In wheelchair curling at the 2026 Winter Paralympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, athletes forgo the sweeping technique used in Olympic curling, relying instead on exact throws with a long stick. This absence makes the sport more demanding, as shots cannot be adjusted mid-travel. Competitors from nations like Great Britain, the United States, Italy, and China highlight the mental and technical challenges through their experiences.
Wheelchair curling differs markedly from its Olympic counterpart due to the prohibition on sweeping, where athletes in the able-bodied version use brushes to alter stone paths and distances. Stewart Pimblett, third for Great Britain’s mixed team, described the release of a stone as leaving it “in the lap of the gods,” joking that Olympic sweeping amounts to “cheating” by comparing it to tilting a pool table. Austin McKenzie, Great Britain’s vice-skip, noted, “It’s the sweepers who make it a good shot,” adding that wheelchair curling “is far more skillful; we have to be precise.”
A 2006 University of Edinburgh study found that Olympic sweeping can increase shot distance by 10 percent. At the 2026 Olympics, top teams like Switzerland achieved 88.7 percent shot success in men’s events and 85 percent in women’s, while lower performers like Czechia’s men reached 79.8 percent. In contrast, after six rounds of Paralympic mixed doubles, China led with 65 percent accuracy despite a perfect win record, and other nations succeeded about half the time. Stones and venues remain identical to the Olympics, underscoring the skill gap.
American curler Steve Emt emphasized the mental demands: “Our sport is so unique. There’s a difference between being an athlete and being athletic. You have to be an athlete because of the mental part of the game, (but) you don’t need to be athletic.” Teams adapt strategies for stability, as athletes have limited lower-limb function and require holding during throws. Italy’s Orietta Berto and Paolo Ioriatti alternate holding positions, while Great Britain’s Jo Butterfield and Jason Kean support each other mutually. China’s Meng Wang and Jinqiao Yang position the non-thrower by the house as a guide, and the U.S. pair of Emt and Laura Dwyer vary approaches.
Key matches illustrate the precision required. The U.S. defeated Italy 6-5 in the final end of their round-robin game on March 8, 2026, with Dwyer’s clockwise stone landing ideally and Berto’s takeout missing. Italy nearly upset China in an extra end tied at 7-7 but hit a guard on a wide throw. Canada’s Jon Thurston executed a standout shot against Norway, clearing guards to enable a six-point end in a 3-2 match. Teammate Ina Forrest, a five-time Paralympian with four medals, praised it: “One super-good shot makes a big difference.”
Training focuses on upper-body strength like cable pulls and bench presses, alongside psychological tools. Jason Kean of Great Britain mentioned eye-tracking drills using arena cues like the Agitos logo. Great Britain lost 10-5 to China after leading 5-1, with Butterfield attributing it to nerves: “It probably was the psychology of playing China.” Emt described managing arousal levels at four or five out of ten, using breathwork and invoking his dog’s name, “Finch,” to shift to subconscious throwing.
