Canada’s wheelchair curling rink completed a perfect round-robin at the Milan Cortina Winter Paralympics, finishing 9-0 after a 7-3 win over the United States and earlier a 6-3 victory over South Korea, leaving the team poised for the knockout stage in paralympic curling.
Paralympic Curling: Canada Finishes Round Robin 9-0
The Canadian rink of Mark Ideson, Jon Thurston, Ina Forrest and Collinda Joseph, with alternate Gilbert Dash, closed out round-robin play unbeaten. The 7-3 victory over the U. S. saw the teams tied 3-3 after four ends before Canada collected four points across the next three ends and the Americans conceded the eighth and final end.
Earlier the same day, Canada took a 4-1 edge through four ends against South Korea, with the Koreans narrowing the gap by the sixth end. Canada then scored in each of the final two ends to secure a 6-3 result that helped seal the flawless record.
The win confirmed a semi-final berth Canada had already clinched and left the team the lone undefeated rink in the standings at the close of round-robin play.
Semifinal Matchups And Medal Schedule
Canada will face South Korea on Friday in the semifinals. China will play Sweden in the other semi. The tournament schedule places the bronze-medal game on Friday and the gold-medal final on Saturday.
China enters the semifinals as the two-time defending Paralympic gold-medal winner in wheelchair curling, while Canada arrives with a Paralympic history that includes gold medals in 2006, 2010 and 2014 and bronze-place finishes in the two most recent Games prior to this event.
Team Momentum And Outlook
Ideson described the unbeaten run as “pretty special” and emphasized the work ahead, saying the team has “a big game in the morning and we’ve got to bring our best. ” He also noted the pressure the squad placed on itself in preparation for the Games and added that they are enjoying representing their country and teammates.
Thurston framed the immediate objective simply: “We’re here for gold. We bring our best game tomorrow and we’ll have a good opportunity for that. ” The remarks underscore the Canadian rink’s focus as they move from dominant round-robin form into single-elimination play in paralympic curling.
What Changed And What Comes Next
Canada’s round-robin performance shifted the balance of expectations by producing a clear favorite entering the semifinals: an unbeaten record that demonstrates consistency across multiple matchups. The coming semifinal against South Korea will determine whether that form carries through into the medal rounds.
With the bronze-medal match scheduled for Friday and the gold-medal final on Saturday, the tournament’s decisive matches will resolve the podium positions and determine whether Canada can convert its flawless preliminary week into a return to the top step of Paralympic curling.
