benoit Lessard
(skip), Carl Marquis (3rd), Denis Grenier (2nd) and Johanne Daly (lead)
with Nicole Huberdeau (5th), coach Alfred Whittier assisted by Dan
Janidlo.
Victoria CC - Jean-François Sylvestre
(skip), Michel Verreault (3rd), Allan Burridge (2nd), France Sévigny
(lead) with Maxime Aubé (5th), and coachesJacques Palasse, Pierre
Morneau and Jacques Deschênes.
Championship information can be found
HERE
Ottawa's Cameron wins Dominion
Ontario Championship 2/20/2010
Bruce Cameron's rink curling out of the
RA Curling Club brought Ottawa its first provincial title when he beat
three time champion Chris Rees from Toronto 8-3 in the final of the
Dominion Ontario Championship.
Cameron lost his third to surgery just before the event but steered his
side back from a 3-1 deficit after 2 ends to post four steals in an 8-3
victory.
Cameron 1 0 1 1 1 2 2 X 8
Rees 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 X 3
His win doubles the number of rookies (8 excluding alternates) slated to
appear at the Nationals in Kelowna BC, March 15-21, with the final team,
Quebec, to be decided tomorrow.
Full championship details can be found
HERE
Quebec holds first Provincial
Championship 2/19/2010
Wheelchair curling in Quebec began at the
Lennoxville CC where Al Whittier, assisted by Daniel Janidlo moulded a
group of established athletes accomplished in other disciplines into a
team that represented their province for the first time in 2009.
This year a late challenge from Qubec City has meant that there will be
a Quebec provincial championship with the winner earning their passage
to the 2010 Nationals in Kelowna March 15-21.
The best of five matches series is scheduled for this weekend in
Lennoxville. Games times are Saturday February 20, 1pm and 4pm, and
Sunday 21st at 9am and if necessary noon and 3pm.
Rees crushes Gregory's hopes of
repeat Ontario title 2/19/2010
3-time Ontario champion Chris Rees
(Toronto) booked his place in the final of the 2010 Dominion Ontario
Provincials by beating defending champion Ken Gregory (Bradford) 10-1 in
the semi-final. Gregory, who had relied on a last end 4 in the morning's
last round robin draw to squeak into afternoon play, had no answer for
Rees, who took 2 in the first and then stole to 9-0 lead after 5 ends.
The Rees rink, with Carl Bax (3rd) Dal Wrigley (2nd) and Shauna Petrie
will hope to revenge an extra end round robin defeat, when they meet
Ottawa's Bruce Cameron in Saturday morning's final - 10.30 am at the
Collingwood CC.
The semi-final loss will disappoint a team that had travelled to Utica
for the US Open (as did Bruce Cameron) to gain competition experience.
Frank Cannarella (3rd) will also lose his record of appearing in every
national championship, an achievement he shared with 2010 Team BC skip
Whitney Warren.
Lines scores can be found
HERE
Final end 4 puts Gregory in
Ontario semi-final 2/19/2010
For most of the game it looked like
defending Ontario champion Ken Gregory would become entangled in a
three-way tie of 1-3 teams for third place in the Dominion Ontario
Provincials at the Collingwood CC this morning.
Down 5-3 after 6, he gave up a steal in 7 but then posted 4 in the final
end to give Ottawa's Bruce Cameron his first defeat 7-6. He closed with
a 2-2 record, good enough for this afternoon's 2 vs 3 semi-final against
Toronto's Chris Rees who beat Richard Fraser 9-4 to finish 3-1.
Cameron (3-1) went straight through to Saturday's final having stolen a
9-8 win over Rees in round robin play.
Final camp and exhibition
matches for Team Canada 2/18/2010
Team Canada have their final training
camp this weekend at the Richmond CC.
Their last tournament game was in December, but they have brought
invitees like Alberta's Jack Smart and Manitoba's Chris Sobkowicz into
camp to play alongside Jackie Roy and Bruno Yizek for practice sessions.
Last weekend they won 2 of 3 three matches against Whitney Warren's Team
BC.
This weekend I am told the Richmond CC has arranged games for Friday and
Saturday though I do not have details. The team will attend Friday
evening's Olympic women's draw.
for those looking for team news I have this from Team Leader Wendy
Morgan:
Team Canada is very excited about the upcoming Paralympic Games in
our home country!
We do not feel pressure to compete in Canada, we welcome that
opportunity as a rare privilege!
'Home field advantage' for us, will be having family and friends to
share this experience with...to celebrate the wins, have comfort after
losses and live support in the stands.
Team Canada has been focused on team building, refining strategies,
enhancing communication skills and technical tweaking for the last 2
months.
We have had several practice games at our 2 January camps and our final
camp this weekend, in Richmond, will focus on final details of
competition and event readiness.
We recognize the presence of expectations...that is the reality of sport
at the highest level. The roster of countries and players competing in
2010 is one of experience, talent, and this 2010 field is very level.
Team Canada is healthy, anxious to play and most eager to put the Maple
Leaf on our backs!
Our primary goal is make the playoff round. Our focus however is one
game at a time.
We look forward to cheering on our Ladies and Men's Olympic teams this
week in Vancouver.
Go Canada Go!
I also had a lengthy and less general conversation with Coach Rea that I
will use in a future post.
Ottawa's Cameron through to
Dominion Provincial final 2/18/2010
Bruce Cameron's Ottawa rink rolled to a
third victory on Day 2 of the Dominion Ontario Provincials at the
Collingwood CC. beating Tpronto's Chris Rees 9-8 on a steal in an extra
end. At 3-0 he is assured of a first place finish in the 5 team round
robin, and will go straight through to the final.
Bradbury's defending champion Gregory lost to 2008 champion Rees 7-5 in
the morning draw but registered his first win in the afternoon, beating
Iderton's Claus 11-3. Claus beat Ottawa's Fraser in the other morning
game; his team's first ever competitive win.
Cameron plays Gregory in the final round robin draw with Gregory needing
a win to assure at least a tie-break. If Rees beats Fraser he'll go into
the 2 vs 3 semi-final. If Fraser and Gregory win tomorrow, there will be
a three way tie for second. If Cameron and Rees win there's a 3 way tie
for third. If Rees and Gregory win they'll face off again in the
semi-final.
Tomorrow
Cameron vs Gregory
Rees vs Fraser
Standings after 4 draws
Cameron 3-0
Rees 2-1
Fraser 1-2
Gregory 1-2
Claus 1-3
You can find line scores
HERE
Cameron takes early lead at
Dominion Ontario Provincials 2/17/2010
Bruce Cameron's Ottawa rink won both
their games on the opening day of the Dominion Ontario Wheelchair
Curling Championships at the Collingwood CC. Cameron, out of the RA
Curling Club beat fellow Ottawan Richard Fraser from the North
Greenville CC 9-6 in the morning draw despite giving up a steal of 4 in
the 3rd. In the afternoon Cameron posted a 14-1 win over Iderton's Lance
Claus
Cameron's rink suffered a blow when their third, Doug Morris. underwent
a scheduled back surgery yesterday. Jamie Eddy moved from second,
replaced by rookie Andre Beaudin, who has been practicing with Team
Cameron all season.
Eddy is in his fourth season of curling and the second on Team Cameron.
He represented Canada at sledge hockey in the Lillihammer and Nagano
Paralympics. He is legally blind and uses binoculars and a CCA approved
guide light to assist his accuracy.
Defending champion Ken Gregory lost his opening draw to Fraser 10-9,
after going behind by 6 after two ends. Fraser took 2 with hammer in the
eighth for the victory.
In the day's other game, Toronto's Chris Rees, the 2008 champion, beat
Claus 13-2.
You can find team members and line scores
HERE
it would take a gun to keep me out
of the line-up now! - Armstrong 2/16/2010
Want the definitive word on Jim
Armstrong's injury status? The message is the same as already described
on the blog, but here it is, as requested, from Jim himself.
Hi, Eric:
Thanks for inquiring about my health again. As we had discussed a few
weeks ago, I certainly did aggravate my surgerized left shoulder.
Ironically, I strained it lifting a box, because the shoulder was
actually feeling good enough, I actually forgot to be as careful as I
should. I had it medically assessed, and, given the time frame, further
surgical repair, even if needed, would be impractical, and would
certainly have taken me out of the Paralympics.
Fortunately, our Program now has on staff a tremendous physiotherapist,
Paige Larson. Paige has huge professional experience providing treatment
for Team Canada at a number of Olympic and Paralympic Games. I have been
getting treatment regularly, every two or three days, and I am certainly
improving week to week.
As you have indicated, I am struggling with everyday mobility, but it is
now more of an inconvenience than a threat to my ability to play. I know
it still looks worse than it is, since my neck tends to accommodate for
the shoulder tenderness, and I am now dealing with neck stiffness.
The entire team and staff are ready to rock, and it would take a gun to
keep me out of the line-up now!
All the best, and keep up the good work, Eric.
When I mentioned Jim's health to national team coach Joe Rae earlier
today, he said; "I'll shoot him if I catch him lifting heavy boxes
again before the Paralympics."
Had the team prepared for the possibility of Jim's absence? "We have
prepared for all eventualities, for the absence of any of our players.
And no, I'm not going to say what those plans are."
If I were Joe, neither would I.
Team Gregory looking beyond 2010 2/12/2010
Katie Paialunga, who plays second on Ken
Gregory's Bradford based Ontario championship team, admits to looking
beyond 2010, to the 2011 Nationals where she hopes the winner will be
declared Team Canada, breaking the current selection process.
“We’d like to win the provincial this year,” Paialunga trold
Dan Plouffe of the Orléans Star. “However, it’s not our overall
goal.”
The next goal for the Gregory rink is to win a national title in 2011,
which would then lead to an appearance in the world championships. After
being passed over in favour of British Columbia-based individuals to
represent Canada at the 2010 Paralympics, the long-term goal Paialunga
holds is to compete in the 2014 Paralympic Games in Sochi, Russia.
“We’ve got another four years to get working on being the best team,”
she added.
Now she just has to help her team past four other competitors in
Ontario's Dominion Provincial Championships at Collingwood CC February
17-20.
Top secret biomechanical
research aids TC shooting accuracy 2/12/2010
Team Canada's wheelchair curlers have
been part of a top secret research program out of the University of
Alberta that has been analysing and subsequently fine tuning delivery
motions using computer analysis of high speed photography.
Phys. Ed. lecturer Pierre Baudin said that the research on wheelchair
curling was significant because it had not been explored before.
“Probably the biggest impact we had was on the wheelchair curlers.
Nobody had ever done research on wheelchair curlers before and so we
were starting from scratch there and a lot of the things they were doing
were biomechanically incorrect [...] we changed a number of things for
all the curlers.”
Read the article
HERE
There's a lot that goes into a successfully thrown stone and certainly a
biomechanically efficient delivery is an important element. But so too
are being disciplined about where you place the stone, and the chair in
relation to the stone, and the broom in relation to the chair and the
stone, in addition to being able to regulate the speed of the throw when
contact with the stone is measured in fractions of a second.
Working out what motions best accommodate a particular wheelchair users
muscle set can help, and if the analysis breeds confidence, so much the
better.
Armstrong injury update 2/12/2010
Several people have mentioned to me that
from their observation, Team Canada skip Jim Armstrong is carrying the
injury to his non-throwing shoulder with obvious discomfort. While there
has been no official comment from the team, my understanding is that the
injury is uncomfortable, and does affect his mobility, but is not
expected to be an issue as far as playing is concerned.
Jim is fortunate in that he can use his legs in addition to or in place
of his non-throwing arm, to brace his delivery.
Experienced users of manual wheelchairs know what a strain is placed on
shoulders. Throwing rocks from a chair compounds that strain. So it is
no great surprise that Jim, with body already worn from decades of
sweeping, may be feeling pain, particularly if he felt the need to play
catch-up in training after being inactive after last year's shoulder
surgery and car accident.
Though Canada would prefer a fully fit Armstrong throwing fourth stones,
his major contribution to the team is not the ability to throw takeout
weight. Were his injury to worsen, they could easily let him skip from
lead. Were that to happen though, would they just move Sonja, Ina and
Darryl up the order, or would they bring in Bruno at third and sit
Sonja?
And who would skip were Jim not able to play? Canadians, especially the
coaches, hope these questions will never need answers, but what would
you do?
Canada's only female skip bringing
her team to Halifax 2/8/2010
Newfoundland & Labrador's provincial team
will play a series of exhibition games at the Halifax CC this weekend,
February 13-14, against Team Nova Scotia. Both teams finished at 3-6 at
last year's Nationals in Nova Scotia.
Newfoundland & Labrador lost their skip when Chris Daw relocated to
Vancouver, so Joanne MacDonald steps up from 3rd and will become the
first woman to skip a provincial side. Darlene Jackman, Lanie Woodfine
and Felix Green all return from last year's rookie provincial squad.
Team Nova Scotia have added Debbie Earle to last year's team, and the
exhibitions will be their first opportunity to compete as a provincial
unit.
Games are at 9am and 1pm on February 13th, and 11am and 3.30pm on the
14th.
Team Canada finalists for True
Sport Foundation's Team of the Year 2/7/2010
Team Canada are one of three finalists
for the True Sport Foundation's award of Team of the Year, to be
presented at the 37th Canadian Sports Awards, March 3rd in Toronto.
They are up against the men’s IIHF world championship squad and the
national women’s water polo team.
“The annual Canadian Sport Awards is the ideal time to honour our
amateur athletes,” said Victor Lachance, executive director of the True
Sport Foundation. “It will be a great way to cap off the thrill of the
Vancouver 2010 Olympics and get revved up for the Paralympic Games.”
Read the press release
here.
Meet the new champs, same as the
old champs 2/7/2010
It was deja vu all over again in Edmonton
and Kenora as Jack Smart and Wayne Ficek successfully defended their
Provincial titles.
Smart's Calgary rink, with Anne Hibberd and Bridget Wilson maintaining
their record of making every Alberta provincial team, beat Edmonton's
Cliff Nuspl 11-2, completing a tournament where they averaged 8 point
winning margins in their 5 games.
It was a much tighter affair in Kenora, where local favourite Ficek
faced Thunder Bay's Carl Levesque, 7-4 winner over Dawid in Saturday's
semi-final. It was a back and forth game with Levesque stealing an early
lead but being held to a single with hammer in the 8th, forcing an extra
end.
In the extra the play was in the four foot with Ficek second Chester
Draper drawing to the top of the 4, and Thunder Bay's Ron Brunelle
playing a tap back. Ficek 3rd Mark Wherrett drew to the four foot but
Levesque, facing two, put his last rock in the four foot just behind the
t-line to sit shot.
Ficek, with his last rock, drew down to it to win by a measurement.
Final score 7-6.
Ficek 0
0 2 0 3 0 1 0 1 - 7
Levesque 1 1 0 1 0 2 0 1 0 - 6
Alberta and N. Ontario Provincials
Day 2 2/6/2010
In Edmonton, Jack Smart finished round
robin play with a 13-3 defeat of Edmonton's Donaldson in just 6 ends at the Alberta Provincials. Nuspal beat Keith
12-3 in 7 ends setting up an all Calgary (Smart and Keith) and all
Edmonton (Donaldson and Nuspl) semi-final.
Both semi-finals ended in early 6th end handshakes, as Smart beat Keith
14-1 and Nuspl beat Donaldson 9-1, setting up a north vs. south final,
12.30pm at the Jasper Place CC.
In Kenora, Wayne Ficek beat Richard Dawid 6-3 to advance to Sunday's N.
Ontario provincial final against the winner of the Levesque/Dawid
semi-final. Results will be posted
HERE.
Alberta and N. Ontario Championships
underway 2/5/2010
Current champion Wayne Ficek took 6 in
the 3rd end of a 9-3 victory playing Thunder Bay's Carl Levesque on home
ice in the opening draw of the Shoppers Home Healthcare 2010 N. Ontario
Championship at the Kenora CC.
Levesque had a chance to get back on track in the evening draw, facing
fellow Fort William curler Richard Dawid. Steals in end 3, 4 and 5 saw
him cruise to a comfortable 11-2 win.
Results will be posted
HERE.
Teams
Wayne Ficek - Skip, Mark Wherrett 3rd, Chester Draper 2nd, Cindy
Hoffstrom & Denise Miault alternate at lead, Tom Wherrett - Coach
Carl Levesque - Skip, Ron Brunelle 3rd, Rick Bell 2nd, Sharon LaFroye -
lead, David Kawahara - Coach
Richard Dawid - Skip, Gino Sonego 3rd, Terry Lynch 2nd, Linda Kontunen -
lead, Mike Bergquist - Coach
In the Alberta Championship at the Jasper Place CC, Edmonton,
defending champion Jack Smart beat Edmonton's Nuspl 8-3 in the opening
draw, and fellow Calgarian Keith was doubled up by Edmonton's Donaldson
7-14.
In Draw 2 it was Smart over Keith 14-2 and Nuspl over Donaldson 8-4.
Calgary
Jack Smart - Skip, Anne Hibberd 3rd, Martin Purvis 2nd. Bridget
Wilson - Lead
Tony Zummack - Coach
Dale Keith - Skip, Bruce Matthews 3rd, Ron Pawlyk 2nd, Wanda Pizzinato -
Lead, Curtis Junor - Alternate, Glen Brunelle - Coach
Edmonton
Cliff Nuspl - Skip, Warren Fleury 3rd, Mike McMullan 2nd, Shawna Walsh -
Lead,
Romeo Johnson - Alternate, David Jerke - Coach
Don Donaldson - Skip, Doug MacEachern 3rd, Don Munroe 2nd, Bonna Gerlitz
- Lead, Marie Laframboise - Alternate, Wanda Crawford - Coach
Championship weekend for Alberta
and N. Ontario 2/4/2010
Two teams from Calgary will travel to
Edmonton's Jasper Place CC to challenge two Edmonton teams for Alberta's
Provincial Championship. Jack Smart's Calgary champions make one forced
change. Last year's 5th, Martin Purvis, replaces Bruno Yizek who'll be
on Team Canada duty during the Nationals. They'll play with the
confidence of knowing that they have represented their province at every
national championship, coming within a whisker of gold in 2009.
The second Calgary team has Dale Keith at skip, Bruce Matthews at third,
with rookies Ron Pawlyk at second, Wanda Pizzinato at lead and Curtis
Junor as the alternate.
This will be Keith's third appearance at the Provincial Championship,
his first as Skip. Matthews is also making his third appearance at this
event. The team is Coached by Glen Brunelle, Coordinator of the Calgary
Wheelchair Curling Association.
The Shoppers Home Healthcare 2010 N. Ontario Championship sees 2009
champion Wayne Ficek fielding an unchanged team, as his Kenora club
hosts Thunder Bay rivals Carl Levesque and Richard Dawid from the Fort
William CC. These three teams have just returned from the Ontario
Parasport Winter Games, where Levesque took silver and Ficek took
bronze.
Team USA works with non-profits
to boost adaptive curling 2/3/2010
Team USA is based at the Utica CC and
works closely with SITRIN (Success Through Adaptive Recreation and
Sports) which has joined forces with The Central Association for the
Blind and Visually Impaired, and United Cerebral Palsey to raise funds
to enable all their patients curl.
USA Team Leader Marc DePerno, a SITRIN employee, told the Utica Daily
News curling has become a competitive sport for some, but it's also a
fun and dynamic rehabilitation tool.
"First and foremost," DePerno said, "it's about collaboration --
friendships, getting out and about; adaptive sports provide an avenue
for you to improve your quality of life and self esteem, and make
friendships. It's a chance to excel in an area of life you didnt realize
you could, and when a person comes to try it, they usually get hooked."
Physically, adaptive curling is excellent, too, DePerno said.
"The great thing is, it does not require as much physical mobility as
other adaptive sports," DePerno pointed out. "Curling basically opens
the door to a whole other area of disabilities."
Read the whole article.
USA's McDonald has another
chance to represent his country 2/3/2010
Californian Patrick McDonald, the only
Team USA curler not competing out of the Utica CC, is profiled
HERE.
What’s the coolest thing about being a Paralympian?
“I get to represent our country again,” says the patriot, who served as
a Cavalry Scout 19 Delta from 1989 to 1992.
Karen Blachford named as 2010 RBC
Olympian 2/3/2010
Karen Blachford, a member of the original
Team Canada and who retired from the national squad after winning a gold
medal at the 2006 Torino Paralympics, has been chosen by the Royal Bank
of Canada to be a 2010 Olympian.
Their website description of the program: "The RBC Olympians program
hires both Canadian Olympic and Paralympic athletes as community
ambassadors who bring Olympic messages of excellence and leadership to
Canadian communities.
Athletes are provided with the opportunity to gain valuable skills that
will help them prepare for life after sport, while also receiving
much-needed funding to help them realize their Olympic and Paralympic
dreams."
CLICK HERE for details of her citation.
Whitney Warren skips to BC
provincial title 1/31/2010
Prince George's Whitney Warren, one of
only two players to have appeared in every National Championship, will
this year skip the defending national champions on home ice. His team of
Frank LaBounty (3rd), Gerry Austgarden and rookie lead Allison Duddy
beat Gary Cormack 7-1 in the final of the three team championship.
Cormack, with Rich Green, Vince Miele and Corrine Jensen blanked the
first three ends before taking their single point at the half-time
break. Warren scored two in the fifth, stole one in the sixth and made
it handshake time with a steal of four in the seventh.
Both teams will compete in Kelowna at the Nationals, March 15-21, with
Cormack's team playing as BC Hosts to round out a ten team field.
It is worth noting that both Warren and LaBounty are quads who use power
chairs. They have also won gold at the previous three national
championships, twice with Jim Armstrong at skip and in 2007 with Darryl
Neighbour skipping.
Full provincial championship details
HERE
Norway complete
sweep in Perth 1/31/2010
Norway finished the final pre-Paralympic
tournament with a six game sweep against major opposition in Perth,
Scotland. The beat Great Britain, Sweden, Germany and Switzerland and
two Scots development teams.
The final table is
HERE.
Though Norway's new coach Per Christensen has not officially announced
his Paralympic team, it appears from
Bob Cowan's photos of the event that the team may be the one that
competed at the 2009 Worlds.
Cormack
advances to final of BC provincial 1/30/2010
Paralympian gold medalist Gary Cormack's
CVCG Avengers, with Rich Green (3rd) Vince Miele and Corrine Jensen
advance to the final of the BC Provincials after beating Whitney Warren
and Cyril Kinatkin in the three game round robin.
Whitney, with fellow multiple National Champion teammate Frank LaBounty
(3rd), Torino gold medalist Gerry Austgarden and rookie Allison Duddy
will face Cyril Kinatkin in a semi-final.
The semi-final is at 10am and the final at 2pm Sunday January 31. The
losing finalist will become the BC Host Team.
Results can be found
here.
Team Canada coach Joe Rea talks
to his hometown paper 1/30/2010
Team Canada coach Joe Rea tells Jason
Peters of the Prince George Citizen that coaching the national team has
fulfilled the dream of wearing a Team Canada jacket that eluded him as a
player.
"To have this opportunity to go to a Paralympics in your own country and
represent your country is the biggest honour I'll ever have," he said.
Read the interview
HERE.
Norway pull ahead of strong
Paralympic field 1/30/2010
Norway posted two more wins against
Paralympic contenders on the second day of competition at Perth,
Scotland. The defeated Sweden 6-4 and Gemany 7-6. They also beat
Scotland I 6-4 to end the day 5-0, two games ahead of Great Britain
(3-0).
Results can be found
HERE.
Norway start strong at season's
last pre-Paralympic spiel 1/29/2010
Five national teams and a couple of
Scottish development squads are competing at the Dewar's Centre in
Perth, playing alongside teams competing for the Scottish Ladies'
Championship.
Norway started well, beating Scotland II
9-7 and then Great Britain 6-4. Their coach, Per Christenson, who has
yet to officially announce his Paralympic side, had said he didn't want
his team to peak too early and Norways performances too date have been
patchy. But they have been the side that Canada has found difficult to
beat when it mattered.
Great Britain straddled their loss with
comfortable wins over Scotland I and Scotland II, with Aileen Neilson
reportedly throwing fourth stones.
In other matches, Sweden beat Switzerland
6-3 while Scotland I overcame Scotland II 6-4. Results can be
found
HERE.
Using the Paralympics to
publicise the sport 1/28/2010
Team GB third Aileen Neilson gave an
extended interview to
Paul Thomson of the East Kilbride News. She talks about her life
before her disability, how she came into wheelchair curling, how she has
prepared for Vancouver and her hopes for success.
Scots curlers, who make up the Great Britain team, are generously
financed by the government and appear to see publicity as part of their
responsibility to the sport. I have recently linked to articles
mentioning every member of their team.
Team USA also feature regularly in the press and media, as the USA
curling authorities understand that the national team is their best
advertisement for increasing participation. Again I have linked to
articles on all the team.
Canada has instituted a pre-Paralympics media protocol explicitly
discouraging informal press (including me) contact with team members,
and insisting that all requests for interviews be cleared with a "media
liason officer." Standard procedure. apparently, but just one reason why
you'll find so little information about the team on this blog, or read
mainstream media stories covering anything other than Jim Armstrong's
phoenix-like rise from the ashes of a ruined able-bodied curling career.
Team Canada, also funded by public money, should be doing everything in
their power to court publicity, realising that often means not only
going out of their way to contact media with stories, but supplying
journalists, notoriously lazy, with material.
Instead they issue no press releases, or invitations to watch the team
prepare. They don't train in different locales while inviting local
curlers to interact with the team, which would attract local TV.
You can call it necessary focus, and claim that gold in Vancouver wipes
away all objections, but making a two year campaign solely about winning
a gold medal puts everything in just one basket, and we can only hope
it's a sturdy one.
To be successful a sport has to make its audience care about the
participants. If all Canadians are asked to care about is a gold medal,
then it's a disaster getting anything less. But more, once the
competition is over, people will stop caring, and that's no way to
nuture a sport and provide for the future.
USA skip in "I compete clean" TV
anti-doping campaign 1/28/2010
Team USA skip Augusto Perez, and his
photogenic family, are part of the US Anti-Doping Agency's latest media
campaign.
See blog for video.
Premier championnat provincial
de curling en fauteuil roulant
Curling Québec est fier d’annoncer la
tenue de son premier championnat provincial de curling en fauteuil
roulant qui sera présenté les 20 et 21 février prochain sur les glaces
du club de curling Lennoxville, dans la région de l’Estrie.
Le directeur général de Curling Québec ne cache pas son enthousiasme
face à cette annonce : « Nous sommes particulièrement excités d’assister
à ce moment historique du curling au Québec. La plupart de nos
championnats provinciaux existent depuis plusieurs années, certains
datent du début du siècle dernier. Par contre, de vivre la première
édition d’un événement qui perdurera dans le temps demeure quelque chose
de spécial ».
« L’an dernier, nous avons identifié et envoyé pour la première fois une
équipe du Québec au Championnat canadien de curling en fauteuil roulant.
Cette année, cette équipe devra remporter le titre québécois pour
mériter ce privilège » mentionne M. Berthelot.
Précisons que l’équipe championne représentera le Québec au Championnat
canadien de curling en fauteuil roulant qui sera présenté du 16 au 21
mars à Kelowna en C.-B.
La directrice générale de l’Association québécoise de sports en fauteuil
roulant (AQSFR), Mme José Malo, applaudit cette initiative : « Le
curling est un sport inscrit au Jeux Paralympique d’hiver et gagne a
être connu puisqu’il peut être pratiqué par la majorité des personnes en
fauteuil roulant. Il a été important pour nous de supporter les clubs
qui ont initié cette pratique au Québec. Je tiens aussi à souligner le
dynamisme et la grande réceptivité de Curling Québec dans ce mouvement.
Grâce à ce travail d’équipe cet événement deviendra une tradition
québécoise ».
Pour la première édition, deux équipes s’affronteront dans une série 3
de 5. L’équipe qui a représenté le Québec l’année dernière au
championnat canadien et aussi représentante du Club de curling
Lennoxville est composée du capitaine Benoit Lessard, Carl Marquis (3e),
Denis Grenier (2e), Johanne Daly (1ère) et Nicole Huberdeau (5e). Cette
équipe est entraînée par le duo formé d’Alfred Whittier et Dan Janidlo.
Ils seront opposés à l’équipe représentante du Club de curling Victoria
(Québec), formée de Jean-François Sylvestre (capitaine), Michel
Verreault (3e), Allan Burridge (2e), France Sévigny (1ère) et Maxime
Aubé (5e). Leurs entraîneurs sont Jacques Palasse, Pierre Morneau et
Jacques Deschênes.
Les parties débuteront le samedi 20 février à 13h. La cérémonie
d’ouverture sera présentée à 11h et pour l’occasion, nous procéderons au
dévoilement du trophée qui sera présenté à l’équipe championne à la fin
de cette compétition.
Rick Mercer curls from a
wheelchair 1/27/2010
Canadian comedian Rick Mercer filmed a
segment on wheelchair curling shown on Canadian TV last year.
For those who missed it, you can
view it on our blog
No change in WCF attitude to
powered wheelchairs 1/27/2010
When issues concerning wheelchair curling
arise at the World Curling Federation, the executive looks to their
vice-President Kate Caithness, for guidance. Wheelchair curling is very
much "her baby.'
To see how closely and emotionally involved she is, you have only to
read the
Autumn 2009 issue of Paralympian Magazine
(pdf). Without her,
not only would wheelchair curling not be standing on a world stage; it
is doubtful that Canadian wheelchair users would be playing at all.
The CCA created a team so that Canada would be represented at the World
Championships. Then BC, under Linda Moore, were determined that Ontario
wheelchair curlers, who made up the original team, would not go
unchallenged so CurlBC spent money to create a team. Eight years later
we have eight provinces and nine provincial teams, represented at our
own national championships.
So we owe Kate Caithness a debt of gratitude for pushing the sport into
existence. Her latest project has been to re-examine eligibility and
assessment procedures that may bring even more participation.
Which makes it all the more puzzling why the WCF stands by its
recommendation that powered wheelchairs be banned from WCF sponsored
competition, including World Championships and the Paralympics.
Here is a link to my January Wheelchair
Watch (Issue 4) column which outlines the issues as I see them.
GB's Jim Sellar to retire if
successful in Vancouver 1/27/2010
Team Great Britain's Jim Sellar, the
likely fifth in Vancouver, told the Bellshill Speaker that he will
retire from competitive sports if successful in Vancouver. Sellar (53),
who is also a champion bowler, has curled for nine years and has
represented Scotland at five World Championships, winning gold in 2004.
Read the article
HERE.
Gregory takes gold at Ontario
Parasport Winter Games 1/24/2010
Ken Gregory's Bradford rink rebounded
from a morning final round robin draw defeat by beating Thunder Bay's
Carl Levesque in an extra end of the gold medal tie-break game at the
Ontario Parasport Winter Games at the Kingston CC.
Gregory went out to an early 5-0 lead with a steal of 4 in the second,
but gave back a steal of 3 in the fourth. Levesque took 2 in the eighth
to force the extra, but conceded a single to lose 8-7 to the far more
experienced Bradford team.
Levesque 0 0 3 1 0 1 0 2 0 - 7
Gregory 1 4 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 - 8
Team Gregory will now be favourites to repeat as Ontario Champions at
the Provincials February 17-20 at the Collingwood CC.
Scores are
HERE.
In sign of maturing sport, 7 of
9 provinces hold playdowns 1/23/2010
Nine provinces have agreed to send teams
to the Canadian Nationals taking place in Kelowna, BC from March 15-21,
the same dates as the Paralympics.
It had been hoped to have 10 provincial teams, but PEI
made a late decision to wait another year before competing. BC will
supply an additional "host" team to make up the numbers as happened last
year in Nova Scotia.
In a very positive sign of the maturing of the competitive side of the
sport, seven of the nine have held or will be holding playdowns to
choose their representatives. Team Saskatchewan were chosen last
December, but Team Sobkowicz in Manitoba and Team Fitzgerald in Nova
Scotia have already won their berths.
Team formation in BC has been limited by the three females remaining
after Sonja Gaudet and Ina Forrest made Team Canada and three-time gold
medalist Jackie Roy, who trained with the national team, chose to stay
in Vancouver to support them. Three teams compete for the two slots at
the Juan de Fuca Centre, January 29 - 31. Ex-Canada teammates Gary
Cormack and Gerry Austgarden will be opponents, though neither will
skip. Teams are
HERE and draw details
HERE.
Alberta are holding a four team round robin with playoffs February 5-7
in Edmonton at the Jasper Curling Club. Two teams will be from Calgary
and two from Edmonton. Calgary's Jack Smart came within an inch of
taking the title from BC at the 2009 Championship, but this year will be
without Bruno Yizek who'll most likely be bench warming in Vancouver.
Anne Hibberd, who was unable to play last year, steps in at 3rd while
Martin Purvis continues at 2nd.
Curling in Quebec has been centred on the Lennoxville CC, but they
received a late provincial challenge from the Victoria CC in Quebec
City. Lennoxville will host a playdown February 20-21. They will hope to
have their skip, Ben Lessard back from the serious injuries he sustained
in a water-skiing accident last summer. He'll play with Denis Grenier
and Carl Marquis. Competition for the two female slots will be decided
at a try-out session between Johanne Daly, Johanne Poulin and Nicole
Huberdeau.
Kenora hosts Northern Ontario's three team playdown February 5-7, with
local Provincial Champion Wayne Ficek hoping to again upset the Fort
William CC's Team Levesque and Team Dawid from Thunder Bay.
Ontario have avoided the angst of last year by agreeing not to penalise
areas supporting more than one team.This year the OCA agreed to allow
participation up to the total team limit allowed regular curlers; so
five teams will compete at the Collingwood CC from February 17-20.
Bradford's 2009 Provincial Champion Ken Gregory will face Toronto's
Chris Rees, Ottawa's Bruce Cameron and Richard Fraser, and Ilderton's
Lance Claus, skipping a rookie squad coached by Ernie Comerford, who
jump-started wheelchair curling in Alberta.
Chris Daw commenting from the
sidelines 1/23/2010
The Vancouver Sun's Lyndon Little, in an
interview posted on Kelowna.com, talks to ex-Team Canada skip Chris Daw
about his new life as manager of the Vancouver CC and his thoughts on
Canada's Paralympics prospects.
Little writes that Daw insists the last thing he wants to do is to put
any undue pressure on the team wearing the Maple Leaf.
"All I'm saying is that I feel this team has every opportunity to hit
the podium," assesses Daw. "Having been there before, my advice is they
can do it as long as they keep their energy levels up and that their
focus on the process remains level. They can't afford to look at the
prize before they have it."
Read the full article
HERE.
PEI sponsoring another
wheelchair curling clinic 1/23/2010
The PEI Curling Association is sponsoring
a free demonstration and workshop at the
Crapaud
Community Curling Club on Sunday January 31. A similar event was
held in December, but the inclement weather kept many people from
attending. It is hoped that representatives from all PEI curling clubs
can attend these sessions.
The wheelchair curling demonstration will be held from 10.00am-1.00pm.
Those interested in participating should contact
Gayle Johnston at 902-368-1071.
“We are delighted to be able to put on this workshop and clinic,” said
Gayle Johnston, Technical Coordinator for the PEI Curling Association.
“We encourage anybody who uses a wheelchair, to come out and see what it
is all about. Curling is the most social of sports, and disability
should be no barrier to participating and having fun.”
PEI had hoped to field a provincial team at this year's Nationals, but
have decided till 2011.
Final international during
Scottish Men's Championships 1/23/2010
Bob Cowan reminds me that Great Britain will host the final
international spiel before the Paralympics when they share the ice with
the Scottish Men's Championships at the Dewar's Centre in Aberdeen.
Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and Norway will compete in the seven team
field that includes two teams from the Scottish Wheelchair Curling
Association's performance pool.
The wheelchair event begins January 29th and you can find the draw
HERE.
GB 3rd Aileen Neilson is interviewed in the East Kilbride News
HERE.
Team Gregory 4-0 at Ontario
Parasport Winter Games 1/23/2010
Ken Gregory's Bradford rink is leading
the six team field at the Ontario Winter Games. With one draw to play
they have a 4-0 record, and having already beaten Carl Levesque's 3-1
Thunder Bay squad, look set to take home gold regardless of the outcome
of tomorrow's draw. They play Kenora's Wayne Ficek, and may be looking
for some revenge after the 13-0 drubbing the were handed in a tie-break
at he 2009 Nationals.
Scores are
HERE.
2010 Ontario Parasport Winter
Games - Jan 22-24 1/19/2010
The Royal Kingston CC is hosting the
curling component of the 5 sport 2010 Ontario Paasport Games from
January 22-24. Six teams wil be competing: Ficek (Kenora), Levseque and
Dawid (Thunder Bay), Rees (Toronto), Gregory (Bradford) and Cameron
(Ottawa).
The first draw of the round robin event is 10am Friday Jan. 22 with the
final scheduled for 2.30pm Sunday Jan. 24. Tie-breaks will only be held
in the event of a tie for gold.
The complete Games schedule can be found
HERE. Results wll be posted on the Ontario Curling Association's
website.
(The Nordic skiing has been cancelled because of lack of snow.)
Team Fitzgerald win Nova Scotia
playdown 1/17/2010
Team Fitzgerald beat Team Brown 3-1 in a best of 5
series at the Lakeshore CC today to become Team Nova Scotia.
The series was tied at one overnight, but Fitzgerald stole one for a 5-4
win in an extra end in Draw 3 and, up one without the hammer in the 6th
and final end of Draw 4, stole 2 to win 7-4.
Mike Fitzgerald, Laughie Rutt and Trendall Hubley-Bolivar, who all
played in the 2009 Nationals, will be joined by rookie Debbie Earle at
the Nationals in Kelowna March 15-21.
Four sport Paralympian Tom
Killin profiled 1/16/2010
Tom Killin, expected to play second on
Team Great Britain in Vancouver, began his Paralympic career at Arnhem
in 1980. Now 59, he has competed in four Olympic sports at the games
over a 30-year period, including basketball, fencing and table tennis.
"It takes you right round the world, you see some amazing places" Tom
told Adam Morris. "I'm away somewhere every month, it's a full-time job
now."
Read the complete profile
HERE.
Team Great Britain officially
announced 1/16/2010
The Royal Caledonian CC, the governing
body of British curling, announced a familiar five names as the official
Team Great Britain. Michael McCreadie will skip an all Scot squad that
includes two other members of the team that suffered the heartbreak loss
to Canada in Turin., Angie Malone and Tom Killin. They are joined by
Aileen Neilson who took a leave of absence from her teaching job to
train ful-time, and Jim Sellar who has attended four World
Championships.
Said Michael McCreadie: "It is an honour for me to Skip the British team
at the Paralympics in Vancouver. I make up 20% of the playing Team and
there are four others who are truly world class performers. We have
worked extremely hard to get back into winning ways, with the results
from this year's tour clearly indicating we are on the right track.
Preparations have gone really well and we plan in the next nine weeks to
hone ourselves into a formidable adversary ready to take on the rest of
the world."
Read the official announcement
HERE.
Curling is expanding in the San
Francisco Bay area 1/16/2010
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that
curling is coming to downtown Oakland. The San Francisco Bay Area
Curling Club is expanding beyond San Jose and Fremont, with a curling
Open House at the Oakland Ice Centre on January 30th.
It being California, the rocks are cooled before use.And with one of the
largest populations of young and active physically disabled people
living in neighbouring Berkeley, there's lots of candidates for
wheelchair curling.
Curling began with mostly Canadians, but now it's mostly locals with
plans to get local High Schools involved. Read the whole article
HERE.
"Don't hold back," says Team USA
skip 'Goose' Perez 1/16/2010
Action Online, the magazine of the United
Spinal, includes Team USA's Augusto Perez in a group of athletes asked
to talk about their outlook on life. As befitting his style of play on
the ice, Goose is forthright and positive.
“The first thing is to get over the idea that people look at you because
of the chair or any other device. People got better things to do than to
worry about how we look, and if they do it is their problem not yours,”
Perez says.
Read the rest of his refreshing outlook on life
HERE.
Brown and
Fitzgerald tied after first day of NS playdown 1/16/2010
Two three man teams are playing a best of
five series to decide who claims Debbie Earle and represents Nova Scotia
at the Nationals in Kelowna. [see 1/7/2010 post below]. In draw 1 it was
Fitzgerald 8-2, with reuslts reversed in the evening as Brown won 7-3.
There will be two draws Sunday (17th) and a decider Friday January 22 if
necessary.
CLICK HERE for Ian Readey's photos of the day's play.
Team Sobkowicz takes Manitoba
playdown
1/16/2010
Chris Sobkowicz will represent Manitoba
for the fifth time at the CanadianNational in Kelowna, March 15-21, after
defeating Richard Dudek in a best of three playdown at the East St. Paul
Curling Club. He made one change from the 2009 team, George Horning
replacing Michael Alberg. Alberg played for
the challengers, with Don Kalinsky and Effie Loubardias.
Manitoba are an experienced side and will
be favoured to improve on the bronze medals they won at the previous two
Nationals; especially with with BC losing JIm Armstrong and Alberta
losing Brno Yizek to the Paralympics.
Italy take the 2010 Identa Cup
1/10/2010
Andrea Tabanelli skipped Team Italy to a
6-0 record to win Germany's 2010 Identa Cup. Italy was one of two
Paralympic teams in the seven team field. Jens Jager's Germany finished
4th with a 3-2-1 record.
At the 2009 Worlds Italy lost their opening draw to Germany, but then
won four consecutive matches, including a 9-5 defeat of Canada, before
fading to a 4-5 record overall.
Click
HERE for full line scores and the final table.
Nova Scotia playdown winner gets
the girl
1/7/2010
Making wheelchair curling a mixed gender
sport was, according to WCF VP Kate Caithness, a key selling point in
the campaign to join Paralympic Games. Recruiting female curlers,
however, has been a struggle in Canada.
Nova Scotia came up with a creative solution by having a two team 3 on 3
playdown with the winner claiming Debbie Earle, the lone female, as
their fourth member.
The playdown will be best of five games played January 16 and 17, and 22
if necessary at the Lakeshore CC in Lower Sackville, site of the 2009
Nationals.
Team (Richard) Brown has Terry Cousineuau and Keith Williams and Team
(Michael) Fitzgerald has Laughie Rutt and Trendal Hubley-Bolivar.
The Lakeshore CC program has been going a few years now and has an
active core of players who participate in regular league play and also
the stick curling league. A new group is getting started at the Halifax
CC, meeting on Sunday afternoons at 3.30 and supported by the Canadian
Paraplegic Association. For more information contact
Darrell Robar.
Team Saskatchewan selected
1/7/2010
The five person team that will represent
Sakatchewan at the 2010 National Championship in Kelowna next March has
been selected. There is one change from the 2010 team, with Terry Hart
replacing Calvin Bird.
The team: Del Huber (Regina) Gil Dash
(Wolseley) Marie Wright (Moose Jaw) Darwin Bender (Regina) and Terry
Hart (Regina). The team will again be coached by Lorraine Arguin (Moose
Jaw) assisted by Bob Capp (Regina).
Official Team Canada profiles online
1/6/2010
Did you know that Darryl Neighbour has 13 siblings? Find out more about
the Team Canada members on the Canadian Paralympic Comittee's website.
Jim Armstrong -
Darryl Neighbour -
Ina Forrest -
Sonja Gaudet -
Bruno Yizek
Jim Armstrong interviewed on Shaw
TV
1/6/2010
Team Canada skip Jim Armstrong gave an
interview to an old friend, Fanny Keifer of Vancouver's Studio 4 Shaw
Cable broadcast. Sitting in a regular studio chair, he talked about his
transition to wheelchair curling, how strategy in the wheelchair game is
different from regular curling, and stumbled into describing eligibility
for wheelchair curling in terms of what the rules may become next April.
You can watch the 14 minute interview
HERE
2010 Identa Cup
in Schwenningen, Germany January 8-10
1/4/2010
Jens Jäger's Team Hunters, who will
represent Germany at the Vancouver Paralympics, are hosting the 2010
Identa Cup in Schwenningen, January 8-10.
Seven teams will compete, including
squads from Switzerland, Italy and the Czech Republic. The draw is
HERE.
Curl at the Callie
1/4/2010
Things may be looking up for wheelchair
users in Saskatchewan as I have been contacted twice since Christmas by
people involved in promoting the sport.
At the moment activity is centred on the
Callie CC in Regina and wheelchair users have ice time on Monday
afternoons. Darwin Bender and Del Huber of
2009 Team
Saskatchewan, who finished a very creditable 4-5 in their first
appearance at the Canadian Nationals in 2009, are part of a wheelchair
team that plays in an Open League Wednesday evenings.
It's a Christmas Quiz! 12/24/2009
So how closely do you follow wheelchair
curling, and how closely do you read the blog?
Try your hand at
our Christmas Quiz. Answers are
HERE.
No. Ontario skip chosen to carry
Olympic torch in Kenora 12/21/2009
Wayne Ficek has been given the honour of
representing his home Kenora by carrying the Olympic torch on it's last
leg into Kenora, ON.
"I was just pretty excited, honored to be able to do it and humbled a
little bit," he told
The Lake Of The Woods Enterprise. "I think it's a wonderful
opportunity, a once-in-a-lifetime type thing, eh?"
Wayne sits on various boards and advisory panels and was nominated by
friends in the community as recognition for the work he has done over
many years to advance the causes of disabled Kenorans.
He is also skip of the reigning Northern Ontario wheelchair curling
champions, finishing fourth above Ontario at the 2009 Championships. His
team, leads Denise Miault and Cindy Hoffstrom, second Chester Draper and
third Mark Wherrett, defeated rival Thunder Bay rinks by a score of 14 –
0 against Team Dawid and 7 – 2 against Team Levesque at the Fort William
CC at the launch of the club's new elevator.
The same teams will compete in January's Ontario Winter Games and the
No. Ontario Curling Championships in Kenora February 5-7, 2010 for the
right to represent Northern Ontario at the National Championships in
Kelowna B.C.the following month.
The rationale behind Team GB's
changed delivery zone 12/18/2009
The Institute Of Sport, SportScotland's
high performances arm, has published a paper describing why Team Great
Britain throw from 10 or 15 feet further from the near hogline than any
other team.
The short answer is that Coach Tom Pendreigh in consultation with Senior
Sports Psychologist John Marchant, and Head of Sports Science and
Innovation, Malcolm Fairweather, think they found a competitive edge.
Moving closer to the hack at delivery allows the stone to cross the
hogline further from the centre line, widening the range available of
shots.
The coaches expected an initial "dip" in performance, evident in
Scotland requiring a tie-break victory at the 2009 Worlds to avoid
having to re qualify. But with the goal Vancouver 2010, and resources
devoted to physical conditioning and psychological profiling, the
coaches "see their hard work paying off, with a team who are more
unified, happier and more performance focused than ever before."
Read
the report HERE.
Some quick observations.
Recent rule changes moving rocks from centre line at delivery negate
much of the presumed advantage.
Vancouver 2010 ice, based on the 2009 Worlds, will have plenty of swing,
perhaps making it unnecessary to add more width by moving back.
The further away you throw, he more opportunity for things to go wrong.
Players moving forward to throw takeout weight add another variable for
the person holding the broom.
And finally, other international high performance coaches have had two
years to consider this experiment and have declined to follow suit. Team
GB will have to keep believing that they are right and everyone else is
wrong.
My personal take: this may have seemed a good idea under the old rules,
and started a multi-disciplinary process that gathered a momentum
impossible to stop, or perhaps stopping would have been even more
disruptive than playing it out.
Wheelchair curlers were Britain's only medallists at the Torino
Paralympics. Their
semi-professional squad faces enormous pressure to win. They've gambled
on a radical change they hope will come good in March. If it does,
they'll be copied. If it doesn't look for Coach Pendreigh to take the
blame.
GB finish the
year win win at Lausanne Bonspiel 12/16/2009
Team Great Britain followed their
appearance in the final of the Kathy Kerr in Ottawa by traveling to
Lausanne, Switzerland the following weekend. Two teams from Great
Britain competed against eight teams from France and Switzerland, with
Manfred Bollinger's Berne team expected to offer the stiffest opposition
to the McCreadie rink.
Unfortunately, the Swiss and Berne skip Manfred Bollinger caught his
hand in a door and broke a finger and was unable to compete.
Great Britain went undefeated, beating a team from the Strasbourg CC
19-3 in the final. Team GB's coach Tom Pendreigh's report on the trip is
HERE.
Great Britain have one more event on their pre-Paralympics schedule, a
home spiel with Sweden, Germany and Norway expected to compete.
Team GB's Aileen Nielson talks
about the team's progress 12/16/2009
Though Scottish wheelchair curlers have
struggled in recent years, after a bronze at the 2007 World
Championships failing to bring home major silverware from the past two
World Championships, Aileen Nelson told
Chris Cottrell:
"Sometimes the pressure of expectation really drives you on. I think
that's the effect it's had on us and we've used it in our build up and
preparation for the event.
"Wheelchair curling is still a relatively new sport and I think there's
been major progressions from other countries as players have become more
experienced over the last few years.
"But we've been quite busy travelling over the past few months,
preparing for Vancouver and things have been going really well."
Read the whole interview
HERE
Radio-Canada Estrie a visité le
Club de Curling de Lennoxville 12/15/2009
Radio-Canada Estrie a visité le Club de
Curling de Lennoxville pour en apprendre plus sur le curling en fauteuil
roulant. Mireille Roberge, animatrice de l'émission "Plan de match"
s'est entretenu avec quelques-uns des joueurs en fauteuil roulant de ce
club incluant le 3e joueur de l'équipe du Québec Carl Marquis et le
capitaine Benoit Lessard qui porte toujours une attelle sur la jambe
suite à un grave accident de ski nautique survenu l'été dernier.
Le vidéo d'une durée de sept minutes est une très bonne publicité
pour le jeu.
Fort William CC now has an
elevator to the bar 12/15/2009
Dave Kawahara and Dave Forester get the
credit for starting the process that raised $370,000 for the elevator
project. Wheelchair user and club member Terry Lynch told
TBNewswatch.com that curling is 10 per cent on the ice and 90 per
cent social.
"I’m now a full member of the club," Lynch said. "I was always a member but
now…when there is a function or event or send off of a team, I can now
participate in them and be fully involved."
“There are not
a lot of curling clubs across the province that are 100 per cent
accessible,” said MPP Michael Gravelle told
The Chronicle-Journal. “They basically raised the standard of what
they can do.”
Read the article's by
Jeff Labine and
Graham Strong on the Grand Opening.
Rock & Roll Funspiel January 23rd
in Bradford ON 12/15/2009
The Bradford CC is teaming up with the
Canadian Paraplegic Association to host the Rock & Roll Funspiel on
Saturday January 23rd.
Bradford is the home club of Team Ontario
skip Ken Gregory who
told the Bradford Times that he changed venues from Toronto when the
club made the ice and washrooms accessible six years ago.
The organizers hope the spiel will build
interest in curling, and especially in wheelchair curling as an activity
for those with spinal cord injuries.
"It's one of the few sports that
wheelchair and able-bodied can play on equal ground," Gregory says.
The goals are to raise funds for the
Canadian Paraplegic Association Ontario, but also to raise awareness of
the challenges and triumphs of people with spinal cord injuries living
in the municipality. You can see the event poster and registration
details HERE or
register on-line
HERE.
Jim Armstrong took part in the opening
ceremonies of the Tim Horton's Road To The Roar Olympic Trials in
Edmonton, along with many familiar faces pictured above.
Visit the blog to see a photo. How many faces do you recognise?
He was also featured in a six minute nationally televised profile prior
to TSN's coverage of the Women's Olympic Qualifying Final.
Link on the blog.
Russ Peake and Monique LaCoste
to call Vancouver Games 12/9/2009
Alberta Sport Hall of Fame announcer
Calgarian Russ Peake will join Winnipeg's Monique LaCoste as the
commentators for wheelchair curling at the 2010 Paralympic Games.
Jacqui Kapinowski completes 52nd
marathon 12/9/2009
Team USA lead Jacqui Kapinowski completed
her 52nd marathon this past weekend in Palm Beaches, Florida. The next
day she flew to Utah to try for a spot on the archery team for the 2012
Paralympic Summer Games.
"I don't know if I will be able to pull back the bow, my arms will be so
sore," she told the
Sun Sentinel.
(The winning time for the wheelchair division, won by Dane Pilon, of
Fayetteville, N.C., was 1:12:47 for the 26.2 miles, more than 17 minutes
faster than the runner-up.)
Armstrong - "Too soon for
Paralympic trials" 12/7/2009
Jim Armstrong participated in the opening
ceremonies at the Olympic Trials in Edmonton Sunday, one of four holding
brooms for ceremonial first rocks. Sun Media's CON GRIWKOWSKY Con
Griwkowsky took the opportunity to profile him.
Even though Armstrong found the idea
of holding an Olympic wheelchair qualifier at the same time as a
Canadian curling trials compelling, he figured it might be an idea best
saved for sometime in the future.
"You know what? Wheelchair curling is still a little young," said the
personable Armstrong, a former dentist.
"We've certainly got the infrastructure, but we don't quite have enough
bodies yet. It's coming, but we're only eight or nine years in Canada.
Give it a few years and, yeah, it might make sense."
Read the complete article.
Fortunately we have four years to argue
the case and justify a Paralympic Trials.
Get a (better) grip, says coach
Ernie Comerford 12/4/2009
Coach Ernie Comerford
(London Ontario) has some suggestions for possible delivery stick handle
improvements.
"I have been experimenting
with additions to some delivery sticks with handles from garden tools to
see if this might help the thrower throw more easily and be more
consistently accurate. Feel free to improve on these ideas."
To see what Ernie is
suggesting, with photos,
see the blog.
Communication key to USA success
says coach Brown 12/4/2009
Team USA coach Steve Brown
told Universal Sports reporter Josh George that involving all the
team members in the game will help skip Augusto 'Goose' Perez and
improve the team.
“When you can get four people, four sets
of eyes (assessing the situation), you’ll be a lot stronger than one,”
Brown said during a phone interview.
"Goose knows the strategy comparable to
the top teams, but he is still going to make mistakes sometimes,” said
Brown. “But if you have that extra set of eyes, instead of making a call
that is almost guaranteed to backfire, you have someone making you take
that second look.”
Vice-skip Jim Pierce commented after the
US Open, "We did gain some ground in communication, which is a huge
thing....Everybody has to stay in the game, you can’t just shoot your
two shots and be done.”
Read what you will between the lines
here, but having met the team and seen them play, I know Goose is a
forceful personality who relishes the big occasion and the opportunity
to make the spectacular shot. If he is able to draw on the insights of
the quieter members of his team, the game calling may become less
adventurous, but USA's medal prospects may improve.
End the WCF ban on power
wheelchairs now! 12/3/2009
The World Curling Federation, at its
semi-annual meeting taking place in Aberdeen this month during the
European Championships (regular curling) has two items on the agenda
directly affecting wheelchair curlers.
Agenda item 22 - Should electric wheelchairs be allowed at
World Wheelchair Curling Championships? WCF Recommendation:
Electric wheelchairs should not be allowed at World Wheelchair Curling
Championships or their qualifying events.
You can read my reasons for wanting the ban lifted in the Wheelchair
Watch column in the
December issue of SWEEP d-Mag.
Curlers using power chairs have more than enough obstacles to overcome
without being victimised by discriminatory rules based on impressions
rather than evidence. The ban will continue unless you contact your WCF
representative and ask them to end the ban now.
A second proposal under consideration is to extend the eligibility for
wheelchair curling beyond the present definition of "requiring a
wheelchair for daily mobility" to including people with substantial
(described and evaluated) disabilities who are unable to curl without
the use of a wheelchair.
This proposal is part of a substantial discussion document prepared by
the WCF vice-President Kate Caithness concerning classification and
eligibility, as well as addressing the fact that there is no present
mechanism to appeal a classification decision (in either direction).
There is no present WCF support beyond promises of further study for
Michaael
McCreadie's suggestion to include more severely disabled wheelchair
users in a separate classification, mandating inclusion on competitive
teams.
Final decisions on rule changes will be made at the WCF annual meeting
in April, but delegates are meeting this month in Aberdeen to discuss
what changes might be made.
Make your voice heard.
Jim Armstrong to be a special
guest at Olympic Trials 12/3/2009
Jim Armstrong will be one of the special
guests at the Opening Ceremonies at the Tim Horton's Roar Of The Rings
in Edmonton.
He can discuss with Randy Ferbey the mechanics of external team
selection.
Ferbey insists that he won't allow the CCA to influence his pick of
a 5th player should he win the Olympic trials.
CCA chief Greg Stremlaw is
quoted as saying that the CCA owes a duty to the Canadian Olympic
Committee to not allow just anyone (a 5th) to play. "Obviously the
individual can't be just anybody, right?"
Apart from the insulting inference that a skip on a competitive team
would select "just anybody," Stemlaw is wrong if he cares about the
overall heath of the sport he is paid to oversee.
The health of a sport relies on the enthusiasm of its participants, not
the ambitions of administrators and funders. The ability to choose who
you play with is the essential fertilizer of Canadian grassroots
curling. Canada does well internationally because from those grassroots
grow a great many teams, raising each other's play by competing as a
unit to be the best.
If you define a sport in terms of podium success, you end up with a tiny
group of sponsored athletes drawn from an ever-diminishing pool that
will see no incentive to grow larger. That's how it is in most
countries, and that's how it may, but does not need to become in Canada.
While Armstrong has bought into the apologists' argument that there has
not been enough players to justify a 'win to play' system in wheelchair
curling, and is fulsome in his praise for the team members who have been
chosen to play alongside him, he tells me he is open to exploring other
proposals after the Paralympics.
USA beat Great Britain in Cathy
Kerr final 11/29/2009
Teams had
an early start Sunday morning as the semi-finals of the the Annual Cathy
Kerr Memorial Spiel began at 8.30am at Ottawa's RA Club.
Great Britain beat Chris Sobkowicz's Manitobans 6-3 and USA beat last
year's Ontario champions Team Gregory 8-6.
In the afternoon final it was USA over Great Britain 9-4, with Gregory
claiming bronze with a 9-5 win over Sobkowicz. Great Britain had Michael
McCreadie calling the game from 3rd with Aileen Nielsen throwing last
rocks. Team USA rotated their fifth player, who then skipped the USA 2
side.
In the recreation division Robert Michel was the winner and Aaron
Wong-Sing was the runner-up. Both teams are from Ottawa.
The results mean that Bruce Cameron, Ken Gregory and Chris Rees all
qualify for the Ontario ParaSports Winter Games to be held in Kingston
in January 2010. Richard Fraser will be the alternate.
During the semis and finals, the other competitive teams curled for
pride and experience so everyone had six games over the weekend.
Swiss overwhelm Norway to win
Czech Open - Canada 3rd 11/29/2009
Switzerland beat a full strength Canada
8-4 in the semi-final of the Czech Open in Prague today. They opened
with a single point, scored facing four Canadian stones, then gave up 3
in the second. The game turned in the 3rd when Switzerland scored 5, and
Canada were unable to recover, giving up a steal of 1 in the 4th to be
down 7-3 at the break. Canada did have a chance for 3 in the 6th, but
only scored 1 and the teams shook hands with Canada run out of rocks in
the 7th.
In the other semi, Norway scored 4 in the final end for a come from
behind victory over Sweden 8-6.
Switzerland, with the highly experienced Manfred Bollinger at skip,
fielded a team with just one change from the squad that struggled at the
2009 Worlds. In the final they overwhelmed Norway 7-1, allowing the
single point in the final end.
Canada redeemed themselves with a 4-1 win over Sweden to take 3rd place.
Final
Norway 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
X 1
Switzerland 1 0 3 1 1 1 0 X 7
Bronze
Canada 0 0 0 1 2 1 0 X 4
Sweden 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 X 1
(Q) There were a lot of blank ends. Was that intentional, to keep
things clean? Wendy Morgan - "It was the game plan based on ice
conditions."
*Q) And how would you describe the ice conditions?
Wendy Morgan - "Previous games heavy and inconsistent - the final game
sheet 4 was the best sheet we played on during the event - the 3 blank
ends were the result of outstanding execution by both teams in a
defensive style of play."
Morgan professed to being happy with the trip. "It was a terrific
competition - we are very pleased with our results and moving forward to
the new year."
That's understandable coach-speak, but the trip demonstrated that Canada
can not expect to have things all their own way. They lost to Finland in
a game that did not matter, and to Switzerland in a game that did. No
cause for panic, and Jim Armstrong's play will doubtless improve as he
continues his recovery from injury and is able to put in the ice-time to
reach the standard Canada will need in Vancouver. But Sweden,
Switzerland, USA and Great Britain have all won international events
this year. Norway's play is improving ("We don't want to peak too
early," says coach Christensen.) And Korea threaten to break the rocks
with their hitting game.
It's going to be interesting in Vancouver.
GB, USA, Manitoba
and Gregory in Cathy Kerr semis 11/28/2009
The four most experienced teams won
through to Sunday's semi-finals at the 5th Annual Cathy Kerr Memorial
Spiel in Ottawa.
Great Britain beat Ken Gregory's Bradford team that represented Ontario
at the 2009 Nationals 10-2 in today's 8.30am draw. USA had a tougher
match, coming out ahead of Chris Sobkowicz's Manitobans 5-4.
GB were back on the ice at 11am, this time posting a 10-3 win over USA
II. Their third draw of the day was a 16-0 rout of the inexperienced
London ON side.
Manitoba had a 6-4 win over host Cameron, and a 6-5 win over Quebec,
while USA beat Ottawa's Fraser 6-0 and finished with a 6-5 win over
Cameron.
Gregory beat previous Ontario champion Chris Rees' Toronta team 7-5 and
finished the day with a 5-5 tie against USA II.
Tomorrow's semi-finals are Gregory v. USA 1 and Great Britain v.
Manitoba.
Scores from today's games are below.
Draw 3 - Saturday November 28th 8.30am
Quebec 10 - Fraser 1
Great Britain 10 - Gregory 2
USA 1 5 - Manitoba 4
Rees 17 - London - 2
Draw 4 - Saturday November 28th 11am
USA 1 6 - Fraser 0
Manitoba 6 - Cameron 4
Great Britain 10 - USA 2 3
Gregory 7 - Rees 5
Draw 5 - Saturday November 28th 2.30pm
Gregory 5 - USA 2 5 (tie)
Great Britain 16 - London 0
Manitoba 6 - Quebec 5
USA1 6 - Cameron 5
Unranked Finland upset Canada,
Canada & Norway top pools 11/28/2009
Canada were upset by Finland, a team that
have never appeared in a World Championship, in the morning draw of the
second day of the Czech Open in Prague.
They gave up single steals in the first two ends, and a steal of 3 in
the 5th before making the 8-5 scoreline a little more respectable with a
steal of 3 of their own in the seventh and final end. Bruno Yizek played
at second in place of ina. This was a team decision to give Bruno some
playing time and experience at different positions.
"Finland played very well - Canada struggled with weight control," texts
Team Leader Wendy Morgan. "The team is upbeat - took some lessons
learned from this morning's game."
Sweden came back from a 4-0 deficit to beat Czech 1 6-5 in a match that
only managed to play 6 ends in the allotted time. Germany saw Norway
take singles in each of the first four ends in a 5-2 defeat in seven
ends. The low scoring reminded some of their Draw 9 match-up at the 2009
Worlds contest, where the teams blanked the first four ends.
Switzerland posted a 7-5 win over Czech 2 in the remaining morning draw.
Finland 1 1 0 3 3 0 0 - 8
Canada* 0 0 1 0 0 1 3 - 5
Czech 1 2 1 1 0 0 1 - - 5
Sweden* 0 0 0 3 3 0 - - 6
Germany 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 - 2
Norway* 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 - 5
Czech 2* 0 1 0 0 3 1 - 5
Switzerland 4 0 2 1 0 0 - 7
In the afternoon draw, Canada went into the break level with Czech 1,
but had steals in the next three ends to win 7-3.
"We had a slow start to the game this afternoon but rallied in the
second half," texts Wendy Morgan. "Sonja sat and Bruno played lead."
Norway pounded Czech 2 by 13-1 and Sweden took 5 in the third against
Finland and won 9-4.
Germany gave up a steal of 3 in the first and 1 in the second, but eked
out a win over Switzerland by scoring 3 in the final end of a game that
only managed 6 ends in the allotted two hours.
Norway 2 2 1 1 0 3 2 2 - 13
Czech 2* 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 - 1
Switzerland 3 1 0 0 1 0 - - - 5
Germany* 0 0 2 1 0 3 - - - 6
Canada* 1 0 0 1 1 1 3 0 - 7
Czech 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 - 3
Sweden 0 0 5 0 2 0 2 - - 9
Finland* 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 - - 4
Table after round robin
Pool A
1 Norway
2 Switzerland
3 Germany
4 Czech 2
Pool B
1 Canada
2 Sweden
3 Finland
4 Czech 1
Norway plays Sweden and Switzerland plays Canada in tomorrow's
semi-finals.
Meanwhile Great Britain and USA
play in Ottawa 11/27/2009
Bruce Cameron and the Capital Wheelchair
Curling Club have assembled the largest competitive field outside of a
national championships for the 5th Annual Cathy Kerr Memorial Spiel at
the RA Curling Club in Ottawa this weekend.
Ten teams, including Great Britain and two teams from the USA are
competing against teams from Manitoba, Quebec and five Ontario teams.
This is also a qualifying event to become one of the three teams that
wlll attend the Ontario Winter ParaSports Games to be held in Kingston
in January 2010.
There are two pools
Group A
Gregory (Bradford)
Rees (Toronto)
London (Claus)
Great Britain (McCreadie)
USA 2
Group B
Cameron (Ottawa)
Fraser (Ottawa)
USA 1 (Perez)
Manitoba (Sobkowicz)
Quebec
Draw 1 Results
Manitoba 6-4 Fraser (Ottawa)
Great Britain 9-5 Rees (Toronto)
USA 2 17-4 Claus (London)
Cameron (Ottawa) 11-4 Quebec
Draw 2 Results
USA 2 8-7 Rees (Toronto)
USA 1 11-2 Quebec
Gregory (Bradford) 16-0 Claus (London)
Cameron (Ottawa) 9-4 Fraser (Ottawa)
There is also a recreational division with four teams from the Capital
Wheelchair urling Club and one team from Quebec.
It's deja vu all over again for
Canada/Sweden at Czech Open 11/27/2009
The opening draw of the 2009 Czech Open
in Prague matched the 2009 Worlds finalists and Canada again scored 9 to
win. Canada went out to an early 6-0 lead, taking 2 with the hammer and
stealing 3 and 1 before Sweden got on the board with 2 before the
half-time break.
Whatever caoch Tomas Nordin told his team seemed to work as Sweden made
the scoreboard more respectable with single steals in the 5th and 6th,
but a 3 for Canada in the 7th brought the match to an early 9-4
conclusion.
"Fast start, were slower the two ends after the break - ice was patchy
and we changed our game to deal with the conditions," texted Team Leader
Wendy Morgan. Before play, coaches approached the organizers and
requested that the matches originally scheduled for 6 ends and 80
minutes, be extended to 8 ends with a bell at two hours, closer to the
Paralympics format.
In other games, Norway, whose coach told me prior to the tournament
start that his team were on an upward trajectory but that he didn't want
them to peak before Vancouver, had a steal of 4 against Switzerland but
were only able to score in two of the seven ends played, losing 9-6.
Germany overpowered Czech 2, opening with a 4 then stealing multiple
points each of the next four ends, running out 13-2 winners. Finland,
who have yet to appear on the World stage, tied 6-6 with Czech 1.
CANADA 2 3 1 0 0 0 3 x 9
SWEDEN 0 0 0 2 1 1 0 x 4
NORWAY 0 0 0 2 4 0 0 x 6
SWITZERLAND 1 2 3 0 0 2 1 x 9
GERMANY 4 2 2 2 3 0 x x 13
CZECH 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 x x 2
FINLAND 3 1 1 0 1 0 0 x 6
CZECH 1 0 0 0 4 0 1 1 x 6
Bruno Yizek, Canada's 5th, did not play. He will replace Sonja Gaudet at
lead in tomorrow morning's draw against Finland.
Crapaud CC in P.E.I. to host
Wheelchair Curling Workshops 11/25/2009
The PEI Curling Association is looking to
expand its programs this season by attracting those who are either
vision impaired, or use a wheelchair.
A demonstration and workshop for interested participants, or volunteers
who would like to coach and guide, is being held at the Crapaud
Community Curling Club on Sunday December 6. It is hoped that
representatives from all PEI curling clubs can attend these sessions.
The wheelchair demonstration will be held from 10.00am-1.00pm. For more
information contact
Gayle Johnston at 902-368-1071.
CLICK HERE for a link to the event poster
"I'll personally be disappointed
without gold" - Jim Armstrong 11/25/2009
Canada skip Jim Armstrong is one of five
Olympians and Paralympians Canada.com's North Shore News selects as
"athletes you should know" in the run-up to the Games.
"We'll be disappointed if we aren't on
the podium," Armstrong says. "I personally will be disappointed without
gold." [read more]
10 team field at 5th Annual Cathy
Kerr Memorial in Ottawa 11/24/2009
The 5th Annual Cathy Kerr Memorial
Bonspiel will be held at the RA Curling Club in Ottawa this weekend,
November 27 -29.
There will be a competitive division of ten teams, including Team Great
Britain, two USA teams, Team Manitoba, Team Quebec, Ken Gregory's 2009
Ontario champions, and four other Ontario teams.
There will also be a recreational division, with four teams from the
Capital WCC and one from Quebec.
Canada had been scheduled to play, but decided that the competition
offered at the Prague spiel the same weekend better suited their
training needs.
Canada leave for Prague 11/23/2009
Canada fly out to Prague tomorrow
(Tuesday November 24th) for the 4th Open Czech Wheelchair Curling
Tournament 2009. It is an eight team field, with two pools for round
robin play beginning Friday with a final on Sunday November 29th.
Pool A
Norway
Switzerland
Germany
Czech B
Pool B
Canada
Sweden
Finland
Czech A
Teams were seeded and placed in the pools according to their WCF
Paralympics qualification points.
Canada's first game is against Sweden on Friday November 27 (8am ET, 5am
Pac)
Vancouver CC hosts Canada/Japan
exhibition 11/23/2009
Team Canada skip Jim Armstrong returned
to the club displaying many of his achievements as an able-bodied
curler, in an exhibition match against Paralympic contenders Japan.
It was not a happy home-coming, as Team Canada lost 8-3. The ice was
reported as extremely fast, and either Japan adjusted to the challenging
conditions, or Canada found it hard to believe the broom. Either way,
Jim had a tough game, short on a draw for an additional point in 3,
short in the 6th to give up a steal of 1, and missing an open hit in 7
to give up 3.
CANADA 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0
3
JAPAN 0 2 0 1 0 1 3 1 8
Since the of Chris Daw as Manager, the entire lower level of the
Vancouver CC has been made wheelchair accessible. The club welcomes
wheelchair users and will be hosting curling events n the new year aimed
at disabled curlers inspired to try out the sport by the publicity
surrounding the Paralympics.
USA 1 beat Ottawa at 2009 US Open
in repeat of 2008 final
11/22/2009
Team USA faced last last year's finalists
Team Cameron from Ottawa in the 2009 US Open final at the Utica CC in
New York. Skip Goose Perez executed a perfect hit and roll to the button
with the last rock of the 8th end for a single point and a 5-4 win.
USA II beat Bradford 8-7 to take bronze.
Other results:
Day 2 - Draw 3:
USA 1 7-1 USA II
Ottawa 10-7 Bradford
Draw 4:
USA II 8-12 Bradford
USA 1 10-6 Ottawa
Draw 5:
USA 1 5-6 Bradford in 9 ends
USA II 9-11 Ottawa
Day 3 - Draw 6:
USA pool of players was shuffled for this game
USA 1 1-9 USA II
Ottawa 9-2 Bradford
News Channel 2 WKTV Utica NY had a
short news report.
Fairness demands
two-tier participation - Michael McCreadie
11/21/2009
Team Great Britain skip Michael McCreadie
is one of the world's most experienced wheelchair curlers, with decades
of participation in other wheelchair sports. He feels that the time has
come for the introduction of a two-tier classification that will force
inclusion of more severely disabled wheelchair users onto teams
competing under WCF rules.
"The original rule is a real strength of wheelchair curling. The game
was established for players who use a wheelchair for “daily mobility”.
Players within the sport, in my view, wish that original ethos to be
maintained and strengthened," he says in a discussion document being
circulated prior to the WCF semi-annual meeting set for Aberdeen in
December to discuss possible rule changes..
"I am aware," he continues, "that classification attempts to
confirm player eligibility and then seeks to assign individual players
to a sports specific class. I believe the time is right for Chief
Classifier (Dr Andrew Burt) and other experienced classifiers to
identify minimum disability criteria for our sport as opposed to
classification on a player by player basis."
He then proposes a radical change of rule regarding participation. Teams
playing under WCF rules would be forced to include more severely
disabled wheelchair users, the people at present being excluded from
national teams focused solely on fielding the best athletes, rather than
considering encouraging participation at all levels of disability.
"Most teams currently comprise of the most able wheelchair curlers
who use a wheelchair for daily mobility. In the beginning there was the
opportunity for more severely disabled players to compete for national
team places. As the sport has developed across the world and the quality
of play has improved, the most physically able players have started to
dominate," McCreadie says.
"In the absence of divisioning within the classification system
tetraplegic players, players who use power wheelchairs and those with
cerebral palsy will continue to be non competitive in the current open
class system. I believe the time is right to introduce fairness into the
sport along the lines of what currently exists in team boccie (teams
comprise of at least one class 1 player). Each team should in the future
include one player who qualifies for a class that is representative of
more severely physically disabled players. It may be as simple as
introducing two classes into the sport for all players who are eligible.
Class 1 would be the open class for all eligible players. Class 2 would
be for players who are tetraplegic, players who are in the advanced
stages of MS, some players with cerebral palsy or players with severe
upper limb weakness or limb loss etc.
"I am not an expert in this area but I am certain that experienced
classifiers could come up with appropriate profiles. In speaking to
fellow national and international players I believe there is support for
the introduction of a two tier system of classification that encourages,
develops and retains the involvement of wheelchair players with more
severe physical impairments while at the same time ensuring it retains
its original aim of being a sport for non ambulant players only."
It is undeniable that where teams are selected by national associations
seeking the best chance for a medal in return for their financial
support, wheelchair curling has become a sport geared
to the most athletic. Indeed, it was specifically mandated by
Canada's "Own The Podium" program, a major funder, that the selectors
choose the best available athletes, and then
coach them to excellence.
The question is whether that is bad for the sport, and if it is,
does mandating inclusion of players of less physical strength serve a
useful purpose? Michael thinks that it does.
"It's all about participation, Eric," he told me when I expressed
some scepticism about his solution. "We have to avoid the idea that
unless you are some super-fit paraplegic or amputee, then it's not worth
trying wheelchair curling because you have no chance of being selected
for representational play."
But even if one agrees that allowing coaches and selectors to exclude
all but the best athletes is bad for the overall development of the
sport, is creating artificial categories beyond stating minimum
wheelchair usage requirements a plausible solution?
It is worth noting that Germany's 2009 World Championship bronze
medallists included a third, Marcus Sieger, who because of his level of
disability would
probably not have been considered for
Canada, or Scotland, or Norway or for any of the teams centrally
selected. He won his place because Team Germany were
essentially a self-selected club side. Yet it would be hard to imagine
that a physically stronger draftee would have
performed more valuably.
(I admit to a prejudice against
classification. I don't like the idea of
being defined as a smaller percentage
of someone else. I'd rather be 100% me. I also suspect classifications
are at best subjective and at worst corrupting.)
The actual proposal for changing eligibility,
to be presented by WCF vice-President Kate Caithness at the December
meeting, suggests expanding participation
beyond users who require a wheelchair for daily mobility, to include
anyone with (specified) significant ambulatory
impairments who is unable to curl without
using a wheelchair.
My response to Michael's
exclusion concerns would be to set a minimum wheelchair usage
requirement and do away with central selection, which
is the engine of exclusion, even at the cost of financial support
for the favoured few.
Allow teams to come together, and those with the ability and ambition
will find the resources to fulfil their dreams. The present system makes
athletes nationalistic totems, surrogates for the political ambitions of
their associations or the careers of their coaches. So maybe
selection wins your country a medal. A week
later, who other than the athletes, their parents and their enablers,
cares?
You can read the full text of Michael's document, as written, as the
first comment on the
blog version of this post.
A response by the UK's Judy Mackenzie follows
it.
USA I beat both
Canadian visitors on Day 1 of US Open 11/21/2009
USA I beat visiting
Team Cameron 8-4 and Team Gregory 10-6 on the first day of the US Open
in Utica, NY. Ken Gregory's Bradford ON team posted the one Canadian
victory, a 9-4 win over USA II. In the remaining match USA II beat
Ottawan Bruce Cameron's side 5-3.
The four teams are
playing a double round robin with a final Sunday November 22nd.
US Open begins at the Utica CC
November 20 11/19/2009
Just four teams will be competing at the
US Open this weekend at the Utica CC in upstate New York.
Two USA teams, including the five players chosen to represent USA at the
Paralympics, will face Team Gregory from Bradford ON and Team Cameron
from Ottawa ON.
USA I - Augusto Perez (NY), James Pierce (NY), James Joseph (NY), Tammy
Delano (NY). (Jacqui Kapinowski (NJ) is recovering from the flu and will
not be playing in this event.)
USA II - Patrick McDonald (CA), Bob Prenoveau (NY), John Powell (TX),
Dennis Williams.
Tean Bradford - Ken (Mr. TV) Gregory, Katie Paialunga, Jim Primavera,
Collinda Joseph.
Team Ottawa - Bruce Cameron, Doug Morris, Jamie Eddy, Chrstine Lavallee.
The format will be double round robin, with Draw 6 scheduled for Sunday
morning, followed by the final.
The small field is the result of a surfeit of November tournaments here
and in Europe, forcing coaches (and funders) to choose which events to
support. Great Britain, who have attended Utica in the past, this year
decided to go to Ottawa's Cathy Kerr spiel the following weekend, and
were not able to extend their trip to cover both events. Canada will be
flying in the opposite direction, leaving next week for a tournament in
Prague.
Manitobans form their own
Association 11/19/2009
Wheelchair users in Manitoba will now be
represented by their own MCA affiliated Manitoba Wheelchair Curling
Association. Newly elected President Richard Dudek explains:
"This was done because we were at one time part of the Manitoba
Wheelchair Sports Association. but in 2008 funding was deleted and we
were on our own.
"We have struggled but are now a going concern. As chairperson, I have
just signed an affiliation agreement with the Manitoba Curling
Association. Our mandate is twofold: to create a large base of
wheelchair curlers who will take part in recreational curling to begin
with and then hopefully curl competitively; and to continue the
competitive aspect of the sport and foster a larger number of teams
working towards this goal.
"We are currently seeking sponsorship through grants and the corporate
sector. it is my hope that we will be able to conduct four or five
curling clinics throughout the province, and perhaps host a midwest
challenge for competitive curlers in the new year."
Richard Dudek can be reached by email at
this address.
Manitoba's best known wheelchair curler is Chris Sobkowicz, who was the
primary mover in starting wheelchair curling in the province. He then
decided to concentrate on his involvement with Team Canada, and
represented his country at the 2009 World Championships where he won a
gold medal, though he did not make the 2010 Paralympic team.
Golden Ears Club hosts mixed
stick spiel 11/15/2009
The 3rd annual '2 on 2' Golden Stick Open Bonspiel was
held at the Golden Ears Winter Club in Maple Ridge BC this weekend. 18
teams took part, including 6 wheelchair pairs. The winner was Tim Gabert
and partner, seen with Jim and Darryl, and Rich Green and Gary Cormack
in the photos above.
Sweden take 2009 Rolli Trophy
11/15/2009
Tomas Nordin coached
Sweden beat Norway 8-2 in the final draw of the 2009 Rolli Trophy,
stealing seven points in four consecutive ends and finishing top of the
table with an unbeaten record.
Great Britain tied 4-4 with Bern I, fighting back with single steals in
the final two ends to finish in second place. Bern I, led by the likely
Swiss Paralympic team skip Manfred Bollinger, finished third. Results
are
HERE.
Sweden beat GB, remain unbeaten at
Rolli Trophy Day 2 11/14/2009
Sweden (4-0-1) are the only unbeaten team
after 5 draws at the end of the second day of play for the Rolli Trophy
in Bern, Switzerland.
They handed Great Britain (4-1) their first loss, 6-5, to head the
table. Norway (2-1-2) lost to GB and drew with Bern I (2-1-2), while
Germany (2-3) posted two easy wins after a shaky opening day.
Results are
HERE. The competition ends tomorrow after draws at 9 and 11.30am.
Noted curling author Bob Weeks has a
profile of Jim Armstrong in the
Globe and Mail. It
rehashes the same information that has been appearing in the mainstream
media for several months now.
Jim told me that he'd done the interview. "Bob Weeks is a good guy," he
said. "I'll be disappointed if it turns out to be only about me."
Jim has always emphasised two things abut his connection to wheelchair
curling: that he's in it for the long haul, and it's not all about him.
It's understandable that editor's look for the celebrity angle, but it's
a missed opportunity when a curling writer makes no effort to look
beyond personality.
GB 3-0 on first day of Rolli
Trophy 11/13/2009
Michael McCreadie's Great Britain are the
only team with 3 wins after the first day of the Rolli Trophy in Bern,
Switzerland. Sweden tied with Norway and sit 2-0-1 while Bern I is 2-1.
Germany, perhaps struggling to regroup after the excitement of their
Berlin Awards ceremony, are 0-3.
RESULTS HERE
"We're
technically more advanced," says Canada lead 11/13/2009
"Our
technical ability is quite advance compared to other teams,”
Canada lead Sonja Gaudet
told her home town newspaper The Vernon Morning Star. [read
article]
Jens Jäger's
Team Germany win national award 11/13/2009
Germany's wheelchair
curling team skipped by Jens Jäger was presented with the National
Paralympic
Team of the Year award in Berlin, beating out teams competing in
basketball and volleyball. Germany won bronze at the 2009 Worlds,
beating USA with a last stone redirection that, if you haven't already
seen, is worth a view.
Christine Steger has
replaced Astrid Hoer on
the team that will compete in Vancouver in 2010.
Origins of
wheelchair curling reported in Vancouver Sun 11/12/2009
Lyndon Little, writing
in the Vancouver Sun, has an informative overview of the origins and the
implementation of wheelchair curling, without mentioning that it is a
sport for people requiring use of a wheelchair for their daily mobility.
You can read it
HERE.
2-on-2 bonspiel at Golden Ears CC (BC) Nov 14-15
11/12/2009
Twenty teams have
registered for the stick bonspiel being held at the
Golden Ears Winter Club in Maple Ridge, BC, this weekend. There will
be three Korean teams playing as well as Jim Armstrong and Darryl
Neighbour from Team Canada and several other local wheelchair curlers.
Matches are 6 ends,
with 6 rocks per end. All participants must use delivery sticks.
Sweeping is allowed in front of the hogline. First draw is at 9qm
Saturday and games continue through midday Sunday.
Jim Armstrong
talks injuries, team spirit and game calling 11/12/2009
"The shoulder's
improving; slowly, but improving," Jim Armstrong told me this morning.
"There was no question that it had to be repaired, and I was told that
the rehab would take four to six months, but I didn't really buy into
that. Now I am having to learn patience. We had a physio with us on our
last trip and that helped and I am also doing the rehab exercises. I can
push the chair. I just don't go up hills on my own. But everyone around
me is being very supportive and my throwing shoulder is fine.
"This team is a
great group. No egos, everyone working hard and willing to learn. I've
told them that I wouldn't trade any one of them for anyone that I have
seen play. Bruno stepped up in Richmond when Darryl was sick, and played
really well. He had a chance in Europe to play a couple of games away
from home, get over the nerves that come with playing for Canada. He was ready to step in when we
needed him in Richmond. It's tough being a fifth. You have to be
prepared without being anxious that you're not on the ice.
"I'm still adapting
the way I call the game. The whole premise of calling without sweepers is
very different. For a shot that you'd give a foot of ice for with
competent sweeping, you might need two feet without that help, and then
you probably add six inches because you don't want to risk scraping a
guard. And that's if the throw's are accurate.
"I believe that
wheelchair curling is a hitting game and will become even more so. When
people tell me it's a tap-back game I say maybe, but only on straight
ice and I haven't seen any of that. Some teams will attempt
to play in the centre to even the odds, and take their chances.
Korea can certainly
hit and I was impressed by their technique. They'll be strong
challengers in Vancouver. They just lack experience. As I tell Darryl,
if there was an experience tablet you could take I'd have prescribed it
already. I'm still on my own learning curve, keeping the game plan
simple. When you put down the broom, and the rock's on the way, there's
no help."
8 teams contest
2009 Rolli Trophy in Bern, Switzerland 11/11/2009
The 2009 Rolli Trophy
begins Friday, November 13
and features teams from Great Britain, Germany, Sweden and Norway as
well as four domestic Swiss teams. Manfred Bollinger, who is expected
to skip Switzerland's Paralympic team, will skip the Bern I side.
Results should be
available
HERE.
Norway won last year's tournament, beating Bern II, with Scotland
finishing third.
Canada's next game is
an exhibition against Japan in Vancouver November 23rd, prior to flying
to Prague for the 4th Annual Czech Open at the end of the month.
Canada take $1,000 for Richmond
win 11/7/2009
The three most experienced teams, the
only teams that had previously played together, shared the $2,000 purse
on the final day of the Richmond International.
The morning semi-final between Korea (4-1) and Alberta (2-3) did not see
a repeat of Korea's narrow four ends apiece 7-5 round robin win. Korea
posted steals of 3 in the second and seventh ends to ease to an 11-2
victory and a place in the afternoon final.
KOR 1 3 0 0 3 1 3 - 11
AB 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 - 2
The final began with Canada taking 2, but then, sitting 2, skip
Armstrong's last rock was light, giving Korean skip Haksung Kim the
opportunity to throw a six second double takeout that scored 3.
Jim Armstrong hit back with a double takeout of his own to score 5 in
the third. Canada then stole 2 when Korea, after a timeout, crashed a
guard with their last rock. Korea fought back with one in the fifth and
a steal of 2 in the sixth. In the seventh, Korea were lying 1 guarded
when Armstrong tapped a Canadian stone back to displace shot stone and
score 3, and the teams shook hands.
CAN 2 0 5 2 0 0 3 - 12
KOR 0 3 0 0 1 2 0 - 6
The winners received $1,000, with $600 going to Korea and $400 to
Alberta. You can see photos from the Richmond International
HERE.
Canada cruise
to final of Richmond International 11/6/2009
Team Canada gave up a
steal in the first end of the morning draw against Chris Daw's team, but
then posted a series of big ends to come away 16-4 winners and finish
the round robin 5-0. Darryl Neighbour sat out the game, still unwell
after his flu shot. Bruno Yozek played 3rd.
Korea finished with an
8-4 win over the Richmond hosts to claim second place at 4-1. Alberta
beat BC 8-5.
In the afternoon Page
playoff, Canada held Korea to a single point, running out 10-1 wins and
claiming the place in tomorrow afternoon's final. Third place Alberta
beat Richmond 9-4 and face Korea in the morning semi-final.
Teams have pocketed
$50 for each win, and $2,000 is at stake tomorrow.
Vernon BC, Sonja Gaudet's home town, gets Games spirit
11/5/2009
Vernon's
Davidson Orchard
has a photo-board up celebrating the spirit of thr Winter Games. Vernon
is the home of Team Canada lead Sonja Gaudet, and Team Canada 2nd Ina
Forrest lives just up the road in Armstrong. (see
blog for photo)
Columbus
(Ohio) CC inviting wheelchair users to curl 11/5/2009
ThisWeek reporter Kevin Parks describes how the Columbus CC is
hoping to attract wheelchair users and volunteers in football obsessed
Ohio to come and try wheelchair curling at their two year old facility
in the Clintonville area.
Club committee member
Steve Shaffer wonders if
someone attending the clinic might wind up representing Columbus as a
member of the 2014 USA Paralympic Wheelchair Curling Team.
"I'd love to see, as a start, just some
participants," said Shaffer, who also is chairman of the club's building
facilities and maintenance committee. "To have a team, that would be
great."
Experience in Canada
tells us that it takes that one person detremined to make it happen, for
a program to succeed.
The give-it-a-go
session will be held between 11 - 3pm on Saturday Novemver 14 and they
hope to have members of the 2010 USA team present.
Contact the
club for more information.
Team Canada
Joe Rea receives award 11/5/2009
Prince George's Joe
Rea was one of a dozen BC coaches to receive a 2009 Petro-Canada
Coaching Excellence Award, a prestigious award that recognizes coaches
whose athletes achieved international success during the past year at
open World Championships and the Special Olympics World Winter Games.
Rea, who coached Canada to an inaugural gold medal at the Torino
Paralympics, won his first World Championship in 2009 in Vancouver. (islandsportsnews.net)
Canada unbeaten
after 4 draws, but Korea hang tough 11/5/2009
Canada swept to
another blowout score in a 16-3 win over hosts Richmond in the morning
draw. Darryl Neighbour, unwell with a bad reaction to a flu shot, sat
out the game and Bruno Yizek played 3rd.
Alberta posted their
first win, 10-0 over a Chris Daw-less CGVC Avengers team. Korea beat BC
8-7, their third win and the third time they have split the ends with
their opponents.
The marquee matchup
came in Draw 4 with Canada edging Korea 6-5, taking a sngle with hammer
in the 8th to win.
CAN 1 0 1
1 0 2 0 1 - 6
KOR 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 - 5
Richmond beat Alberta
5-3 and BC beat the Avengers 10-4 in seven ends to round out the second
day's play.
Friday's games
Draw 5 - 9.30 - AB - BC, AV - CAN,
RCD - KOR
Page Playoff 1.30 1v2, 3v4
Canada overwhelm opposition - Day
1 Richmond International 11/4/2009
The Richmond Centre For Disability
sponsored event began with piper Jamie Thompson leading out the teams
and acting Mayor Linda Barnes throwing the ceremonial first rock. Then
things got serious as Canada faced Alberta in the opening draw and
crushed last year's winners 11-1 in just 6 of the scheduled 8 ends.
Canada played alternate Bruno Yizek at
lead in place of Sonja Gaudet who did not play in the morning draw.
Alberta, without Bruno at 3rd, fielded the same team of Jack Smart, Anne
Hibberd, Martin Purvis and Bridget Wilson that won silver at the 2009
Nationals.
Korea began against the CGVC Avengers,
skipped by Chris Daw, with Gary Cormack, Vince Miele and Corrine Jensen.
It was a tight game with each team winning 4 ends. Korea fell behind
early but ran out 8-6 winners with a steal of one in the 8th.
The third morning game saw the Richmond
host team of Rich
Green, Jackie Roy, Tom Parker
and Samantha Siu beat the BC Team 9-7 in an
extra end. The BC team is skipped by Bob Macdonald, with Jim Miller and
the alternates from Team Canada and Team Korea.
In the afternoon,
Canada beat BC 12 - 1, Korea again shared the ends but came out 7-5
victors over Alberta, and the Avengers doubled up Richmond 12 - 6.
The format is a 5 draw
round robin and page playoff, with draws at 9.30 and 1.30. The
semi-final and final are this Saturday, November 7th.
Thursday
matchups
Draw 3 - 9.30 - AB - AV, RCD - CAN, KOR - BC
Draw 4 - 1.30 - AB - RCD, CAN - KOR, AV - BC
Friday
Draw 5 - 9.30 - AB - BC, AV - CAN,
RCD - KOR
Page Playoff 1.30 1v2, 3v4
Six team field at Richmond spiel
11/3/2009
There will be a six
team field at the Richmond International, with Team Canada, Korea,
Alberta, Richmond hosts, Team Daw and a team of alternates.
Reduced funding this
year reduced the number of teams competing but there will be some
fascinating match-ups. "Korea are technically awesome," Jim Armstrong
tells me, "and Alberta look very confident." Chris Daw returns to the
ice with Torino teammate Gary Cormack, and Vince Miele and the Island's
Corrine Jensen. The Richmond Disability Centre's team has Rich
Green, Jackie Roy, Tom Parker
and Samantha Siu.
Bruno will probably
play lead for Team Canada in the first game against Alberta.
7th Annual Pat
'O' Reid Memorial Mixed Bonspiel Nov 8 11/3/2009
The Toronto Cricket & Curling Club
is hosting this Open format event at whiich wheelchair users can either
play together or with regular curlers. The first games start at 10.30
with a dinner set for 5pm.
Richmond
International begins Nov 4 - plus other BC news 11/1/2009
Richmond CC
hosts Team Canada, Team Korea and Team Alberta as well as local teams in
their 3rd Wheelchair International November 4-7th. Korea shocked
everyone with their power-hitting style of play a the 2008 World
Championships, where the finished 2nd to Norway. They failed to
reproduce that form at the 2009 Worlds; a fact that their coach put down
to general indiscipline in what was essentially a club side. It will be
interesting to see whether they have regained their focus, and the
ability to throw accurate 8 second takeouts.
Chris Daw is blogging
about life as a new BC resident, and managing the Vancouver CC, a post
that will become even more challenging post-2010 when the club moves
into the adjacent Olympic curling facility. You can read his blog
HERE.
The
Vancouver CC are hosting a Canada versus Japan exhibition game
November 23 at 1 pm. That may be west coast supporters' last chance to
see Team Canada play before the Paralympics.
Maple Ridge's
Golden Ears CC featured
Ken and Keris,
two wheelchair users on their home page. reminding their membership that
wheelchair curlers integrate well into the regular game. The club had
scheduled a 2 on 2 event November 14-15 with Korea and also Canada's
Armstrong and Neighbour expected to take part. It's not on their
calendar, so contact the club
for details.
Kelowna CC's planning
for the 2010 Nationals is getting underway, headed by Gerry Austgarden
and Donna Stuike. They'll be looking for plenty of volunteers.
Contact the club if you'd like to help. The re-modeled and newly
accessible club lounge and bar is spacious with lots of excellent
viewing areas, so plan ahead for a March visit.
Vanoc's 2010
website showing wheelchair curling video 11/1/2009
Vanoc are streaming a
video titled "Wheelchair
Curling with the Experts" as part of their campaign to familiarise
the general public with the sports that will be part of the Vancouver
Olympics and Paralympics. Members of the Team Canada squad that won he
2009 Worlds, talk about their sport. View the video
HERE
Killin and Brown
take GB National Pairs title at Braehead 11/1/2009
Nineteen teams turned
out for the 2009 Star Refrigeration National Pairs Championship at
Braehead, Scotland, this weekend. GB Paralympian Tom Killin partnered
with James Brown to defeat Paralympic teammate Michael McCreadie and
Russell Shanks 6-3 in the final. Full results are
HERE and you can see lots of photos from the event at Bob Cowan's
Skip Cottage Curling Blog.
In Pairs play you rely
on your opposition to brace your chair during delivery. It's worth
noting that although all the members of the GB Paralympic squad played,
they each paired with a less experienced curler.
More Kinross plus (blog) photos
and another Goose miracle 10/23/2009
You can read the official report from the Kinross International
HERE and see
team photos of the medalists on the blog. The report describes, in a
tone of wonder, Team USA skip 'Goose' Perez's shot that snatched bronze
from Switzerland. Canadian supporters may remember he executed a
similarly spectacular shot to
beat Canada at the 2009 Worlds.
Canada (4-1) take 2nd Annual
Kinross International 10/22/2009
Team Canada recovered from a final round
robin draw 1-4 defeat by Switzerland to take the 2nd Annual Kinross
International. Their second place in Pool A led to a 4-2
semi-final win over USA. They then faced Germany who beat Switzerland
7-4 in the other semi-final.
In the final Canada beat Germany 5-2 and
USA took bronze with a 5-3 win over Switzerland. Great Britain, winners
last weekend in Norway, lost to both USA and Germany and failed to reach
the playoffs. For full results
CLICK HERE.
Team Russia looking for Canadian
competition 10/21/2009
Team Russia, who will be hosts at the
2014 Winter Paralympics, are prepared to travel to gain the necefssary
experience to succeed at the 2010 World Qualifying Tournament.
Late-comers to a international
competition selection system that rewards longevity, Russia won the
season opening Internation Bonspiel in Denmark, and impressed Norway's
coach Per Christesen enough for him to comment that they were likely
favourites for qualification to the 2011 Worlds next year.
The team is hoping to visit Canada prior
to the Olympics and is looking for opportunities for competitive play.
News from Quebec 10/21/2009
Quebec's Lennoxville CC, who made great
strides in producing a competitive team by recruiting established
athletes from opther sporting disciplines, suffered a severe blow when
their skip, Ben Lessard, suffered a serious accident while competing at
water-skiing in France.
Despite that setback they will have two
teams on the ice for the club's season opening bonspiel this evening.
Lennoxville is hosting an Open House on
Sunday October 25th and have invited three Quebec City coaches to
observe, as well as Quebec Provincial Coach Alan Smith who may film the
curler's deliveries. There will also be a clinic the weekend of October
31 - November 1st and the club will be sending at least one team to the
Cathy Kerr Spiel in Ottawa at the end of November.
Wheelchair
curling begins at The Peak 10/21/2009
The Peak Ice Centre in the
Stirling (Scotland) Sports Village is starting their wheelchair curling
program Thursday October 22nd on their 6-sheet rink.
USA curlers part of pre-Olympic
celebration 10/21/2009
Augusto Perez, James Joseph and Jackie
Kapinowski will be part of the United States Olympic Committee's Olympic
Winter Festival on Nov. 4 at New York's Rockefeller Center. They will
also appear on NBC's "The Today Show" to mark the 100-day countdown to
the opening ceremony of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
Canada 2-0 after Day 1 of Kinross
International 10/21/2009
Canada won against Scotland (7-0) and
Norway (7-4) on the opening day of the Kinross International. "We played
well and were pretty much in control of both games," said Jim Armstrong.
"Last year they had shaved the rocks, and
there was a huge amount of late swing, but this year it's a great
surface and the rocks have had a year to bed in, so we're getting a very
manageable 2-3 feet of swing on draws.
"Great Britain struggled a bit today but
they are throwing with a lot more confidence than at the Worlds. I think
they have been practicing all summer and it shows. Sweden are also
playing exceptionally well under Tomas Nordin, and i have been impressed
with Norway's new coach, Per Christensen. Canada have a big target on
our backs, and that's all good.
"At the moment we are thinking that we
will keep our front end and our back end together, so Bruno will fill in
for anyone unable to play, rather than reconfigure the whole team.
Darryl will sit out our final round robin game against Switzerland to
give Bruno some ice time."
Event results are slowly appearing
HERE
Norway experience frustrating,
disappointing - Armstrong 10/20/2009
Jim Armstrong skipped and threw 4th
stones throughout the recent Norwegian Open, and told me this evening
that the spiel was a frustrating experience.
"There was a last minute change of venue
which meant we had a four hour bus ride each day. Then our two losses
were directly influenced by the time keeping. We were two up against USA
after 6 ends, when the bell rang; but we played the 7th end and gave up
3. Then against Scotland, we were one down after 5 ends when the bell
rang, but though we began the 6th with the hammer, we were told to come
off the ice. Two games, two different rules."
Armstrong, who sounded quite weary over
the phone, said that he would probably sit out at least one of their 3
round robin matches in Kinross. Nine teams are competing over three
days, with the semi-final and final set for Thursday.
UPDATE - And it's on to Kinross, Scotland,
October 20-22 10/20/2009
The 2nd Kinross International begins
today with nine teams in two pools. Canada, Switzerland, Norway
and Scotland 1 in pool A. USA, Germany, GB and Scotland 2 and 3 in Pool
B. Click link for the event schedule
DOC or
PDF. Results will
hopefully follow.
Games are scheduled for 8 ends, but will
finish at the end completed at or after the bell.
Great Britain are coming off a convincing
win in Oslo where they went undefeated to pull away from a strong
international field. They have persevered with their near t-line
delivery, and that additional width may have made a difference on
European ice that is generally a lot straighter than the 4-6 feet of
movement expected in Vancouver.
Great Britain undefeated to take
Norwegian Open 10/18/2009
Great Britain went 6-0, including a last
draw 6-5 win over Canada, to take the 2009 Norwegian Open. Canada (4-2)
placed second. Three draws were squeezed into the final day, so Sunday's
games were limited to 5 ends.
Final table
Great Britain 6-0
Canada 4-2
Sweden 3-3
Norway2 - Skogstad 2-3-1
Scotland 2-4
USA 2-4
Norway1 - Lorentsen 1-4-1
Full line-scores can be
seen HERE thanks tp Anne Grethe of the Halden CC. No word yet on
Canada's line-ups.
Norwegian Open changes format -
Day 2 results 10/17/2009
The ambitious proposed 6 game round robin
plus playoffs format for the 2009 Norwegian Open was changed to a two
games per day round robin, with final standings decided on points.
Though the event is being held at the club managed by Dordi Nordby, it
is still being organized by the Halden CC.
After two days play, Great Britain are
undefeated at 3-0, and Canada are equal on points but with a record of
3-1 after losing 6-7 to USA.
Results can be
viewed here, and hopefully line-scores will be
added here.
No word on Team Canada line-ups.
Dordi Nordby the new host of
Norwegian Open 10/16/2009
The fire marshals shut down the brand new
Halden Curling Centre last Monday, necessitating a change of venue for
the 3-day Norwegian Open that began today. The event was moved a two
hour drive from the hotel away
to the Snarøya CC in Oslo, home of Dordi Nordby.
Canada was scheduled to play Scotland,
USA and one of the Norway teams today but results are not yet available.
I did however have the opportunity to
speak with Thoralf Hognestad, who coached Team Norway for three years
and a double World Championship before handing over to Per Christensen
this summer.
Thoralf has long argued that Norway's
success was down to their understanding of the different demands of the
wheelchair game. (He put their struggles at the 2009 Worlds down to lack
of ice for training, though they did beat Canada.) He feels the
team that will win in Vancouver next March will be the team with the
highest percentage on takeouts. "It's a hitting game, especially on
European straight ice," he said. "It's harder to hit on Canadian ice
that swings 6 feet, but I think the team with the best hitting game will
win."
Does Norway have that potential? "They
have the potential," he said, "but it is open. Canada won last March
because of Jim Armstrong's ability at skip. He understood a lot more
about the wheelchair game than when we first played him in Europe."
Hognestad was dubious of Korea's chances,
though they bring with them a reputation as a big-hitting team. "They
were a little fortunate to reach the final in 2008," he said, "and I
don't think they have improved much over the last few years. Korea and
China both play a draw, draw, draw and wait and see what happens style,
and I don't think that will be enough to win. Canada has a big advantage
at skip but I think the Paralympic competition is open."
I hope to have news and results from Oslo
later this weekend.
Wheelchair
curling in BC is expanding 10/15/2009
Terrace CC
is the latest BC club to welcome wheelchair users. Canadian champions
Frank LaBounty and Whitney Warren were at the club last week to assist
with a give-it-a-go session. Read the
Terrace Standard's article for more information.
Elsewhere, the
Nanaimo CC
is installing an elevator to allow wheelchair users full use of their
facility, including the bar. Wheelchair curling will commence on
completion of the project, anticipated to be the end of November.
Let's go sturling 10/15/2009
There's a move to widen the appeal of
2-on-2 curling by removing the requirement to use sticks. What a obvious
and wonderful idea!
The 2-on-2 format has just as much appeal
to curlers able to use a slide delivery as those forced to use a stick,
and fears that stick users would be unable to compete with sliders have
been shown to be unwarranted. Sticks have been banned from major
competitions as they (may) offer competitive advantage.
2-on-2 curling addresses many of the
objections voiced by newcomers to wheelchair curling: too much dead time
and not enough to do. Removing the insistence on sticks opens the game
and will mean more opportunities for wheelchair users to compete.
Visit sturling.net
for more information.
Norwegian Open begins October 16
at Halden Curling Ctr. 10/15/2009
The
Halden Curling
Centre is hosting the 2009 Norwegian Open October 16-18. Canada,
Great Britain, Scotland, Sweden, USA and a two-team split Norwegian
squad are competing.
As Team Canada left for their tour, which
includes the Kinross Invitational October 20-22, it was unclear how much
throwing injured skip Jim Armstrong would be able to manage, though his
presence with the team, after being unable to attend any of the
pre-season training camps, will bring off-ice benefits that warrant him
making the trip. He needs to reconnect with the team, see how they are
playing and also see teams he will have to beat next March.
It is difficult o imagine that Armstrong
won't skip at the Paralympics, but it is feasible he may not throw last
rocks. If that happens, roles that appeared established, may have to
change. For example, and this is pure speculation, if Jim threw lead,
would Sonja play 2nd, or would Bruno or would Ina stay put?
What would your Team Canada line-up be
placing Jim at skip throwing lead stones, and why? Comments are open.
Team Germany set for 2010 10/9/2009
The German Paralympic team makes just one
change from the five that led after the round robin and then snatched
bronze with the
tournament's miracle shot at the 2009 Worlds (view
HERE). Jens Jäger skips, with
Marcus Sieger at 3rd, Jens Gäbel at 2nd and Caren Totzauer at lead. All
are from the Schwenningen Curling Club. Christiane Steger from the
Füssen Curling Club replaces Astrid Hoer who ha stopped curling because
of health reasons. The team's next competition will be Kinross, October
20-22.
Jens Jäger has his
own website (in
German) which reflects the spirit and energy he and the team's
supporters brought to the empty bleachers at the 2009 Worlds, though
their lusty renditions of the team's song may be harder to hear this
coming March.
CCA announces 2010 team and Bob
Weeks tells a story 10/8/2009
The CCA has finally officially announced
Canada's 2010 Paralympics team, fortunately unchanged from
our earlier post.
CEO Greg Stremlaw sends his personal
congratulations to the team and Team Leader Wendy Morgan says: "This has
been a three-year journey in a comprehensive selection process. It has
been a difficult process at times, as it is not exclusively a
skill-based decision but encompasses team dynamics, peer assessment,
performance in competition and positional aptitude."
Which is a tacit acknowledgement that
however diligently statistics are compiled, and they were, in the end
selection is made on the coach's and in Canada's (special) case the
skip's gut feelings about which combination of individuals are most
likely to produce a gold medal.
Curling writer Bob Weeks is pleased to see Jim Armstrong at the helm and
shares a memory of
Jim at a Brier.
Armstrong back on the ice 10/5/2009
Team Canada skip Jim Armstrong is getting
back on the ice as he rehabs the surgically repaired shoulder that was
further stressed in a car crash. "The accident probably set me back a
couple of weeks physically, though of course there has been a lot of
family stuff as well.
"We had a wonderful celebration of (late
wife) Carleen's life ten days ago," he told me this morning just before
leaving for practice at the Richmond CC. "And yesterday 106 people were
part of Team Momma Armstrong at the CIBC Run For The Cure. It took
several of them, but they pushed me round the whole course.
"Now I am doing lots of physio to get the
shoulder fit, and beginning to throw some stones. I'm thankful to have
wheelchair curling to concentrate on after all that has happened this
summer.
"I'll be traveling with the team to
Norway and Scotland, probably to provide some comic relief. Everyone has
been very supportive and understanding that I haven't been able to
participate very often in the training camps. I am really impressed with
how the team has come together. If you had asked me a year ago whether a
selected team could work together as well as this one does, I would have
been skeptical. But I think our team spirit will be one of our
advantages next March."
Asked his reaction to Sweden's coach
Tomas Nordin's initial impression that the wheelchair game was very
similar to regular curling, Armstrong said: "Tomas is a great curler and
very experienced and will do well. But my understanding of the
wheelchair game has been a lengthy learning curve and it takes time to
appreciate the nuances. Not having the big weight to clean up trouble
has to be taken into account, although I suspect that in the future the
top teams will develop the ability to throw the 7 or 8 second takeout
accurately."
Team Canada will be competing in Norway's
Halden International October 16-18 and then Scotland's Kinross
International October 20-22.
McCreadie skips GB 2010 team to
British Open win 10/4/2009
Michael McCreadie, with 2010 Parlympian
team mates Aileen Nielson, Tom Killin and Angie Malone lifted the
Caithness Cup at this weekend's British Open, defeating the all-male
team of Jim Taylor, Bill Masterton, Jim Elliott and Ian Donaldson 5-3.
The McCreadie team fought off opponents
seeking to avenge a 17-1 round robin drubbing in what GB coach described
as a high class final. "They had to pull out all the stops and
manufacture some excellent shots right from the first end where they
developed a two with the hammer after being under pressure from the off.
From there they tried to keep the game tidy and force the Taylor team
away from their aggressive style of play."
McCreadie stole three consecutive ends to go 5-0 ahead after 4 and held
on for the win despite giving up a steal of two in the 6th and final
end. Eight teams contested the championship including Great Britain II
with 2010 Alternate Jim Sellar, and skip Rosemary Lenton, the last
person cut from the 2010 squad.
Complete scores are
available HERE.
Bob Cowan's photos can be seen
HERE.
Second West Coast venue for USA
curlers 10/3/2009
The
Evergreen CC
in Portland OR last weekend hosted a wheelchair curling tryout. The
session was run by Team USA member Patrick McDonald supported by BC
national gold medalist Vince Miele. Click
HERE and
HERE for photographer Matthew Ginn's images from the event.
Scots building
skills and interest by challenging regular curlers 10/2/2009
Bob Cowan photographed four members of
the Great Britain Paralympic team competing at the Dewar's Rink in the
Wednesday Perth Super League. It's an excellent opportunity to practice
the game calling skills they'll need to beat Jim Armstrong's Team
Canada.
While the GB team has been set, it has not been finally decided who will
skip. There is some talk among Scots supporters that though Michael
McCreadie played 3rd to Frank Duffy during the period that Scotland were
World Champions, he might not have the temperament best suited to
skipping and throwing 4th stones. His partner and team mate Aileen
Neilson, has had experience at skip and newly returned Angie Malone has
also had success skipping her domestic team.
At the beginning of September Scot Jim
Taylor challenged World Champion David Murdoch to a game at Stirling to
raise funds for the Marie Curie Big Build Hospice Appeal. The event was
organised by Give Them a Sporting Chance, which is a registered charity
giving carers and those with disabilities, of all ages, the opportunity
to make their sporting or recreational dreams come true.
Though Jim's wheelchair team were not able to overcome a shaky start to
the 6 end exhibition, he said, “Give Them A Sporting Chance provided
seamless organisational skills and what can I say about GB Men’s Olympic
coach David Hay and Team Murdoch taking on this challenge in the year
leading up to Olympics? Fantastic! The whole event emphasised
camaraderie, friendship and good sportsmanship. It was a surreal
experience and passed by too fast.”
The bonus from Logan Gray: "Immediately
after this event, there was an Active Stirling Come and Try opportunity
for wheelchair curlers at The Peak. Four new wheelchair curlers turned
up and thoroughly enjoyed learning the basics of curling and have come
back for follow up coaching sessions. Wheelchair curling is a growing
network with clubs being started all over Scotland and plans are now in
place for Stirling to become a new centre for wheelchair curlers to take
to the ice." (Thanks Bob Cowan)
For more information on wheelchair
curling, please contact Logan Gray at Active Stirling on 01786 432323.
9 teams competing for British
Open title at Kinross Oct 2-4 10/2/2009
Nine teams are competing at the Kinross
Ice Rink this weekend for the British Open title. A two pool round robin
will conclude with a semi-final and final on Sunday.
Click here for the draw.
Welsh ambitions stymied for lack
of a female 10/2/2009
The North Wales Pioneer reports that the
Welsh wheelchair curling program's ambitions to compete in the upcoming
British Open and international events have come to an abrupt halt with
the unavailability of their lone female curler.
The
Deeside Ice Rink based program began six years ago. Team member
Peter Knapper explained: “We’d be going to the British open as well as
world championship qualifiers – these could be in Prague, Vancouver,
they could be anywhere.
“I don’t know why we have such a problem getting female members but we
have to have a mixed team to play in the internationals.
“I’ve played in two world championships – the first was in Switzerland
and the second was in Glasgow – and a couple of British opens but it’s
difficult because of lack of practice – we can only have this rink on a
Monday, 6pm to 10pm."
The team is specifically looking for
female members but anyone interested in trying it out should contact
team coach John Stone on 01244 810673 or team member Allan Young on
07516479053.
John added: “I’d encourage anyone who might be interested to come along
and try it out, it’s safe and fun, we provide coaching and they are a
great crowd.”
Read more on the Welsh wheelchair curling
program
HERE
Lack of female participants is one of the
reasons competitive wheelchair curling has struggled to establish itself
as a winter recreation. National championships and international events
are run under WCF rules that mandate mixed gender teams, despite far
fewer than 25% of active wheelchair users being female.
Sonja Gaudet styles the new HBC
Paralympics clothing 10/2/2009
Team Canada lead Sonja Gaudet was part of
yesterday's launch of the Hudson Bay Company's line of Olympic and
Paralympic clothing. Each team member will receive 28 items as part of
their 2010 uniform, including leisure wear, jackets, pants, parkas and
luggage.
Visit the
blog for a photo. (Thanks
TCN)
Canada, Korea to play in Richmond
BC Nov. 3-7 - slots open
9/29/2009
The 3rd Richmond International Cashspiel
will take place November 3 - 7 at the Richmond BC
curling club.
It's an eight team event and so far Team Canada and Team Korea have
registered, as have Team Alberta and a host team.
Several other teams have expressed
interest and the organisers,
Richmond Centre for Disability will accept registrations for the
four remaining slots on a first come basis.
For more information contact
Rich Green by email or call 604-232-2404.
Canada's 2010 Paralympics team
named
9/27/2009
Following the squad's third training
camp, just concluded in Richmond BC, the players who will represent
Canada at the 2010 Paralympics will be Jim Armstrong (skip), Darryl
Neighbour (3rd), Ina Forrest (2nd), Sonja Gaudet (lead) who are all from
BC and were the on ice players during the final of the 2009 Worlds. The
alternate is Bruno Yizek (Alberta). Read a profile of Bruno
HERE.
Should Ina or Sonja be unable to play
before the team is officially registered in February, they would be
replaced by Jackie Roy. It is unlikely, absent ill-health, that the
alternate will see any playing time. Karen Blachford did not play in
Torino.
Followers of the comments on
the blog will know that this was not a
surprise selection. I have not spoken to any of the coaches about the
reasons for their choices. The choice between Chris Sobkowicz, Gerry
Austgarden and Bruno was undoubtedly a close one in terms of shooting
ability, but in my opinion Chris had his opportunity at the last Worlds,
and Bruno seems a better fit as an (unlikely to see playing time) 5th
than the still very competitive and ambitious Torino 3rd, Gerry
Austgarden.
Call to curl in Calgary AB,
Canada's largest wheelchair league
9/26/2009
The Calgary Wheelchair Curling
Association is gearing up for another great season of Wheelchair Curling
and inviting all who are interested to come out and give it a try.
Since 2005, the Calgary Wheelchair Curling Association has grown to be
the largest wheelchair curling league in Canada with over 30 members.
Many of the members are new to wheelchair curling and range from 9 to
over 60 years of age, with varying forms of mobility or cognitive
disabilities.
The League starts October 3, 2009 from 10:30AM to 12:30PM at the Ogden
Legion Curling Club 2625 - 78 Ave SE. Calgary and will run most Saturday
mornings until March 2010. First time curlers are invited to attend free
of charge. Curling sticks and equipment are provided so we just need the
curlers.
The Calgary Wheelchair Curling League is also looking for volunteers and
sponsors this season as we expect to grow our membership.
For further information on the program details or to be a volunteer or
sponsor, please call Jack Smart at 403.201.0041
Jasper Place CC in Edmonton AB now
fully accessible 9/26/2009
Renovations have now been completed at
Jasper Place
CC. The club raised $200,000 for the project, adding wheelchair
accessible bathrooms and an elevator to the upstairs lounge, and will
host the Alberta Wheelchair Curling Championships, February 5-7, 2010
The Edmonton Journal reports
local curler Mike McMullan saying in the short time he has played,
curling has already made a difference in his life.
"It's enabled me to get out in the community even more. Your well-being
is better if you're not cooped in a chair and sitting at home all the
time. It's good socially and mentally, as far as I'm concerned."
With the Jasper Place Curling Club hosting the upcoming championships,
McMullan is pumped for what's to come.
"It's good that Jasper Place is taking it this year, and we look forward
to having it," adding that he looks forward to beating the Calgary
teams, who have dominated the past few years.
McMullan suggests would-be wheelchair curlers simply take the plunge
--watch a game and then give the sport a try. Contact
Cathy Craig, manager of
Jasper Place,
or call the club at 780.489.6428 for more information.
Team Sweden coach
Tomas Nordin talks about his new job 9/22/2009
The Swedish Curling Association
approached Tomas Nordin, a three-time World Champion, to coach their
national wheelchair team last May. After meeting with the team, which
took silver at the 2009 Worlds, he agreed. Today he shared some of his
first impressions of his new sport. Here's what he had to say:
"I had been away from curling, even
social curling since 2006 after the Torino Olympics. When I was asked to
coach the national wheelchair curling team I agreed because I thought my
experience might help the team prepare for the Paralympics.
"When I played with Peter Lindholm we
approached the game seriously. We were an organized and well-prepared
team. I hope that I can bring the approach that brought me success in
regular curling, into the wheelchair game, both in organization and in
understanding tactics. This team will have a game plan that suits the
players, and we will play our game.
"I think that wheelchair curling shares a
great deal with regular curling, and though there will be more misses,
hopefully throwing accuracy will improve (to help compensate for the
lack of sweeping.) If I thought it was a completely different game I
don't think I would have taken the job.
"I have only just begun working with the
team, and we have few opportunities for competition. I have been trying
to find video to watch. There are not many wheelchair curlers in Sweden,
and we don't play 4 on 4, even in our national championships because
there are not enough players.
"We played in Denmark and we will be
going to Norway and Prague so we will see Canada play a couple of times
before Vancouver. Canada are obviously big favourites for gold, but we
will go hoping to win, or at least make the podium."
Tomas agreed to another interview later
this season, and it will be interesting to see whether or in what way
his initial impressions change.
Nova Scotia expanding program
9/22/2009
Opportunities for wheelchair curlers are
growing in Nova Scotia, site of the 2009 National Championships. There
is league play on Friday evenings at the Lakeshore CC (contact
Laughie Rutt) and starting this season there are plans for 2-on-2
play at the Halifax Curling Club on Sunday afternoons (contact
Nancy Beaton). Laughie hopes to expand wheelchair curling to Windsor
and Cape Breton, but wherever you live, new curlers are very welcome so
make yourself known.
Carleen Armstrong passes away
9/17/2009
I received the following note from Jim
this morning, and am publishing it here as I know many people have had
her in their thoughts since word broke about her illness.
"It is with our deepest sorrow and regret
that we inform you of Carleen's passing tonight. She fought a courageous
battle against Cancer to the very end. We will miss her dearly.
Arrangements will be decided shortly. We know your thoughts and prayers
are with us."
Carleen was a great supporter of
wheelchair curling and made an appearance in
this short documentary.
GB's Angie Malone returns to
international competition 9/16/2009
British Curling have announced the cut
from six to their five person Team Great Britain training squad. Angie
Malone replaces Rosemary Lenton, the one change from the team that
finished tied for 5th at the 2009 Worlds.
Angie played lead on the Torino silver
medal team, but had been fighting serious illness in recent years, and
missed the 2008 and 2009 Worlds.
The Great Britain squad (all Scots):
Michael McCreadie, Tom Killin, Angie Malone (all Torino silver
medallists) Aileen Neilson and Jim Sellar. This is a very experienced
group who have all medalled at World level competition.
Derek Brown, the British equivalent to
the CCA's Gerry Peckham, said: "The athletes selected today know there
is no room for complacency as selection for this squad does not in
itself guarantee a place on the Paralympic Team." That selection will be
announced at the end of the year.
Tom Pendreigh, Head Wheelchair Curling
Coach said "The GB squad will undertake an intensive training and
competition schedule between now and the final selection date and I am
looking forward to leading the squad in their final preparations for
Vancouver."
Read the full announcement
HERE.
Disappointing turnout for Olson
Ossoyoos 2 on 2 9/14/2009
Just seven wheelchair users turned out
for the Olson Curling Supply Ososyoos 2 on 2 spiel this weekend, and
three of them were from out of province.
The team of Darryl Neighbour and Chris
Sobkowicz won, but it is a shame that having secured the support of a
major curling sponsor, the organizers of the Osoyoos event have been
unable to sustain the interest of even local Team Canada members.
The poor attendance is a reflection of
the parlous state of wheelchair curling in BC. Despite hosting the coach
and four out of five of the national team, and taking the last three
national titles, success at the top has not trickled down to inspire
grassroots interest.
In the past CurlBC has not seen it in
their interest to encourage competitions outside of their immediate
selection control. That appeared to change with last year's provincial
playdown, but as things stand now, there is unlikely to be a 2010
playdown, for lack of female competitors.
Russia win season's first
International 9/14/2009
Russia went 4-0 to win the 12 team Danske
Internationale Kørestole Curling Cup, the first event of a busy pre-Paralympic
international calendar in Taarnby, Denmark. Germany placed second on
points with a 3-1 record. Scotland and Sweden were also 3-1 while the Norway I team
(they split their squad) were 1-3. Games were played over just 6 ends
and full results are HERE.
Russia did not qualify for the 2009
Worlds or the 2010 Paralympics, but are assured of a place as hosts of
the 2014 Games.
The next big international event is at
the Halden Curling Centre in Norway, October 16-18.
Team Canada selection September 27 9/14/2009
Canada's team for the 2010 Vancouver
Paralympics will be announced on September 27th at the conclusion of the
team's third training camp. Coach Wendy Morgan said that the team will
be Jim Armstrong, Darryl Neighbour, Ina Forrest, Sonja Gaudet and one
from the three men who have been attending the pre-season training
camps: Bruno Yizek, Chris Sobkowicz and Gerry Austgarden.
The five selected will travel to Norway
and Scotland (see calendar). Jim Armstrong's fitness will be
assessed during the camp. "If he is not fit to travel, we will just take
four people," she said. "We are not anticipating that Jim will be unable
to play in Vancouver, but the Paralympic registration deadline is not
until February 25th so we have until then if we have to name a
replacement."
Canada has committed to having two women
in the team, and BC's Jackie Roy has been training with the squad and
would step in were Sonja or Ina unavailable.
Canada has added a trip to Prague to
their preparation schedule which means they will not be attending the
Cathy Kerr Memorial Bonspiel in Ottawa. "We decided on Prague because
Germany and Sweden and other top international teams will be competing
there," Morgan said. "We are still considering several options for
competitive play prior to the Paralympics, as well as hoping to get some
practice on arena ice."
The team will take up residence in the
Paralympic Village on March 8, and the wheelchair curling event is
scheduled from March 12-20.
Jim Armstrong car wreck confuses
Team Canada selection 9/13/2009
Team Canada skip Jim Armstrong has been
involved in an accident that totalled his car. "My car rolled several
times," he told me, "and I ended up on my injured shoulder and had to be
cut out of the vehicle. I'm at home now and for some reason my shoulder
seems to have survived the accident."
A few days ago Jim was telling friends
that he was going to rent an electric wheelchair so that he could get
back out on the ice and rejoin his league team mates. It's not clear how
the accident may affect his rotator cuff rehabilitation and availability
for Paralympic selection. Of more immediate concern is the health of his
wife who has been readmitted to hospital and is very seriously ill.
Gerry Peckham. the CCA's High Performance
coach, said that while everyone was hoping that Jim would be available,
contingency discussions have been taking place. Team Canada pool members
had been expecting to know whether they had made the team by the end of
the Richmond BC training camp the last weekend in September.
"That decision may have to be delayed if
Jim's status is unclear," said Peckham. "We have to decide whether we
are looking for primarily a shot-maker, or someone who can help with
strategy."
Asked whether Chris Daw might rejoin the
program, Peckham said that if that happened it would not be before 2010.
"Chris has taken on a very challenging new job as manager of the curling
club that will take over the Olympic curling facility after 2010. He
will not be rejoining the team this season."
Canada leave for spiels in Norway and
Scotland in October (see calendar).
12 team international spiel
begins in Denmark 9/11/2009
The 3rd Annual Danske Internationale
Kørestole Curling Cup 2009 began today at the Taarnby Curling Club.
Denmark, Norway and Finland are each fielding two teams and teams from
Scotland, Czech Republic, Germany, Sweden, Russia and Switzerland are
also competing.
The event is being organised by Per
Christensen, a Dane who left his national team to take over from Thoralf
Hognestad as coach of Norway.
You can follow the event by clicking on
the competition link of the
Taarnby
Club's website.
Team USA's James 'Jimmy Jam'
Joseph profiled 9/11/2009
The USOC has an excellent video profile
of Team USA 2nd 'Jimmy Jam' Joseph on their TeamUSA.org website. In it
he talks about how he became involved in wheelchair curling and how much
it means to him to have the honour to play for his country. He's a
double amputee and a high energy guy and a great ambassador for the
sport.
Watch video here.
The USA Paralympics website also has a
write-up on his career HERE
Welcome back, Bob Cowan 9/11/2009
When Bob Cowan discontinued his Curling Today blog
we lost a reliable source of stories and images of British curling.
Happily he is back with
a new
blog, and I have already begun poaching his photos and will be
referencing his reports over the season.
Vancouver 2010 - Canada opens
with GBR, USA and Norway 9/10/2009
Canada will have to avoid a slow start if
they hope to medal at the 2010 Paralympics. They open against the only
other semi-professional side, Great Britain (players are all Scots) and
then take on USA and perennial nemesis Norway.
The 10 team field appears to split 1-6-3
with Canada favourites given Jim Armstrong recovers from rotator cuff
surgery. Six teams are in with a chance to challenge; Sweden, Germany,
USA, Great Britain, Korea and Norway. Under-financed Italy, who faded
from fatigue after a late arrival at the 2009 Worlds, inexperienced
Japan who did not qualify in 2009, and a fortunate rebuilding
Switzerland (silver in 2007) appear likely also-rans.
CLICK HERE
for full draw (pdf).
Scots to continue delivery zone
experiment, or not 9/10/2009
Many, including Team Canada, were puzzled
when the Scots changed their delivery zone from "as close to the hogline
as possible" to the near ring t-line. Though throwing from further back
increases delivery angles, especially on straight ice, it was a radical
change that many outside observers felt was a significant factor in
Scotland's fall from their pre-Torino dominance as the World's best
team.
Skip Michael McCreadie explained at the
2009 Worlds that the move had been fully discussed with the team and
that everyone had bought into it. Coach Pendreigh appeared confident
that given enough time, throwing closer to the hack would reap rewards
in greater flexibility in shot making. It was noticeable, however, that
some Scots were returning to the hogline when asked for up-weight hits.
If nothing else, changing delivery positions complicated icing decisions
for the skip.
Today I asked Tom Pendreigh whether his
team would continue the experiment as they began the competition year at
this weekend's Danish Open. He characterised the change as "a skill
learning project" that would continue to be available to the team. He
made it clear, though, that delivery position was a decision for the
player, taking into account ice condition.
Here's his full statement: "The GB Squad
embraced a skill learning project over 2 years ago which incorporated
the ability to deliver stones from behind the T line. This is an option
for any individual to consider whenever ice conditions are favourable,
that has not stopped any player making the choice to deliver from
anywhere between the T and the hog line as they see fit and we will
continue with that theme."
It will be interesting to see whether and
under what circumstances, Scottish players continue with a t-line
delivery. My guess is that this was an idea with a plausible
justification, now being sold as a skill-learning exercise, that will be
unlikely to reap reward on Vancouver Paralympic ice that's sure to have
curl.
Armstrong rehab complicated by
wife's serious illness 9/01/2009
Friends of Team Canada skip Jim Armstrong
have known for some time that his wife Carleen has been fighting cancer
and is very seriously ill. I have considered this a private family
matter and have chosen to make no more than passing reference to
Carleen's plight.
Today's Vancouver Sun carries a
story by Al Cameron, describing in detail with numerous quotes from
Jim, what the Armstrongs have been facing since Carleen's diagnosis.
There is a legitimate interest in any
issue that might affect Jim's availability for selection, though
personally I am going to leave it at his assurance
to me last week that he will be ready and able to participate come March
2010.
I'm sure everyone reading this sends their best wishes to both Carleen
and Jim as they face their medical challenges.
Team USA recruiting in California 8/28/2009
Steve Brown and Goose Perez, coach and
skip of Team USA, will be visiting team member Pat McDonald's home turf
when they put on a demonstration and clinic at the Labour Day Crush
Bonspiel in Vacaville, California.
McDonald is a member of the
Wine Country CC who are
hosting the international event. Vacaville is close to Berkeley, long a
magnet for wheelchair users with its tradition of inclusion and
accessibility, and an excellent choice for recruits to what has been a
geographically limited American sport. The clinic begins at 3pm on
Saturday September 5th at the
Vacaville
Ice Sports Centre.
"I'll be ready for
Vancouver 2010," says Jim Armstrong 8/28/2009
Team Canada skip Jim Armstrong, after a
stay in hospital at UBC undergoing surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff
(first
reported in TCN) is undergoing what promises to be a lengthy rehab
of his non-throwing left shoulder.
"It was a more severe injury than
anticipated," he told me today, "and I was not able to travel to the
camp that began just after I came out of hospital. But I have begun
three times a week rehab now, and I'm sure that I will be ready for the
Paralympics next March.
"Though my return to the ice will be
delayed, we have an excellent team, as technically good as any I have
seen. And over the past season or two their knowledge and understanding
of the game has grown. It's easier to throw well when you not only know
how to throw, but also why you are being asked to play a particular
shot.
"There were some interesting developments
at the last Worlds, especially with players getting really low to play
up-weight shots. But although some, especially the Koreans, can throw
big weight, we have some time before we have to deal with teams throwing
multiple 8 second takeouts accurately enough to pose a threat."
Team Canada's third training camp will be
in BC at the end of September, and they leave for a ten day trip to
Norway and Scotland on October 13.
Other events on the competition schedule
are the Richmond Invitational November 3-7 in BC and the Cathy Kerr in
Ontario, November 26-29.
Tomas Nordin, 3-time World
Champion, to coach Team Sweden 8/21/2009
Team Sweden, silver medallists at the
2009 Worlds, have a new coach, Tomas Nordin, who played in five
World finals, winning 3 times at 3rd for Peja Lindholm.
"It's interesting to enter a new role,
and take on a new challenge,"
said Tomas. "I know regular curling, and think I have things to add
also to wheelchair curling."
Hans Säfström, head of sports at the
Swedish Handicap Sport Association, added: "It's exciting to work across
borders; when a excellent able-bodied player steps into the role of
coach, we are taking a step into something new."
Jalle Jungnel, long time Swedish skip,
who won bronze in Torino, took a year off and then resuscitated the
Swedish program through qualification in 2008 before losing to Canada in
the 2009 final, said that his team is inspired by what feels like a new
beginning. "We are already training," he said, "Just us and Anette Norberg's team, though it feels strange to be on the ice when it is 25
degrees outside."
As for his team's Prospects in Vancouver:
"As you know, it's impossible to predict results, but we have said in
team meetings that our goal is to be serious and prepare as well as we
can, but still have fun all the way to Vancouver. No joy - no results,
that's the way we think.
"Vancouver.... well, Canada are obviously huge favourites, but we would
like to join the group of 6-7 teams that are chasing them. We are set to
go to play in Denmark, September 11, and later this fall we will compete
in Norway, Switzerland and Prague."
The 2009 silver medal team have been
pre-selected to play in Vancouver. Lead Anette Wilhelm, second Patrik
Burman, and third Glenn Ikonen will be skipped by Jalle Jungnell. The
alternate player will be chosen from a candidate group of four players
late this fall. [source]
Canada's tournament season begins
in Osoyoos Sept. 12-13 8/7/2009
The first competitive event of the coming
season will be the Olson Curling Supplies Two On Two Wheelchair Spiel in
Osoyoos BC the weekend of September 12-13. Team Canada members will be
competing.
Entries are $50 per person (plus food)
and entries close September 2nd. For more information and to register
contact Gerry Austgarden by phone 250-979-3030 or
email.
Carleen Armstrong on wheelchair
curling: "It's inspiring." 7/31/2009
During the 2009 World Championships I was
able to procure access to Team Canada for a group UBC journalism
students. The video of their visit is
online HERE. It includes a comment from Carleen Armstrong, whose
support for her husband and for the sport has been acknowledged in every
conversation I have had with Jim.
Kenora to host 2010 N. Ontario
Provincials 7/22/2009
Wayne Ficek's Kenora/Dryden team
surprised rivals Thunder Bay by winning last year's Northern Ontario
Provincial Championship. Next season they will get to defend their title
on home ice (date to be determined.)
Skip Wayne Ficek said he and 3rd Mark
Wherrett welcome the opportunity to host, acknowledging they were
fortunate to score 5 against the favoured host Thunder Bay team at the
2009 Provincials.
"I hope we can put on an event as successful as last year," he said.
"Thunder Bay coach Dave Kawahara showed class and was sensitive to the
needs of the players. I hope with corporate sponsorship Kenora can host
an event that is even more competitive and exciting.
"We hope to have a minimum of 4 teams and maybe more. Anyone interested
in information can email me at
wficek@shaw.ca"
OCA reverse playdown exclusion
ruling 7/21/2009
The Ontario Curling Association, at their
Annual General Meeting June 30th, reversed a
controversial decision limiting the number of wheelchair teams
eligible to compete in a provincial championship to half of other
curling categories. The new policy will be to allow up to eight teams to
compete before reducing entries via zone playdowns. The OCA also changed
the Championship format: "The Dominion Wheelchair Provincial
Championship will now accommodate up to eight (8) teams with the top
three teams qualifying for the playoffs after round robin play."
Last season Ottawa wheelchair curlers,
who had developed their program so that they had two competitive teams,
were forced into a zone playoff as only four teams, one from each
Ontario zone rather than the usual two, were permitted into the
provincial championship.
London ON coach Ernie Comerford, who
along with Ottawa skip Bruce Cameron had raised objections to last
season's arrangements said: " As a major promoter of the game in Ontario
and elsewhere, I am pleased that additional teams in Ontario will have
the opportunity to participate and gain valuable experience."
Jim Armstrong update 7/21/2009
Here is what Jim had to say this morning
about his fitness and his plans: He is as certain as it is possible to
be this far out, that whether or not he has surgery he will be able to
compete in the Paralympics. The timing of any surgery depends both on
the availability of a hospital slot and the health status of a close
family member who is facing serious illness and who is presently in
hospital. Because of that illness, Jim will not be attending the
Edmonton training camp scheduled for later this week.
On a related note, I should reiterate
that Chris Daw's move to BC is entirely job related
and has nothing to do with any concerns about Armstrong's status.
Chris Daw to be GM of Vancouver
Curling Club 7/7/2009
Chris Daw, now retired from
high-performance competition, will be moving to Vancouver later this
month with his family (wife Morgan, and sons Kyle, Shane and TJ from an
earlier marriage) to take up the position of General Manager at the
Vancouver
Curling Club. [read announcement
HERE]
The club is about to begin its 60th year
at its current location, and will be moving into the Hillcrest Olympic
facility when it is retrofitted in summer 2011. The club will celebrate
its centenary in 2012.
Chris and Morgan are
expecting their first child early next March.
Canadian wheelchair curling
boosted by Bentall 7/7/2009
Team Canada skip Jim Armstrong spent some
time on Canada Day (July 1st) signing autographs as part of
Bentall's plan to invite the public to "Meet A Paralympic
Athlete."
Jim wrote: "Bentall manages many shopping
malls across Canada and have partnered with CPC to fund raise and raise
our profile. I had the opportunity of participating in the Canada Day
Event at Willowbrook Shopping Centre in Langley. They can't do enough,
and it will be a longstanding relationship. Kudos to Bentall." [photos
on our blog]
Bentall have a website associated with
this effort at handsupcanada.com,
where they are giving away a trip for two to the Paralympics.
Will injury dash Canada's hopes
for repeat Paralympics gold? 7/3/2009
Team Canada skip Jim Armstrong confirmed
today that he has a shoulder injury that will require surgery.
"I have a muscle tear in my left
(non-throwing) shoulder that has been bothering me since before the
World Championships," he said today. "The prognosis for a full recovery
is good, but the surgeons are suggesting that rehab may take three to
six months."
Jim is a large man and fairly new to
using a wheelchair. It is easy to under estimate how much strain
wheeling around, places on shoulders he described as "already beaten up
by years of sweeping." Leaving aside issues of physical discomfort, the
non throwing arm is important for a stable delivery motion, as well as
the ability to manipulate the chair and thus maintain fitness.
"The long rehab is a concern," Jim said,
"but if I can get the surgery in a couple of weeks I plan to go ahead
with it. Otherwise I'll wait until after the Paralympics."
While the Team Canada squad is comprised
of very capable individual curlers, Armstrong's leadership at skip was
the decisive factor in Canada's first World
Championship last March. It is also the cornerstone of Canada's
hopes for repeating their Torino gold medal success at the Vancouver
Paralympics in 2010. Even were he not fit enough to justify throwing
last rocks, I suspect Armstrong's expertise in strategy, ice reading and
team management would mean he'd have to be unable to get his rocks down
the ice before he lost his place on the team.
The injury does raise the question of who
would replace him were he unable to compete, and what the coaching staff
have done to prepare for that eventuality. And what effect will a Jim at
less than 100% have on the rest of the team?
Team USA lead Jacqui Kapinowski
interviewed
6/23/2009
The
USA Paralympics website has a profile and interview with Team USA
lead Jacqui Kapinowski, who talks about her start in wheelchair curling,
her training and her expectations for 2010. [read
more]
Wheelchair curling snubbed by
Paralympics broadcasters
6/17/2009
A report in
Broadcaster Magazine details Canada's Olympic Broadcast Media
Consortium's planned coverage of the Vancouver 2010 Paralympics. It will
be a full schedule of inspirational personal stories, 90 minutes of
daily highlights, and every sledge hockey game, including live broadcast
of the final.
No mention that Canada are the reigning
World and Paralympics wheelchair curling champions, and no specific
wheelchair curling coverage. [read
article]
Danish coach Per
Christensen takes over Team Norway
6/13/2009
Thoralf Hognestad, says: "Due to a new
work situation, I have resigned as coach of Team Norway."
Thoralf joined the team after they
narrowly lost to Canada in the semi-final at Torino, a game he feels
Norway should have won. His team did win the World Championship in 2007
and 2008.
Thoralf's teams were known for winning,
not for statistical accomplishment. He selected athletes of proven
ability in other sports and moulded them into repeat world champions.
"We don't play the able-bodied game," he'd say. "We play the wheelchair
game, and we always have a back-up plan." He put down the lack of
success in 2009 to the lack of a local training facility for the entire
season. "We just couldn't practice enough," he said, though Norway were
still able to defeat Canada in a meaningful last round robin draw.
He has struggled to balance coaching and
work commitments for some time, and hands off to Denmark's Per
Christensen. Per, 53, has been coach of the Danish national wheelchair
curling team since 2004 and attended the 2009 Worlds as an observer. He
shared my surprise that so few teams came into their games against
Canada with a specific plan to win.
"I would for sure, tell my team how to play the Canadian team. It was
for me easy to see how it could be done," he told me, without divulging
the details. In Team Norway he has curlers who have proved they know how
to win. We'll see how good his plan is, and how well they implement it
in Vancouver next March.
Charlottetown PEI holding
Give-It-A-Go on June 16 6/13/2009
Parasport and Recreation PEI and the
Canadian Paraplegic Assoc. are sponsoring a Give-It-A-Go session at the
CARI Complex in Charlottetown PEI, 4-6pm on Tuesday June 16. For more
information contact Cathleen MacKinnon at 902-3699-4540 or by
email.
Aileen Neilson honoured at South
Lanarkshire Awards 6/11/2009
Paul Thomson of the East Kilbride News reports" "It was a great
night for Strathaven’s
Aileen Neilson as she collected the prize for Adult Female Sports
Personality of the Year. A South Lanarkshire Primary School teacher, she
curls at the Lanarkshire club as well as in Braehead and was fully
deserving of her accolade.
"During the last year she represented Scotland and Great Britain in
numerous international tournaments in Europe, America and Canada. And it
was in Canada where she competed at the highest wheelchair curling
level, being selected to represent Great Britain at the World
Championships in Vancouver where the team finished in fifth position.
"From world achievement to national success, Aileen was also in the rink
which won the Scottish Championships in Aberdeen."
Team Canada 2010 (almost) set 5/29/2009
It has been a fairly safe assumption for
some time now that Canada's team for the 2010 Paralympics would include
Jim Armstrong at skip and Darryl Neighbour at 3rd. Coach Wendy Morgan's
confirmation that the team would include two women, left just one slot
open for speculation.
High Performance Director Gerry Peckham confirmed
last night that failing injury or unforeseen circumstance, or a
catastrophic loss of form, Ina Forrest and Sonja Gaudet would join Jim
and Darryl on the team.
"Their performance within the selection
process over the past few years and their gold medal achievement at the
2009 World Wheelchair Championships has placed them in excellent stead
to be selected to the 2010 Team," he said.
"We felt it made sense to let the
athletes know their relative status as early as possible, to help each
of them plan their
year. We have added Jackie Roy, an accomplished curler, as a
backup to Ina and Sonja, as we are committed to having two females on
the team. Chris Sobkowicz, Bruno Yizek and Gerry Austgarden will compete
for the remaining slot.
"The carded athletes for the yearly cycle
beginning this July are the five members who won the 2009 Worlds, plus
Bruno Yizek on a "D" (development) card. Cardings are always a lagging
indicator, based on past performance. Bruno was carded as he was 6th on
our depth chart, though with everyone so close, that doesn't imply he is
favoured to make the team over Gerry and Chris."
The squad will play in Norway
and Scotland between October 12 and 23, and Peckham says selection of
the 2010 Paralympic team will occur that month.
Cormack out, Roy in as Team Canada
squad prepare for 2010 5/26/2009
Canada's Paralympics squad includes a
third female, Jackie Roy, who takes the place of fellow British
Columbian Gary Cormack.
Coach Wendy Morgan said that the decision
had been made to include two females in the final team. This reflects
program director Gerry Peckham's concern that having only one female
posed an unnecessary risk of default were she unable to play.
Given this concern, a third female makes
sense, both to provide backup and some competition for places until the
team is announced late this year.
Jackie Roy has high performance
competition experience as a summer sport Paralympian, and has twice won
gold at the Canadian Nationals, playing lead for Jim Armstrong. Team
Canada coach Joe Rea said in February that there was little to choose
between Roy and other members of the national squad.
Curlers outside of BC, especially
Albertans, may be disappointed that the squad was not widened
geographically, especially after Bridget Wilson's All-Star performance
as lead for Team Alberta.
Team Canada are looking for someone who
can throw reliable up-weight stones at lead. While Ina Forrest has that
ability, the coaches prefer her at second. Sonja Gaudet is reworking her
delivery to add weight, and I am not sure that Jackie Roy offers a
challenge in that regard. But then neither does Alberta's Wilson.
My feeling is that given that whoever was
chosen to be third woman is unlikely, absent injury, to make the final
cut, the decision to pick Roy was a pragmatic one. She is a more than
competent lead, has "big game" experience, plays regularly with
Armstrong and Neighbour, and lives close to where most of the training
is likely to take place.
Gary Cormack, a Torino gold medallist,
loses his squad place, though Gerry Austgarden and Bruno Yizek have
"based on the last 3 years of evaluation" been invited to "try out" for
the team.
I have in the past quoted Peckham as
saying that each of the eight squad members will have an equal
opportunity to compete for a Paralympics team spot once training begins
in July. Whether that assurance has survived the post-season evaluations
remains to be seen.
The current carding cycle, the mechanism by which five curlers receive a
full and one a development monthly stipend to support their training,
ends in June. It will be interesting, and probably indicative of future
prospects, to know who has been chosen to receive funding through 2010.
Ontarians challenge province's
championship rulings 5/23/2009
A late decision
last season by the Ontario Curling Association to restrict participation
in their provincial championship to just four teams, one from each
region, denied Ontario wheelchair curlers the same opportunity for
provincial honours offered other competitors. One of two Ottawa teams
was eliminated in a playdown, an exclusion that was felt by supporters
of wheelchair curling to be arbitrary, discriminatory and unnecessary as
well as detrimental to the long term health of the sport in Ontario.
When the championship was held, there was
a significant last minute change to the rules for competition that
changed the expected semi-final format from three teams to four.
Various proposals for change in 2010 have
been discussed at the Zone level and OCA Executive-Director Doug Bakes
has promised that the Rules Committee will visit issues raised at their
next meeting.
Ernie Comerford, who is working to
establish a London based wheelchair curling group, has circulated an
analysis of last year's problems, with constructive suggestions for
change that encourage inclusion and participation, rather than arbitrary
exclusion. You can read his presentation
HERE (Word doc). If you have any comments or suggestions, his
contact information is included in the document.
My (admittedly long-distance) impression
is that the OCA, six or seven years into supporting wheelchair curling
in Ontario, are disappointed that the number of participants has failed
to grow significantly over that period. While that is no reason to
exclude a second Ottawa team by halving, for wheelchair curlers, the
usual number of teams allowed in a provincial championship, frustration
with a lack of progress in participation levels may have played a part
in a reluctance to take wheelchair curling as seriously as other aspects
of the sport.
I would be happy to stand, or rather sit,
corrected.
2010 Nationals coming west,
clashing with Paralympics 5/20/2009
The CCA had hoped to have an announcement
of the venue for the 2010 Canadian National Championships before the end
of the very successful
Halifax 2009 event.
Come the final banquet, a deal had not been signed and the teams left
with the traditional assurance that the 2010 championship would be held
"somewhere in Canada."
The venue will be Kelowna, BC from March
16 through 21.
Kelowna CC
is a 12 sheet club, recently refurbished with wheelchair access in mind.
There is a large elevator to the upper lounge that will allow good
spectator access.
The question remains though, with the
Paralympics taking place in Vancouver at the same time and probably four
and possibly all five of the national team plus the coach coming from
BC, will anyone be paying attention?
The delay in announcing the venue would
seem to indicate that it has been a struggle finding a club with the
facilities to handle 50 plus wheelchair users and to take on the
responsibility for moving them between hotels and club.
Kelowna CC has always been supportive of
wheelchair curling, and was the venue for the world's first wheelchair
Cashspiel featuring the
Great Britain Paralympic squad, back in March 2005.
Winnipeg Mayor honours Chris
Sobkowicz 5/14/2009
Team Canada gold medalist Chris Sobkowicz
has been honoured in a City Hall ceremony by Winnipeg's Mayor Sam Katz
with the Mayor's Award For Sports Excellence. [Winnipeg Free Press
report
HERE]
Team Alberta named CTV Calgary's
Team Of The Week 5/5/2009
CTV cameras caught up with the national
silver medalists for a "Team Of The Week" profile. Lisa Bowes' report
had some good video footage and an excellent explanation from Bridget
Wilson for why every wheelchair user should come out and try our sport.
The CTV page is
HERE and the video is also
on our blog.
CTV/TSN cameras film Team Canada
at practice 5/4/2009
CTV/TSN were at the Richmond BC rink to
film Team Canada at practice. The film will be used as part of their
promotion of wheelchair curling during their coverage of the Paralympics
next March. Go
HERE to see photos taken during the shoot.
Fort William CC
renovates - will host 2012 Nationals 4/18/2009
Thunder Bay's
Chronicle-Journal reports Northern Ontario's Fort William CC is
about to embark on a $350,00 renovation to make the facility completely
wheelchair accessible.
Club president
Rob Chicorli said because the lounge area at the facility is only
accessible by stairs, members who use wheelchairs or have mobility
problems miss out on a big part of the sport. “The game of curling is
50/50: 50 per cent action out on the ice and 50 per cent a social
activity.”
Dave Kawahara, the driving force behind N. Ontario's wheelchair program
added: “This project was really about inclusive living, to allow the
entire community to do the things that able-bodied citizens take for
granted.”
The club will
host the 2012 Canadian National Championships.
Men's Worlds included wheelchair
exhibition 4/18/2009
Last week's Ford Men's World
Championships in Moncton, NB, included a demonstration of wheelchair
curling between the medal games. Team Nova Scotia members Laughie Rutt
and Mike Fitzgerald participated, as did Scots skip Michael McCreadie. [photo
here]
Need a new sports wheelchair? 4/14/2009
RGK,
a UK wheelchair manufacturer, is offering discounts of up to $3,000 on
the purchase of a new wheelchair in a program initiated by Chris Daw
through the CCA's Discover Curling program.
RGK wheelchairs are carried in Canada by MEDIchair
and possibly others. Conditions will probably apply but if you want more
information,
email Chris Daw.
Ottawa wheelchair curlers take
mixed league Trophy 4/14/2009
Bruce Cameron's rink's efforts over the
season competing in the RA Club's Monday Mixed League was capped by
going undefeated
in the final round of "A" division to win the trophy. He played with
Doug Morris, Jamie Eddy and Christine Lavallee.
Had a successful season? Let us know. The more people understand that
club wheelchair teams can be competitive, the more likely clubs will be
open to participation by wheelchair users.
Photos from 2009 Canadian
Nationals available online 4/2/2009
Photographer Ian Readey took many photos throughout the five days of
competition and you can see them on
his website.
I have made a small selection
of my favourites and
have posted them HERE.
British Columbia 3-peat as
National Champions 3/29/2009
BC celebrated their third successive
national title, with Jim Armstrong's rink of Frank LaBounty, Whitney
Warren and Jackie Roy repeating their 2008 success to claim the 2009 TSX
Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championship. They beat Alberta 6-4 but the
championship was not decided until the last rock was thrown.
Alberta, with Jack Smart at skip, Bruno Yizek at 3rd, Martin Purvis at
2nd and Bridget Wilson at lead, had beaten Manitoba in the morning
semi-final 7-4 in a game that was not as close as the score suggests, Up
7-1 after 5 ends, they were happy to limit Manitoba to three points
before running them out of rocks for the win. You can read our call of
the game
HERE.
If you were one of the many blog commenters who felt that BC, with their
world championship skip, would have an easy path to the championship,
you would have been wrong. Alberta began the final with a steal, with
Jim Armstrong able only to limit the damage to 2 with his last rock. In
the second, a lovely draw top 4 through a narrow port by Frank LaBounty
for shot, was followed by an equally good Alberta tap of a front stone
that limited BC to 1.
In the third, Jim Armstrong played a wonderful angle raise to the button
that stole a point and in the fourth, BC were first into the rings
behind a rockpile out front. Alberta skip Jack Smart's attempt to
retrieve the situation with a hit and stick for one, crashed allowing BC
to steal 2 and go into the break up 4-2.
In the fifth, with Alberta sitting shot, BC tried a raise takeout that
missed, but Alberta were unable to capitalise when their wide come-around
for a second point was light. In the sixth Jack Smart tapped an Alberta
stone into the four foot and it was BC's turn to be light on a draw,
leaving the teams tied at 4.
Alberta succeeded in holding BC to one in the seventh and had hammer
coming home. Jackie Roy draw to the button and Alberta's lead stone
stopped top 4. Whitney Warren froze to shot stone and there was a
succession of stones stopping short of the house. With skip stones to
go, both teams used their time outs, BC throwing guards and Alberta
trying to clear a way through to shot stone. Armstrong's final guard
left Alberta with a yellow onto yellow onto blue onto shot stone yellow
to sit two blue and win the game. He almost pulled it off, missing by no
more than an inch.
Alberta coach Tony Zummack said afterward; "You play all week, through
three playoff games, and it comes down to one shot and one inch." But he
was proud of the way his team performed, and Martin Purvis, the
alternate, who was thrown in at the last minute when Anne Hibberd was
unable to travel, more than justified his selection.
For BC it was a nail-biting win but a deserved one. They had been played
tough by Alberta, and were not always able to keep the front open as per
game plan, but at the end of the final it was Alberta who was chasing.
Coach Melissa Soligo said the last three rocks had been agonizing, but
once again Team BC, this year chosen through a playdown rather than
coach selected, proved they are still the team to beat.
At the evening banquet, Nova Scotia lead Nicole Durand, looking very
glamorous in a red evening gown, was presented with the Sportsmanship
Trophy, voted by all the curlers.
The All-Star team was kept secret from everyone until the banquet, with
statistics from the final two draws withheld until the announcement. All
positions were won by less than 2 percent. First up at lead was Bridget
Wilson, followed by Martin Purvis at second and Bruno Yizek at third,
all from Team Alberta. Manitoba's Chris Sobkowicz was the All-Star
skip..
Though most people associate me with the blogging, it would not have
been possible without my wife Cate's sterling work at the keyboard and
her admonitions to stay focused and not be distracted by the constant
stream of kibitzers passing by. Gord Stockdale, the head official was
always in our corner, insisting that coaches and volunteers and even the
local television cameraman not block our view of the action. And a
special thanks must go to the coaches and players throughout the week
who were always willing to share information and answer questions.
We couldn't have done this without everyone's cooperation in especially
tight quarters, and we thank everyone who helped, from Stewart who went
off to buy us 200 feet of much needed Ethernet cable, to organizing
committee chair Trendal (Hubbly-Bubbly) Hubley-Bolivar who was a
constant presence, and not forgetting Ian Readey for his fabulous
photos.
Finally thanks to all our blog readers, especially those who took the
time to express their appreciation for what we do. Wheelchaircurling.com
and the blog are dedicated to making wheelchair curling the winter
recreation of choice for wheelchair users, and your support makes the
effort worthwhile.
Day 5 Wrap - 2009 TSX Canadian
Nationals 3/27/2009
With a Hotshots competition promised if
the schedule produced an empty half day Friday, few fans outside Ontario
were rooting for tie-breaks, However, Northern Ontario's final day loss
to Nova Scotia and Ontario's loss to Manitoba meant that the two teams
faced off this morning, pushing the Page games into the Hotshots slot
this afternoon. Ontario had chosen to bring four curlers and two coaches
rather than an alternate, so when a medical issue arose for one of the
team, there was the possibility that they might have to forfeit the
game. Whether that unsettled Ontario, or whether it was just that for
this week Northern Ontario had their number, they were never in the
game.
Northern Ontario took 2 with the hammer and then stole 2. A coach's time
out failed to settle Ontario who continued to concede steals culminating
in a 4 in the 7th and handshakes at 13-0.
That set up a 3/4 Page playoff game between Northern Ontario and near
neighbours Manitoba, a game that produced the best shot I've seen this
week. Northern Ontario had opened an early 3-0 lead but fell behind when
Manitoba stole in the 4th and 5th ends. In the 6th Manitoba were sitting
shot behind a wall of rocks. With his final stone skip Wayne Ficek threw
an angle raise that traveled at least 20 feet across the rings to
dislodge the buried Manitoba stone, rescuing the end and probably the
game. Manitoba gave up a steal in 7 and took 1 with hammer in the 8th
and we went to an extra end.
Though we live blogged the playoff game between BC and Alberta we were
able to blog the extra end and you can read our calls
HERE. Again Manitoba sat 1 buried and Northern Ontario were forced
to peel guards, opening a small port to allow at least a chance to come
down to shot It came down to a needed tap-back through a narrow port,
with Manitoba sitting 1, but the final stone grazed a guard and came up
short. It was a great game and both teams can be proud of a performance
that kept the crowd cheering.
Alberta and BC met for the second time in two days and today Alberta
proved tougher opposition. BC had hammer and first choice of rocks, They
took yellow from the adjoining sheet C while Alberta took blue rocks
from that same sheet. BC took 1 in the first, and the stole singles to
go up 3-0 after 3. Alberta responded with a 2 before the break and stole
two singles to go ahead 4-3. BC tied it up in 7 and then stole 1 in the
final end when Alberta skip Jack Smart made a valiant but doomed attempt
at a triple raise to dislodge shot stone. The full
live-blog account is here.
BC looked vulnerable at several points during the Alberta game, and
Alberta must feel that maybe three's a charm if they get past Manitoba
in tomorrow's semi-final. They won their round robin match-up against
Manitoba 6-5 on a steal of 1 in the 8th in Draw 4. Manitoba, with Chris
Sobkowicz at skip, have been a steady team, winning by stringing
together 1s and 2s rather than relying on big ends. They have also given
up the fewest points of any team. Though they received a scare against
Northern Ontario, they were not the team chasing at the end. BC will be
happy to have the luxury of a late start, but if the final games are as
exciting as today's Page playoffs, the crowd, and there has been a good
crowd, are in for a treat.
Day 4 Wrap - 2009 TSX Canadian
Nationals 3/26/2009
Judging by the comments on our
wheelchaircurling blog, BC were firm favourites to win a third
successive crown at the 2009 TSX Canadian Wheelchair Curling
Championships here in Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia. At the end of round
robin play, they sit top of the table with an 8-1 record, and will face
7-2 Alberta in tomorrow's Page playoff 1-2 game.
BC began the day facing Chris Daw's Newfoundland & Labrador team in an
eagerly anticipated battle between Team Canada skips past and present.
In fairness to Daw, he is skipping a team with more potential than
experience, and he had done well to coax them to 3-4 record going into
the final day. They were no match for the defending champions, though
they delivered a scare, posting a 4 to pull within one going into the
break. But BC score a succession of big ends and ran out 13-5 winners.
BC faced co-leaders Alberta in the final draw, a game delayed for a
medical time out when one of the Alberta players was delayed getting
onto the ice. While players, coaches and officials all made every effort
to accommodate the delay, by rule Alberta were penalised by their clock
starting at the end of the official's time out, and losing one point and
one end for every five minutes delay. Alberta thus started the game at
the top of the 3rd without hammer and down two points.
The game was only to choose hammer in the Page 1/2 game, but Alberta
fought hard, starting with two steals, but eventually fading to a 6-2
loss. The teams do it all again tomorrow afternoon.
Third place Manitoba had an easy win over Quebec in the morning, and
then faced Ontario, who needed to win to avoid a tie-break with the
northern neighbours. Manitoba had two steals of 2 after the break, and
won 7-4 ensuring third place in tomorrow's Page playoff. Northern
Ontario had earlier won the second Annual John MacCrae Trophy for top
Ontario team. Ex-Ontario coach Bob Pippy writes from Florida that John
MacCrae was the long time General Manager of the Ontario Curling
Association and a strong supporter of Wheelchair Curling.
Northern Ontario could have won a playoff place outright had they beaten
Nova Scotia, a game we blogged (replay the commentary here) but they
failed to put away a team that has a skip that can throw beautifully
under pressure. Nova Scotia stole in the eighth and the extra to win
8-6. They featured in the only two extra end games; both against Ontario
teams.
Quebec and Saskatchewan should go home with heads high after winning
three games in their first year of competition. Quebec is an especially
promising side and youthful, with established athletes from other
disciplines who will have learned a lot from this year's intense
competition. Their second, Jaques Martin, looks like he could throw a
curling stone the length of the sheet without it touching ice, and
relegated Chris Daw's biceps to something you could kick sand at. Coach
Al Whittier is a great example of what can be done in a very short time
with drive and enthusiasm and athletes that want to learn.
Saskatchewan will return home knowing they scored the biggest end
recorded at a Nationals, a 7 in the 4th in their game against Ontario,
who had been lying 1 but raised a Saskatchewan stone into the rings,
taking out shot stone. I'll say no more in deference to the Ontario
coach who threatened to let down my tires if this was mentioned.
It will be up to Northern Ontario to upset the bulk of the podium
predictions tomorrow. Skip Wayne Ficek promised an early night, and
that's something that I can relate to. See you online tomorrow for a
rerun of the Battle of Ontario, and coverage of the Page playoffs.
Day 3 Wrap - 2009 TSX Canadian
Nationals 3/25/2009
There was a side championship scheduled
for the week's curling at the 2009 TSX Canadian Nationals - the Ontario
Trophy awarded to the winner of the Ontario/Northern Ontario match-up.
Northern Ontario were decisive winners, going out to an early 4-0 lead
on steals in the second and third ends, and then matching their southern
neighbours the rest of the way, wining 8-3. "At least they're the ones
who will have to worry about getting the trophy home on the plane,'
joked an Ontario coach, but I am sure that will be no bother at all to
Wayne Ficek.
Northern Ontario had tough opening draws, but felt that if they could
hold their record to no more than three losses in the first half, they
would be in with a chance at the playoffs by winning the later games.
After 7 draws they are in 4th place with games against the two bottom of
the table Nova Scotia teams to play.
"We only played together for the fist time at the Provincials, and live
quite far apart,",explained Ficek. But they are playing as a team, and
with Ontario struggling after a promising start, look a good bet to
reach the playoff in their first championship.
Ontario kept their faltering hopes alive with the tournament's first
extra end win over Nova Scotia, 9-8 in the late draw. Skip Ken Gregory
was short on his first draw in the eighth end, but managed to come into
the rings with his final stone to force an extra. Each side played
stones to the front of the house in the 9th, and when Ontario finally
came in, sitting shot on the 4-foot, Nova Scotia skip Mike Fitzgerald
drew through a narrow port with a final stone that stopped an inch short
of victory.
Team BC were back on track with a couple of wins, though they were
pushed hard by the rookie Saskatchewan side. Their skip, Del Huber, felt
they could have won a famous victory had they taken their chances to
turn ones into twos, but with three wins already, he can feel proud of
his team's showing. That won't satisfy lead Marie Wright, however. She
told me the day before the tournament that she wanted a podium place.
She won't get one his year, but she hits well enough to have reasonable
hopes of a medal before too long.
Bc's other game was against challengers Manitoba, who are all business
on the ice. A couple of questionable shot calls may have cost them a
chance at 3's and you can't afford to make any shot calling mistakes
against Jim Armstrong. Manitoba work with an experienced coach most
weeks, and play together twice a week and also practice together. That
discipline shows on the ice, but today they did not take the few chances
they had to score big ends and BC's 3 in the third was decisive in a 6-3
win.
Alberta continued to match BC for wins, and posted narrow victories over
Quebec 7-6, and Newfoundland 6-4. They are doing just enough to win, and
look likely to be challenging BC for hammer in the Page 1/2 game when
they meet in the final draw.
Newfoundland skip Chris Daw has called on all his considerable
experience to bring his all female teammates close to the playoffs, but
they have not been able to play consistently enough to mount a real
challenge.
The consensus among the competitors is that an opening ceremony, full
practice, and five draws in two days, plus 90 minutes loading and travel
each way, with days starting at 8.30 and ending after 11PM has been too
much to handle. Though spirits remain high, bolstered by the warm
welcome and supportive energy of wonderful volunteers, fatigue is
clearly showing, even on the face of old campaigners like Jim Armstrong.
No-one neutral is hoping for tie-breaks. We'll know tomorrow.
Day 2 Wrap - 2009 TSX Canadian
Nationals 3/24/2009
Day 2 of the Canadian National Wheelchair
Curling Championship was always going to be a endurance challenge,
especially for teams with only four members. The day started at 9:00 AM
with an hour and a half of loading and transport to the club, and then
three draws, and an hour and a half to get back to the hotel. Everybody
looked exhausted as they returned to the hotel well after 11:00 PM.
It's not surprising that by the end of
the day there were no unbeaten teams, although BC, Alberta and Manitoba,
the three teams with the most experience and the most settled sides,
ended up top of the table at 4-1. BC started with a comfortable 11-2 win
over Nova Scotia, with Frank LaBounty, having issues with his
wheelchair, sitting out. At lunch time, coach Melissa Soligo was still
trying to decide who would sit out for the afternoon draw. "Having five
players is a huge advantage," Jim Armstrong had said prior to the
tournament, "especially on the day with three draws." But that still
meant that either Whitney or Frank would have to sit if Darryl was to
play. It was decided by names out of the hat. I picked the names out of
the hat and take full responsiblity for BC's 10-4 loss to Ontario in
Draw 4.
BC recovered with a tough 9-7 win over
Northern Ontario in the evening draw, with Darryl sitting in for
Whitney. A very tired looking Jim Armstrong said at the end of the day,
"Everything that could have gone wrong on the ice went wrong." But they
still have a share of the lead.
Manitoba third Dennis Thiessen, at lunch
after the morning draw, felt his 3-0 team were where they needed to be
to make the playoffs. Despite a tough 6-5 loss to Alberta in the
afternoon, Manitoba are 4-1 and have impressed with their steady play.
Chris Sobkowicz is looking far happier skipping than he did playing lead
at the Worlds.
Alberta, after losing 6-5 to Northern
Ontario in the morning, beat challengers Manitoba and Ontario to greatly
increase their chances of making the Page 1-2 game. With only four team
members, we'll see whether they can maintain their momentum.
Northern Ontario continue to be the
wildcard, capable of beating Alberta and Newfoundland & Labrador, but
also losing to Saskatchewan, who posted their first two wins today.
Quebec also posted their first wins today, beating Newfoundland &
Labrador 7-5, and the Host team 8-5.
Day 1 Wrap - 2009 TSX Canadian
Nationals 3/24/2009
The moment of truth came for the less
experienced teams during the first day of play at the 2009 TSX Canadian
Wheelchair Curling Championship. There were five double-digit scores
posted, and only one game decided on the last rock, when Nova Scotia
just failed to overcome an early four-ender, losing 7-6 to Newfoundland
& Labrador.
In the opening draw defending champions BC played the Nova Scotia Host
team in a game where they threw guards rather than running up the12-1
score. Their evening 13-1 win against Quebec was equally decisive.
Several of the leads struggled with heavy ice, especially during the
8:00 PM draw of a day that started 12 hours earlier with a 30 minute bus
ride in from Halifax.
There are four experienced teams at the Championship, and they all won
both their opening games. Northern Ontario, annoyed at themselves for
not making a better show in a 9-4 loss to Manitoba, took it out on
Newfoundland & Labrador in the evening. Newfoundland with Chris Daw at
skip had scored an early four in an opening draw against Nova Scotia,
holding on for a 7-6 win. Chris declined the excellent dinner that was
put on between draws, fearing that it would affect his performance in
the evening, but probably should have played on a full stomach, as he
was blanked by Northern Ontario, 10-0.
Alberta looks strong despite the absence of Anne Hibbard, their second,
who is unable to travel because of a hospitalization from a foot injury.
Jack Smart, who played third for Team Canada member Bruno Yizek last
year, is the very animated skip of this year's team. Alberta's evening
draw against Nova Scotia was fought to the bitter end. Down 7, Nova
Scotia didn't surrender until they were finally run out of rocks, midway
through the end.
Ontario posted fives in both of their games. Skip Ken Gregory joked, "We
don't play to win; we play to come back." Fives will do that for you.
When they face BC in the second of today's three draws, it might be
wiser not to play from behind.
The organizing committee and the volunteers at the club are a pleasure
to work with. A weak computer signal in what is the basement of a sports
complex was corrected when someone from the club went out in the snow to
purchase 200 feet of extension cable. The food is wonderful. The
volunteers are cheerful. And if it wasn't snowing, everything would be
perfect.
Scottish Championships March
20-22 in Aberdeen 3/19/2009
Eight rinks will be competing in Aberdeen
this weekend for the 2009 Scottish Wheelchair Curling Championship. Jim
Sellar and Michael McCreadie, who played together on the Scots team at
the recent Worlds will each skip a side. Angie Malone, who won the
British Open in Kinross last November, will also be skipping her team.
You can follow the results
HERE.
Who will make the podium at the
2009 Canadian Nationals?3/16/2009
Make your selections as a comment to
this blog post and win a wheelchaircurling.com t-shirt!
Nanaimo CC
fundraising for an elevator
3/16/2009
The Nanaimo Bulletin reports: The Nanaimo Curling Club was
accessible to everyone earlier this month.
The annual Stixs and Stones wheelchair curling bonspiel was held March 8
at the club, bringing together disabled and able-bodied athletes who all
threw their rocks with a cue.
Twenty-two people participated and around $350 was raised towards the
NCC’s elevator project.
Club manager Denise Wood said she will learn later this month if the
elevator project qualifies for gaming funds.
Rick Mercer Reports
3/16/2009
Just received this note from Jim
Armstrong:
Darryl and I just did three hours with Rick Mercer and Gordon
Campbell at the Olympic Curling Venue. God knows how it will be edited,,
but, if nothing else, it should b a great promotion for Wheelchair
Curling. I am told that it will be televised in his season-ending
program, next Tuesday....great fun....I hope we get our message
across.....
For those unfamiliar with Rick Mercer, he hosts a nationally televised
show The Rick
Mercer Report on CBC and available via BitTorrent for those unable
to tune in on Tuesdays at 8 pm local time.
The 2009 Juan de Fuca Classic a
great success 3/16/2009
The second year of this stick curling
event saw the field expand to 20 curlers. The $450 1st prize was won by
Darryl Neighbour in a 3some with Gary Cormack and Corinnne Jensen. He
stole a win over Jim Armstrong and Jackie Roy by 8-6. Read Corinne's
report on the event and see some photos
HERE. (.doc)
Kenora CC gives Ficek rink a
rousing send-off 3/16/2009
Wayne Ficek and his Northern Ontario rink
were given a rousing send-off last Friday at the Kenora Curling Club.
[read report from
Miner & News]
World's bronze medalists Germany
celebrate success 3/15/2009
Here is a newsletter (pdf) from Jens Jäger, skip of the bronze medal
winning team at the 2009 World Championships, celebrating his team's
success. It is in German, but loosely translated, it begins: "We did
it!! We won the bronze medal and will compete in 2010 at the Paralympic
winter games in Vancouver… Hurray!
"It was a strong achievement by the
entire team: Astrid Hoer, Caren Totzauer, Jens Gäbel, Marcus Sieger,
Jens Jäger and the staff with Helmar Erlewein (coach), and Marion
Demeter (Physio) who kept us all fit.
"There was a surprise at the station on
our return to Rottweil. Members of the Schwenningen Curling Club
welcomed us with enormous posters and cold sparkling wine. All had
new T-shirts printed with “We congratulate the German team." Thank you
for this marvelous gift. You are the best!"
Wheelchair curlers win Lakeshore
CC stick curling league 3/15/2009
Mike Fitzgerald and Laughie Rutt
triumphed in the Thursday evening stick curling league's championship at
the Lower Sackville Lakeshore CC. The duo, who will constitute the back
end of Nova Scotia's provincial team at the national championships
starting March 23rd, were delighted to prevail without sweeping in a
league primarily designed for non-wheelchair users. A scheduling
conflict means their provincial team duties will prevent them from
challenging for the Nova Scotia Stick Curling Championship in Middleton
starting March 27th.
South Lanarkshire loses pioneer
with death of Charles Russell 3/15/2009
Charles Russell passed away last week
after a short illness. Though known internationally as a top-level
competitor and advocate for wheelchair bowls, under his chairmanship of
the South Lanarkshire Wheelchair Curling Club, membership has grown to
over 30 members. [read
obituary in Hamilton Advertiser]
Nova Scotia ready to take on
Canada's best 3/12/2009
Team Nova Scotia is set for the 2009 TSX
Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championship to be held in Lower Sackville
starting on March 23rd, 2009. It's an experienced team, all
players having had played in last year’s Championship held in Winnipeg.
“We are better this year but so is the rest of the field,” said Mike
Fitzgerald, Nova Scotia skip. “A number of teams will have the same
lineups from past years and Chris Daw, the gold medal skip of the Torino
Paralympics, is back with a Newfoundland and Labrador team.”
Last year the all rookie Nova Scotia team had a respectable fifth place
finish. Fitzgerald is joined by Laughie Rutt at 3rd, Nicole Durand at
lead and Trendal Hubley-Bolivar who is playing second after skipping
Team Atlantic in last year’s competition.
“We certainly have the skill to go further this year,” Fitzgerald
stated. “We now have a minor advantage that we are playing on home ice.”
This is the first time the Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championships
have been held in Nova Scotia and is the first time that Lakeshore
Curling Club in Lower Sackville has ever hosted a national championship
event. Lakeshore Curling Club is the hub of wheelchair curling in the
province.
Wheelchair curling in Nova Scotia was founded by Canadian Paraplegic
Association (Nova Scotia) and is still supported by the Association,
Lakeshore Curling Club and the Metro United Way.
For information on this release, please contact Laughie Rutt 864-2737 or
email
ljrutt@eastlink.ca
Armstrong makes Globe & Mail 6
Paralympians to watch 3/12/2009
Jim Armstong makes the list of six
Paralympians to watch in today's
Globe & Mail. ""We are the defending champions from 2006. When
you're dealing with curling, and talking Canada, it's like saying you're
a hockey player. I'd say you're looking at disappointment if you're not
looking at a gold medal. I call wheelchair curling the 'roller derby' of
the sport. We don't have the big weight-hits or the sweeping. It's much
more interesting, strategically. The able-bodied game is so sterile,
with the perfect rocks and the players so good ... they had to change
the rules to make it interesting."
Do you have what it takes to play
for Team Canada? 3/7/2009
One of the questions I am most frequently
asked is how a player not already in the High Performance player pool
can attract the attention of Team Canada coaches. Here's a way.
Practice these
15 drills (pdf) and if you can consistently score 160 - 170 then
contact Joe Rea or Wendy Morgan, because they will want to check you
out.
'Wheelchair curling founder
proud of her baby' 3/5/2009
The WCF's Kate Caithness tells the
Vancouver Sun's Lyndon Little how wheelchair curling began. "``In
January of 2000, I attended a workshop in Crans-Montana, Switzerland,
where the concept was taking shape,'' she explains. ``The Swedes and the
Swiss had been experimenting with it, but their idea was to use smaller
rocks and on a shortened length of ice.'' [read
more]
Coach Ernie Comerford's Ilderton
CC team profiled 3/5/2009
Now in it's second year, the London ON
team playing out of Ilderton CC were preparing for the Ontario
Provincials when the London Free Press
wrote this report.
Bradford CC hangs a new banner
3/5/2009
Bradford CC made their facility
wheelchair accessible helped by an Ontario Trillium Foundation grant.
They now have a new banner to hang, the 2009 Dominion Ontario Mixed
Wheelchair Championship. [read story in
Bradford Times]
Meanwhile, back in Ontario
3/3/2009
Ontario held its Dominion Provincial
Championship over three days last week, with Ottawa's Bruce Cameron in
first place at 3-0 and Toronto's Chris Rees, Ilderton's Don Bell and
Bradford's Ken Gregory each at 1-2.
Rees, perpetual Ontario champion, beat
Bell 9-3 in the semi-final and Gregory beat Cameron, taking two with
hammer in the 8th to win 6-5.
That set up a Rees/Gregory final, with
Ken Gregory's rink of Colinda Joseph at lead, Katie Paialunga at 2nd and
Frank Cannarellla at 3rd running out 7-4 winners in seven ends.
Teams and line scores are available on
the
OCA website, and a comprehensive article by Doug Graham of the
Whig=Standard can be
read here.
With Chris Rees not making the 2009
Nationals, it will leave Prince George's Whitney Warren and Team
Gregory's Frank Cannarella as the only
players to compete in every National Championship.
2010 Paralympics teams line-up set
3/1/2009
The ten teams who will compete for medals
at the 2010 Vancouver Paralympics have been decided by adding the points
each national team has earned in the three World Championships since the
2006 Torino Games.
Canada claim an automatic berth as hosts,
and Scotland's points count for Great Britain. Points are allocated 12
for a win, 10 for second, 8 for third down to 1 for tenth. In 2007 teams
with equal records divided the available points. The last two years,
where it was not possible to rank by won/loss records, rankings were
decided by a draw to the button.
Here are the teams, with accumulated
three year points totals.