Owatonna resident Pete Annis is coaching the USA wheelchair curling team as they prepare for the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games in Cortina, Italy, following their gold medal win at the 2024 world B championships. The team, including mixed and mixed doubles squads, has trained intensively over recent months. Annis expressed confidence in their playoff prospects.
The USA wheelchair curling team, led by acting director and coach Pete Annis of Owatonna, Minnesota, is set to compete in the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games in Cortina, Italy. After securing gold at the 2024 world B championships, the team has focused on preparation for the event, which begins its round-robin phase on March 4 and runs through March 12, with semifinals on March 13 and finals on March 14.
The mixed team consists of Katie Verderber from Montana, Matt Thums from Wisconsin, Sean O’Neill from Massachusetts, Oyuna Uranchimeg from Minnesota, and Dan Rose from Colorado. The mixed doubles pair includes Laura Dwyer and Steve Emt, both from Wisconsin. Training has involved nearly every weekend for the past three months at locations such as Madison, Milwaukee, and Denver, adapting to the athletes' home clubs.
Annis highlighted the team's readiness, stating, “I think both teams are going to represent very well. Our mixed doubles team has lots of experience and their chances at a medal are probably better than some of the other teams. I would be surprised if we weren’t in the playoffs.” He also explained key differences in Paralympic curling: no sweeping is allowed, chairs are held during throws, and a 7- to 8-foot stick is used to deliver the stone.
Sean O’Neill, a four-year veteran, echoed the optimism: “Yeah, we feel extremely prepared. We’ve had a lot of great training camps together over the past few months. We’re feeling ready.” He added, “We’re going to be coming with a lot of energy. I hope everyone gets a chance to tune in and fall in love with curling and cheer us on.”
Annis emphasized the inspirational aspect of the Paralympics, saying, “To see what people can do with their disabilities after the unfortunate things that have happened to them in their lives and how they’ve overcome everything... What they do is remarkable.” All games will be televised on Peacock starting March 4.
The competition features eight teams, including the USA, Estonia, Italy, China, Great Britain, Japan, Latvia, and South Korea, in a round-robin format where the top four advance to semifinals.
