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Team Canada announcement delayed

The announcement of the members of Team Canada 2009 has been delayed until Saturday December 13th, at the banquet at the Richmond International spiel, as happened last year.

The eight squad members had been told that they would know today, and the reason for the delay is unclear. Possibly Joe Rea, who did not travel to Ottawa for the Cathy Kerr, needed additional time to see them play. Or it might have been felt that announcing the team before Richmond would adversely affect the performance of those not chosen. Whatever the reason, as of today the proposed line-ups in Richmond are:

Armstrong, Neighbour, Forrest, Yitzek
Austgarden, Cormack, Sobkowicz, Gaudet
It should be noted that the proposed line-ups changed shortly before the Ottawa event.

This does, however, allow more time for those yet to cast their ballot for Team Canada 2009. Please do so in the comments section in the post below this one.

Who do you pick for Team Canada 2009?

The members of Team Canada 2009 will be announced Saturday December 9th. The candidates in alphabetical order are:

Jim Armstrong, Gerry Austgarden, Gary Cormack, Ina Forrest, Sonja Gaudet, Darryl Neighbour, Chris Sobkowicz, Bruno Yizek

Who do you think will make the team - Skip through lead, plus alternate?

GB begin North American tour at US Open in Utica Dec 5-7

The Great Britain Paralympic squad will begin their North American tour at the 2nd US Open in Utica this weekend. Two British team will compete against the two US teams that played last weekend in Ottawa. Two Ontario teams, Cameron from Ottawa and Gregory from Bradford round out the six team field.

The Brits then travel to BC and will face Team Canada 2009, who are to be selected tomorrow (December 4th), at the Richmond International spiel starting December 9th.

Quebec to compete at 2009 Canadian Nationals

Quebec wheelchair curlers, based at the Lennoxville CC in Sherbrooke, learned today that their winning participation in the recreational division of the Cathy Kerr in Ottawa has led to sponsorship for a trip to the 2009 Canadian Nationals.

Club member Al Whittier, who has been the force behind the program, was delighted. "We were all inspired by seeing the Ottawa ice-sheets full of wheelchairs," he said when he phoned us the news. "And we already have a woman who drove to Ottawa to watch what was happening, and who will coming out to a practice. We need female curlers and she asked about training."

This brings up a point that I have been making for several years. If curling wants to attract committed athletes there must be answers to intelligent questions, like what will be my time commitment to excel, what coaching is available, and what is my path to representative competition.

As far as I know there is still no "Path To Excellence" type brochure that lays out the support serious athletes will expect from a sport attempting to get them to commit their time and energy.

Angie Malone skips to British Open win

photo courtesy Bob Cowan

Bob Cowan reports that Angie Malone, who fans will remember played lead for Frank Duffy at the 2006 Torino Paralympics, skipped her team of Ian Donaldson, Jim Elliot and Jim Taylor to a 6-4 win over Jim Gault to win the British Open Championship at Kinross this weekend.

USA I denies Canada I a perfect record with tie in final draw at Cathy Kerr

The final day's action, two 6-end draws, began at 8.30am and saw Canada I beat Fraser 13-1 and Canada II beat USA II 7-4.

The final draw featured the marquee match-up, Armstrong against USA I's Perez. It ended honours even in a 4-4 tie.

Canada I  - 1 0 0 1 2 0
USA I*...  - 0 1 1 0 0 2

Canada II beat Fraser 7-2.

Overall winners - Canada I - Armstrong, Neighbour, Forrest and Cormack

Recreational winners - Lennoxville Quebec - Ben Lasard, Carl Marquis, Jacques Martin and Denis Paradis.

Draw 6 Sunday 8:30 AM

Cameron 5-3 Gregory
Canada II 7-4 USA II
USA 1 5-5 Rees
Canada I  13-1  Fraser

Draw 7 Sunday 11 AM

Cameron 0-6  USA II
Fraser  2-7  Canada II
Rees 4-2 Gregory
Canada 1  4-4  USA I

Ottawa (Michel) 2-7  Lennoxville (Lessard)
Ottawa (Wong-Sing) 4-4  London (Bell)

Rankings
1. Canada I -  6-0-1
2. Canada II - 6-1-0
3. Rees (Toronto) 4-2-1
4. USA I   -   4-1-2
=5. USA II  2-5-0
=5. Cameron (Ottawa)  2-5-0
=5. Gregory (Bradford)  2-5-0
8. Fraser  0-7-0

Canada I at 5-0. Austgarden avenges USA bronze defeat

The last time Gerry Austgarden faced USA skip 'Goose' Perez he was shaking hands after lead stones in the final end of the game that gave USA their first World Championship medal. In Draw 3 this morning revenge was sweet as he led Canada II to a 8-6 win over USA I.  Canada I remained unbeaten with a 10-4 win over Bradford.

In Draw 4 this afternoon Canada I raised their record to 4-0 with a 12-4 win over Cameron, while Canada II beat Chris Rees' Toronto 6-2.  

In Draw 5 this evening Canada I  beat Rees 12-4 and Canada II beat  Cameron 8-2.

Draw 3  Saturday 8:30 AM

Cameron 13-0 Fraser
Canada I  10-4  Gregory
USA II  5-10 Rees
Canada II  8-6  USA 1

Draw 4 Saturday 1 PM

USA II 3-8 USA 1
Rees 2-8  Canada II
Fraser 3-15 Gregory
Canada I  12-4  Cameron

Ottawa (Wong-Sing) 2 Lennoxville (Lessard) 7
London (Bell) 5 Ottawa (Michel) 4

Draw 5 Saturday 4:30 PM

Canada II  8-2 Cameron
Gregory 5-9  USA 1
Rees 2-10  Canada 1
USA 2  13-2   Ottawa

Ottawa (Wong-Sing) 7 Ottawa (Michel) 5
London (Bell) 3 Lennoxville (Lessard) 14

Canada I over Canada II at Cathy Kerr

Both Team Canada squads had solid wins in the morning draw. Canada 1 blanked USA II by 15-0, and Canada II beat Bradford 9-5.

In the afternoon draw Canada I skipped by Jim Armstrong, beat Gerry Austgarden's Canada II by a score of 8-2.

Here are the full Day 1 results

Draw 1 - Friday 1 pm

Can 1 (Armstrong) 15 - USA II (MacDonald) 0
Can II (Austgarden) 9 - Bradford (Gregory) 5
Toronto (Rees) 7 - Ottawa (Cameron) 4
USA I (Perez) 18 - Ottawa (Fraser) 2

Draw 2 Friday 4:30PM

USA 1 (Perez) 9 - Ottawa (Cameron) 4
Can 1 (Armstrong) 8 - CanII (Austgarden) 2
Bradford (Gregory) 9 - USA II (MacDonald) 3
Toronto (Rees) 9 - Ottawa (Fraser) 6

Canada and USA line-ups for Cathy Kerr announced

Canada and USA have announced their teams for the 3 day Ottawa spiel starting tomorrow.

Canada I - Armstrong (skip), Neighbour, Forrest, and Cormack all from BC.
Canada II - Austgarden (skip BC), Yizek (AB), Sobkowicz (MB) and Gaudet (BC)

USA I - Perez (skip NY), Pierce (NY), Joseph (NY) and Kapinowski (NJ)
USA II - McDonald (Skip CA), Heathcoat (WI), Dorsett (PA) and Delano (NY)

Canadian coach Wendy Morgan was at pains to point out that their teams did not indicate who would represent Canada at the 2009 Worlds. That decision  will be announced next week so that the team can play together at the Richmond International spiel the following weekend.

Armstrong, Neighbour, and Forrest are favourites to make the cut, with Gaudet the alternate if coach Rea follows past practice of including two women. That would leave Torino gold medallists Austgarden and Cormack competing with Yizek and Sobkowicz for the remaining front end position. Performance this weekend will influence selection, but all things being equal the vote may go to Sobkowicz in a move away from an all-BC team. Have an opinion? Post it in the comments.

The USA trials last weekend was the major factor in deciding which 8 athletes would compete in Ottawa. USA I, bronze medallists  at the 2008 Worlds, appear to have weathered the challenge of 6 other athletes though a final decision on the 2009 Team USA will not be officially announced until December 14th, after the US Open.

Canada and USA meet in Ottawa at Cathy Kerr - Nov 28-30

The 4th Annual Cathy Kerr Memorial bonspiel has expanded to 3 days and 8 competitive teams plus 4 others who will play in the social division. Two teams from each of the national Canadian and USA squads will compete against the top four Ontario teams. Games will be held at the RA Centre and the Nepean Sportsplex. Click HERE for a full schedule (pdf)

Wheelchair curling, in a league of their own

Corrinna Pole writes in The Record (Sherbrooke, QUE): Last year, a Wheelchair curling program, the first of its kind in the province, was a pilot project at Lennoxville's Curling Club. Now the team is even closer to becoming a full league with high hopes of branching out.

"Wheelchair curling is nonexistent in Quebec but other provinces have it," said Lennoxville's Alfred Whittier, who has years of experience instructing handicapped athletes. "Our aim is to form a Quebec competitive team to represent the province in Canadian tournaments." [read more]

"Wheelchair Watch" column in SWEEP! Magazine (November 08)

My "Wheelchair Watch" column for the November 2008 issue of SWEEP! magazine is now available online at this link

Have-A-Go Day in Langley BC on November 29

National Champion skip and Team Canada member Darryl Neighbour will be hosting a Have-A-Go day at Langley, November 29th from 12-3pm

"Come try this sport in a welcoming, non-competitive environment geared toward new participants. You just come and have Fun!" Contact CurlBC for more information.

Jim Armstrong profiled in The Province

On delivering a rock from a wheelchair with a stick, Armstrong said: "The feel eventually comes through. But what I was used to was doing it from the hack to the hogline [before letting go of the rock]. Now I'm doing it in two feet."

[read full article]

Germany and China qualify for 2009 Worlds

Germany stole their way to a win over Russia in the 1 v. 2 Page playoff game at the Worlds Qualifying tournament in Prague, to claim the first of two slots at the 2009 Worlds in Vancouver next February. Though Russia stole singles in the first two ends, Germany stole 3 in the 4th, and singles in the 5th and 6th on their way to a 6-5 win.

In the 3 v. 4 game the host Czechs started with the hammer and took 2 from China, but that was to be the end of their dream as they gave up 5 in the second and failed to score the rest of the way as China ran out 11-2 winners in seven ends.

Russia then played China for the second qualifying slot, but despite having the hammer, only managed a consolation single in the 7th end, China winning 13-1.

CLICK HERE for live line scores. CLICK HERE for WCF report

Germany and China will join Norway, Korea, USA, Canada, Italy, Sweden, Scotland and Switzerland In Vancouver.

Germany top after round robin at Worlds Qualifying

Germany (8-1) topped the 10 team field after round robin play at the qualifying tournament for the final two places at the 2009 Worlds in Vancouver next February.

Hosts Czech Republic, 2008 Worlds competitor Russia and China, who gave Germany their only defeat, were all 7-2 and will play in the Page play-off Thursday.

Germany v. Russia - winner takes first qualifying spot, loser plays winner of China v. Czech Republic for the second qualifying spot.

CLICK HERE for live line scores.

Worlds Qualifying all week in Prague

Ten teams are competing in Prague at the World Wheelchair Curling Championship Qualifying Competition, for the final two places at the 2009 Worlds in Vancouver next February. After 7 draws of round robin competition, China, Germany and the Czech Republic are unbeaten. Sentimental favourite Japan, forced to qualify when their pre-tournament tie-break draw to the button at the 2008 Worlds lost by millimetres, are out of contention at 1-5.

CLICK HERE for live line scores. Click on the team names for participants. The website also has webcams on each sheet but I could not get access to them.

Teams and schedule (CET time which is 9 hours ahead of Pacific and 6 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time) can be downloaded as a Word document from this page.

The Page playoff final games are scheduled for Thursday November 20th.

Cape Cod CC continues support for wheelchair curlers

Several wheelchair users took part in this weekend's charity spie at the Cape Cod CC, which raised $5,000 for a local group offering adaptive sports equipment to physically and mentally challenged people of all ages. [read report]

Club official Tony Colacchio, inspired, he told me, by a wheelchair curling column to include disabled access in the club's $500,000 renovation  plan, hopes they can attract a core group of wheelchair users to challenge for places on the USA national team.  

Norway take 2008 Rolli Cup in Bern

Norway, Sweden, Scotland and 5 teams from Switzerland competed in Bern for the 2008 Rolli Cup. Each pool of 4 teams played 3 round robin 6-end  games on Saturday. Norway (3-0) beat Scotland 12-2 in one semi-final while Lausanne Olympique (2-0-1) lost to Bern II  in the other.

In the final Norway  blanked Bern II by 8-0 while Scotland claimed bronze with a 10-2 win over Lausanne.

For complete details CLICK HERE