Wheelchair curling made its Paralympic debut in Torino in 2006. It is a team ice sport that requires aim, communication and a strategic plan to win.
The sport is open to male and female athletes who have a physical impairment in the lower half of their body, including spinal-cord injuries, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis and double-leg amputation.
Wheelchair curling is governed by the rules of the World Curling Federation (WCF) with one major modification for wheelchair curling – no sweeping is permitted.
The competition is open to teams of 4 athletes (2 male and 2 female).
Stones are “thrown” by hand, or by the use of a “stick” towards a target at the opposite end of the ice. The object of the game is to get a team’s stones as close to the centre of the target (the “house”) as possible. Six ends are played with a possible extra end if the teams are tied after six. There is no sweeping, however, and only competitors in wheelchairs are allowed to compete.
Hypertonia | Impaired Muscle Power |
Ataxia | Limb Deficiency |
Impaired Passive Range of Movement |
Wheelchair curling has only one sport class. Athletes must have an impairment affecting their legs. However, some wheelchair curlers may also have impairment in their arms. For example, some athletes have muscle weakness in their legs due to spinal cord injury and others have impaired coordination due to cerebral palsy.
All athletes must use a wheelchair in competition, though not all athletes use a wheelchair in daily life. All wheelchair curlers must meet the minimum impairment criteria to compete.
World Curling Classification Rules
Ireland currently does not have a Wheelchair Curling National Governing Body member of Paralympics Ireland
Governing Body | |
International | World Curling Federation |
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